Adult Learning & Formation

Music at Trinity

Dr. Michael Messina, Director of Music

2021 saw the reemergence of singing after prohibitions made during COVID-tide. During the first half of the year, the choir and organists continued to make videos for online worship. The choir sang mostly outdoors (including in the parking garage on 33rd St across Meridian, and Evensong on the St Richard’s playground on May 2), and the organists recorded at other churches, since our organ remained in the shop of Quimby Pipe Organs, Warrensburg, MO. There the pipes were cleaned, and revoiced, and then reinstalled and regulated in the church between 15 Mar and 15 Jun. The inaugural concert series celebrating the revoiced organ began in the fall, with Evensong sung by the choir on Sep 12, socially distanced throughout the church. This service was offered online only, as the spaced choir members occupied most of the church west of the screen. The revoiced organ was blessed and dedicated at the regular Sunday morning service (with an octet of singers) on Sep 26. Internationally renowned organist David Higgs played a brilliant first concert on Oct 17, to a crowd of around 75 people—pretty good for a concert during the Delta variant spike! Organist Jason Roberts played a concert of organ masterworks and improvisation, and accompanied a silent film on Nov 12. The choir sang Evensong for All Saints Sunday on Nov 7 and a service of Lessons and Carols on Dec 19; by mid-October, a masked congregation was allowed to attend (and sing!) at indoor services. The Madrigal singers welcomed the Yuletide on Dec 3 with a Concert in the Church in the presence of the Lord of the manor (Michael Moffatt), who then invited concert goers to the Great Hall for a dessert of wassail and figgy pudding. On Dec 10 Director of Music Michael Messina played Olivier Messiaen’s monumental organ work La Nativité du Seigneur. The concert was illustrated by parishioner Holly Day, with projected slides of seasonal artwork from throughout the centuries. Members of our choir: • Trinity Choir (*denotes staff singer): Assistant Organist:

Nara Lee • Soprano: Lillian Crabb, Laura Cruise-Gibson, Erica

Dollhopf, Cheryl Eiszner, Deb Havill, Charlie Hirschman, *Elisabeth Hoegberg, Jennifer Mentink, Victoria Resnick,

Cindy Williams • Alto: Linda Brown, Linda Cuticchia, Grace Davis, Meg

Feemster, Anne Greist, Shannie Hughes, Mary Mail,

Rebecca Mattingly, Jolene Moffatt, Leigh Anne Naas, Judy

Peach, *Chelsea Reynowsky, Syd Schafer • Tenor: Robert Bentley, *Zach Cardwell, David Crabb, John

Eiszner, Ed Ferguson, Jerry Hall, Rick Herd, Joseph Naas,

Cos Raimondi, Hugh Resnick • Bass: JJeff Brinkmann, *Gavin Craig, Erik Hembre,

Malcolm Hembre, Soren Hembre, *Matt Hume, Jim

Knowles, Kyle Myers, Chuck Schafer, Austin Smith, Allan

Williams We are grateful for the expertise and support of our sectionleaders, who lead and inspire us! • Choristers: Adeline Adler-Mueller, Levin Adler-Mueller,

Quincy Bacon, Clara Haley, Maxine Steensland, Minna

Steensland, Grace Whitworth-Neufeld Leading the music program at Trinity continues to be an incredible blessing to me, personally; I’m grateful for everyone who makes and/or supports music here, and I’m thankful for gifted and creative colleagues. May we all continue to proclaim the presence, power, love, and beauty of God through music.

Adult Learning & Formation

The Rev’d Megan Miller

In January through May, most adult formation was held on Zoom and included Sunday adult forums, as well as contemplative prayer groups, book and Bible studies, and presentations during the week. Over the summer and with the start of the new program year in September, more activities were held in-person. During Epiphanytide, there were three adult forums, one weekly program with a guest speaker, and a prayer practice series on Monday evenings. During Lent, Father Ben led a Lenten book study on Sunday mornings, concurrent with the adult forum led by Mother Julia and Mother Erin; Kathy Watson and Deb Cooney led contemplative prayer on Mondays. Two small groups started up in February: Women’s Discipleship Group led by Patty Bucken and Elyse Elder and Discipleship Book Group coordinated by Shannie Hughes. Mother Erin led a My Journey small group in April and May. The Rector’s Study Group on Tuesdays (online and then hybrid) and Father Ben’s Bible Study on Monday’s (online) continued. There were two adult confirmation classes and one youth confirmation class in 2021. The Lectionary Bible Study resumed meeting on Sundays after the 8:00am worship service in September. The Women’s Reading Group was a new group started by Catherine Lewis; it meets the second Monday of the month and is open to all who identify as a woman. A class for Newcomers was led by Father Adam in-person in October. Details on these events and more follow.

Sunday Adult Forums • January 17: The Heart of God: the Art of God. The Rev.

Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones presented on how iconography changes our understanding of the image of God in the world. • February 14: Holy Innocents Chapel Renovation • Stories and memories of the Holy Innocents Chapel with the Holy Innocents Chapel Renovation Team and newly hired architect Eric Rowland of Rowland Architects. • April 18: Episcopal Service Corps Discernment • Conversation with Trinity’s ESC Discernment Team and

ESC alumni to bring an intentional community for young adults to Trinity, specifically the house at 3256 North

Pennsylvania (formerly St. Edward’s House). • May 16: Town Hall Meeting with Mother Julia • Conversation with Mother Julia; where we’ve been, where we’re going. New hires and new directions in an unfolding hybrid world. • September 26: Meet Mother Megan, Associate Rector for Children and Lifelong Formation • Conversation with The Rev’d Megan Miller who brings over a decade of teaching and formation experience, in both schools and churches to Trinity. • September 19: Meet Father Adam, Associate Rector for

Outreach, Justice and Congregational Development • Conversation with The Rev’d Adam Pierce who has experience working in a complex church system and brings skills in strategic planning, community organizing,

Christian formation rooted in racial healing, and building sustainable support for ongoing ministries. • October 10: Courageous Conversation on Giving • Pledge Campaign Kick-off Conversation on faithful giving at Trinity. • October 17: Trinity Service Corps • Presentation on Trinity’s newest ministry on campus and the local branch of the Episcopal Service Corps. Led by

Father Adam. • November 14: Strategy & Mission with The Rev’d Dr.

Nathan Kirkpatrick. Conversation on Trinity’s strategy and mission with church consultant Nathan Kirkpatrick. • November 21: Mary: Prophet and Mother of God • Father Ben led an examination of texts and images of the

Blessed Virgin Mary as prophet and mother in preparation for the Advent season. • December 5: The Right Rev’d Jennifer Baskerville-

Burrows • Adult forum with the bishop during her visitation to

Trinity.

Adult Formation Small Groups • Tuesday, January 19: Christian Witness in Times of

Division (Zoom) Discussion with Father James Harlan,

Rector of the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm

Beach, and Mother Julia Whitworth on the eve of the inauguration. • Monday Evenings (January 25 - February 15):

Epiphany Prayer Practice Series (Zoom) Led by Cos

Raimondi, MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) instructor in the Indianapolis area and also a member of

Trinity’s choir • Sundays in Lent: Lenten Book Study, Thy Will Be Done (Zoom) A Lenten study of the Lord’s Prayer led by Father

Ben • Monday Evenings (February 22 - March 22): Lenten

Contemplative Prayer Series (Zoom) Led by parishioners Kathy Watson and Deb Cooney.

• 2nd Monday of the Month: Women’s Discipleship

Group (Zoom) Small group began meeting in February led by Patty Bucken and Elyse Elder. • Tuesdays at 3:00PM: Discipleship Book Group Small group began meeting in February. • Tuesdays at 7:00PM (April 13 - May4): My Journey

Group: Spiritual Story-telling (Zoom): Led by Mother

Erin. Participants explored and told stories about their walk with God and faith. • Lectionary Bible Study after the 8:00am service:

The Lectionary Bible Study met in-person starting in

September in the Parish Office Library. Each week it is led by the preacher. Average Sunday attendance for this group is four.

Confirmation Classes Two adult confirmation classes and one youth confirmation class were offered in 2021. • During Lent (Tuesdays at 7:00pm): Five sessions that covered the following topics: history, theology, worship, spirituality and mission of the Episcopal Church. Four adults were confirmed on June 1: Jennifer Renee Lutes,

Sarah Elizabeth Zauber, Matthew Bryan Hume, and Luana

Gladice Nissan. • November & December: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices

The course was planned as four sessions, though the group met three times, and it covered the following topics: Episcopal history and theology, the Book of

Common Prayer, and the sacraments. One adult, Michael

Schaefer, was received into the Episcopal Church during the Bishop’s visit on December 5. • The youth confirmation class met five times from

January through May on Sundays at 11:30am. The following topics were covered: irreverent saints and heretics, sacraments, theology, and confirmation. The youth mentors were Mike Tirman, Cathy Bridge, Missy

Roetter, Nick Fennig, Cathy Bridge, and Mary Mail. Seven youth were confirmed: Hugh Shepherd Clevenger, Dale

Edwin Potter, Bailey Ann Rager Garverick, Abigail Victoria

Resnick, William Sebastian Whitworth Neufeld, Hollis

Herrington Carbrey, and Allan Clark Williams.

Education for Ministry(EfM)

Sara Bean, Administrative Mentor

Education for Ministry is a unique four-year distance learning certificate program in theological education for lay persons offered through the distance learning program of the University of the South School of Theology. Based on small group study and practice, this program is designed to facilitate persons in their discovery and nurture of their call to Christian Service. The depth of Christian tradition is brought into study and conversation through the exploration of Hebrew Scripture, New Testament, Church History, Theology, Worship, and Reflection. September 2020-June 2021 Class: Michael Kohtz, Richard Hughes-Year 4, Martha Weissert, Rob Weissert-year 3, Bryan Furuness , Shelly Furuness-Year 1. All sessions were held via Zoom. September 2021-June 2022: Class: Martha Weissert, Rob Weissert-year 4, Bryan Furuness, Shelly Furuness, Marybeth Riner-year 2. Socially distanced inperson meetings. It is our hope to be able to present Certificates of Completion to the 2020, ‘21, and ‘22 graduates: Ginny Cotrell, Lydia Batton, Kyle Meyers, Mile Kohtz, Richard Hughes, Martha and Rob Weissert at a Sunday service in the Spring /Summer of 2022. New seminars form in September. We will meet every Tuesday, ending the first week in June, with a two week break for Christmas and New Year. We start at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:00p.m. Mentors who facilitate the group are Sara Bean and Jim Knowles. For more information or to register for class , please contactSara Bean (beansara5@gmail.com).

Newcomers

The Rev’d Adam Pierce

Over the course of four Wednesday evenings in October, I led a newcomer course to welcome people interested in membership to Trinity Episcopal Church. Our group was small but dedicated. We spent our time together exploring what people were looking for. In other words, why a Church? The common answer was a sense of community and a place to find support. The remaining three sessions focused on different areas of our lives together at Trinity and the various ways we find ourselves participating in the life of this community. We explored questions around worship, stewardship, and service through the many ministry opportunities found here. I am grateful for the dedication of this group and give thanks for these families finding a sense of community here at Trinity.