A Year Like No Other

T rinity E piscopal C hurch A nnual M eeting J a n u a r y 31, 2021

Trinity Annual Report for the Year 2020

Annual Meeting Agenda Gather for the Annual Meeting at 11:00AM on Zoom • Welcome • Call to Order • Appointment of Parish Clerk Approval of Minutes from the 2019 Annual Meeting • PDF’s were sent via email; a link will be provided in the Zoom Chat Elections • Appointment of Teller Elect Vestry Members, Class of 2024 Vestry: five members for three-year terms; five slotes • Introduction of vestry nominees • Introduction of current vestry members • Zoom Polling for the election Elect Diocesan convention: six delegates Delegates: six nominees for six slots • Nominees for the 2021 Diocesan delegates • Zoom Polling for the election Rector’s Address Senior Warden’s Report Select Ministry Reports • Kate Howe & Todd Relue - Episcopal Service Corps • Kathy Watson - Holy Innocents Chapel Renovation Financial Report: 2020 & 2021 Budgets Appreciation of Wardens and Outgoing Vestry Election Report Stewardship Appreciation Video Blessing & Adjournment

Trinity Annual Report for the Year 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Rector’s Address 1 Minutes of the Parish Annual Meeting for year 2019

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Senior Warden’s Report 8 Regathering Task-Force 8 Worship at Trinity 9 Baptisms & Pastoral Rites 11 Music at Trinity 12 Adult Learning & Formation 13 Be Thou My Vision 14 Families, Children, and Youth

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Parish Life 16 Outreach Ministries 17 Select Outreach Ministry Partners

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Social Justice & Racial Reconciliation

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Pastoral Care 29 Trinity Guilds 30 St. Richard’s Episcopal School

Head of School’s Report

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Chaplain’s Report 34 Who’s Who at Trinity Church

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Who’s Who at St. Richard’s Episcopal School

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Rector’s Address: the State of the Parish The Rev’d Julia E. Whitworth, Rector Beloveds of God,

have first introduced a video camera into the sanctuary on a Sunday morning. Since then we have worshiped the Lord in every way we could imagine except corporately in the Church: via zoom, via the website, on Facebook Live, through email, snail mail and using drive-by pick-up supplies, in both gardens and on the soccer field, on our couches and at our kitchen tables, in our cars and our yards, and even, I suspect for someone out there, in our beds.

How does one tell the story of 2020 at Trinity? Was it annus horribilus— the dumpster-fire year we will dismiss as the worst of our lives? Or was it an incredible opportunity to reveal our own creativity and flexibility, resilience and resolve, connection, faithfulness, leadership and patience? Or, was it both, and more?

We started 2020 with big plans for Trinity. In January, the Clergy attended the “Rooted in Jesus” conference in Atlanta, and a large delegation of Trinity leaders attended the CEEP conference in Louisville in February. Both fueled our excitement for a new year — with a new “Wade in the Water” Lenten formation program, a renewed commitment to planned giving, strategic planning, community formation through small groups and an all-parish retreat, an added Sunday service, discernment about new programs and beyond.

What have we learned? We have learned that we can do hard things. That we can pivot on a dime. That we can learn new technologies and form new connections across great distances. That we can adjust to change far better than anyone ever credits Episcopalians. That we can be part of a community even when we are apart -- creating our Trinity home wherever we are.

We have learned that the rich familiarity of our liturgical tradition holds up even when set in relief with new technologies and experimentation. And we have also learned that we miss the Eucharist -- that sacramental bond which holds us together. And singing. And our beautiful space. And one another.

Mightily.

Then COVID-19 hit in March, and most of those plans were turned upside down. That’s when 2020 as we will remember it began.

Creativity and Flexibility Once we were restricted from public worship and eventually to our homes entirely, Trinity had to remake itself—its operations and especially its worship life— many times over. In the Worship report, I went into great detail about the ways we responded to COVID-19 liturgically since March 15, when we

Resilience and Resolve 2020 may have changed how we all lived our lives, but it did not stop Trinity, its parishioners, partners, and leaders, from living into its call to serve. It has been an honor to support our 1

outreach and campus partners as they persevered in serving their missions this year. Watching volunteers and staff of the Mid-North Food Pantry continue to distribute groceries in the parking lot three days a week has been nothing short of inspiring. Whether in reopening St. Nicholas Early Learning in June or St. Richard’s and the now to-go Sunday Dinner in August, our parishioners and partners have demonstrated a remarkable can-do spirit: balancing a keen regard for science and safety with a passion for mission. Throughout the pandemic, Project Home Indy continues to serve vulnerable young women and their babies on our property. Horizons at St. Richard’s has found ways to assist low-income families combat learning inequity exacerbated by the pandemic. Trinity Haven has finished its renovations and begun hiring the staff needed to finally implement its host-homes and transitional living programs in the next few months. Additionally, many of you have continued to write letters against food inequity, to learn and to educate about systemic racism in healthcare and housing, and to march in our streets for racial justice.

been visiting some parishioners to deliver Epiphany house blessings. We have tried different kinds of virtual gatherings, to greater and lesser success. We encourage your new ideas and leadership in fostering connection “at” Trinity during the continuing season of separation.

Faithfulness, Patience and Leadership When the pandemic started, I worried about the financial stability of the parish in a tumultuous economy. What would happen with our endowment? Would you be able to fulfill your pledges and make new ones? Advised by the Finance Committee, Legacy Fund Trustees, Treasurer Keenan Buoy and Director of Finance Albie Marco, we made some swift decisions in the spring and summer in order to buffer the parish’s financial resources against possible downfalls. We used liquid assets in our Legacy Fund for a first endowment draw, rather than divesting from a down market. Like most churches, we also applied for a SBA/PPP Loan to cover all staff compensation --even hourly employees -- during our time of sheltering in place.We timed a third quarter draw strategically to maximize investment value. And we compressed our expense budget by refraining from replacing staff who left at varying points in the year -- just in case.

I have also seen resilience and resolve in the work of Sunday School teachers and youth leaders who have shown up on zoom week after week for the kids of this parish. As a parent and a rector, I am so grateful for you all, and for the leadership of Kim McPherson last Winter, and of Missy Roetter and Mother Erin throughout 2020. Finally, nothing depicts resolve like a Choir gathered to sing outdoors in a parking garage in January, or worshippers in 27 degree temperatures in the garden, huddled under blankets but warmed by community and Communion.

Connection A challenge and priority in this year past has been tending the community connections of the parish, despite imposed separation. Mother Erin, Father Ben, Reverend Jenn and I have tried to maintain and grow small groups on zoom to tend to isolation for parishioners -- through Bible Studies, Discipleship Groups, Newcomers programs, Sunday Forums and coffee hours, a racial justice reading group, and our many committees for governance and leadership. Our Parish Life Committee pivoted from large gatherings to smaller outdoor fellowship offerings and intentional outreach packages and gifts to the particularly homebound and isolated. Our pastoral care committee had to move from in-person visits to phone calls.

Twice our Vestry sought to reach every member of the parish by phone for pastoral check-ins. Most recently the clergy has

No matter how difficult, the year 2020 was an opportunity to reveal our own creativity and flexibility, resilience and resolve, connection, faithfulness, leadership and patience.

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Please join me in thanking: • Father Ben Anthony, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care and Chaplain to St. Richard’s • Dirk Edwards, Director of Facilities • Rita Earls, Housekeeping • Reverend Jennifer Fisher, Minister for Outreach and Social Justice • Faith Hennings, Finance Assistant • Mother Erin Hougland, Associate Rector for Lifelong Discipleship and Congregational Vitality • Tracey Lemon, Director of Communications and Invitation • Hamp Liggins, Housekeeping • Albie Marco, Director of Finance and Administration • Dr. Michael Messina, Director of Music • Missy Roetter, Parish Life and Youth Coordinator, • Dave Smith, Maintenance

All of this was to cover a possible shortfall that we might see in giving this year -- something that ultimately never came to pass. You, Trinity Church, just knocked me out with your generosity this year. While “plate giving” was basically decimated by the pandemic, you more than made up for that with your 2020 pledges. Ultimately we exceeded our budgeted stewardship goal for the year. Amazing. We have also exceeded our 2021 stewardship goals, which were, again, structured to be more conservative in the face of so many challenges. Because of you, Trinity is commencing 2021 in a strong financial position.

You are a faithful and generous people, Trinity Church, and a patient one as well. In the face of many challenging decisions, I have never *once* felt pressured to make a decision about regathering that flies in the face of science or safety. I’m so grateful for your willingness to trust and to wait. It’s a blessing to be in common life with you. I am also grateful for the wisdom and leadership of our Regathering Taskforce, who served as key advisors on the trends of the pandemic and the best practices we have adopted to ensure safety in regathering. They will remain pivotal as we chart a course forward in the complicated days ahead. Please join me in thanking: Rick Beardsley, Erik Hembre, Bob Marchesani, Jennifer Phelps, Erica Dollhopf, and chair Todd Relue, as well as David Crabb who has just joined our team. Although I will say this again later in the meeting, I am also very grateful for our Senior Warden Tricia McMath and all of the Vestry for their wisdom and support, and for their faithful leadership this year.

I am also grateful for consultants Summerlee Walter, Ashley Caveda and Susan and Michael Gyura, who assisted with various aspects of communications during Tracey Lemon’s leave, and for our wonderful staff of nursery workers, Choir section leaders, Sunday Dinner workers, and Security. We have an amazing team.

The Way Forward Where do we go from here? There are many unanswered questions about the future of the virus, vaccines, and in-person gatherings. The year ahead will require still more creativity and flexibility, resilience and resolve, connection, faithfulness, leadership and patience. Moreover, I anticipate that Trinity, as an institution and as individuals, will find itself transformed by this pivotal time in our lives. There will be no turning back to “how things used to be”: we don’t know what our community will look like, or be called to, on the other side of COVID.

Finally, there are not really enough words to express my gratitude for my faithful and patient colleagues on the Trinity staff and clergy. Every employee here has met the considerable challenges of this year—an entire upheaval of their professional lives—with creativity, endurance and good humor. It’s been a hard year for many of us, for reasons beyond the obvious. At times we undertook the work short-staffed… with as many as four people out at one time. And still these faithful souls show up and give their all for you, for Trinity Church, for the glory of God.

Be that as it may, Trinity’s leadership is preparing us to thrive in an in-person future, even as we survive in a hybrid moment.

I’m excited to announce that a Chapel Design Committee was convened in the fall to move the Holy Innocents project

Christmas Eve Service 3

forward at last. We have hired an architect and builder, and our goal is a fully renovated Children’s Chapel by the Fall. Stay tuned for presentations about that process. The Youth Room renovations from last year are almost complete -- new furniture is arriving next month. As you know, the Organ revoicing project is midstream, and we hope for a thrilling new sound by Summer. Finally, the long struggling Trinity Outreach Center lift, which services the food pantry, will be replaced in a few months.

Pennsylvania Street. Our ESC discernment team will be bringing you information about this as their feasibility and funding research unfolds. Covid-permitting, we are planning an October Parish Retreat to rejuvenate our parish connections and, hopefully, some pilgrimages in 2022 and 2023. We are excited to welcome a new St. Richard’s Head of School, Dr. Lesley Hosey, and continuing the good work of strengthening our connection with the school. Finally, this summer I am hoping to gather a team of leaders to join me in the diocese’s College for Congregational Development.

I anticipate our liturgical offerings will be forever changed by the pandemic. The necessity of offering services online has created an opportunity to welcome back worshippers who had stopped coming to church physically before COVID. Whether snowbirds or shut-ins, parishioners can now stay in our community even if they cannot get to our space. Even as we make our way back to the building, I am committed to continuing to live stream and record our central services and music offerings. We are researching and resourcing the permanent equipment needed to that end. We have also discovered how much we love worshipping outdoors in the gardens, so I imagine that offering to be a 3-season commitment in the future.

That’s just the beginning. Despite the darkness of these days, the future is bright for Trinity. Being a Resurrection People, we look to the light as the stone rolls away. It’s just ahead of us, friends. When we can be together, we will take the time to mourn our dead, for sure, and to tend to those for whom the isolation of this time has been traumatizing. But soon we will emerge from the containment of this hard, hard year, stronger for our work of maintaining the Church apart. Wherever we are, we are one family. Imagine what we can be, together again!

Faithfully,

With the Vestry, I hope to return to a Strategic Planning process as soon as it is manageable. You may recall that in 2019 we identified four critical areas for strategic attention: Connection, Growth, Leadership Development, and Resource Planning.

Some immediate initiatives ahead of us dovetail nicely with those, especially the proposal to open an Episcopal Service Corps intentional community in our still empty property on

Mother Julia

Save the Date for our Parish Retreat October 22-24, 2021 at Waycross

Organ pipes prepping to travel for revoicing.

Lemler Garden Baptism 4

Minutes: 2019 Annual Parish Meeting Todd Relue, Clerk

Call to Order Mother Julia Whitworth called the meeting to order at 9:30 am in the church. Mother Julia appointed Todd Relue to serve as Clerk for the Annual Meeting.

Rector’s Address Mother Julia discussed how the work of the parish reflects our call to follow Christ. Mother Julia reflected on the pilgrimages to Haiti and the Holy Land that took place last spring. In June, the Journey to Adulthood group went on pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland. In July, 49 choir members and choristers and 27 companions went on pilgrimage to France and England where they served as the choir in residence at the historic Ely cathedral. Through these pilgrimages, Trinity’s parishioners and clergy deepened their connections with God.

Elections In order to vote in the elections, each duly enrolled member must be at least 16 years old and have been a worshiper at Trinity as well as a contributor to its support for at least one month preceding the Annual Meeting. All voting is done on the honor system by members meeting these requirements.

Mother Julia discussed Trinity’s celebration of its centennial in May, which included a visit from Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, the unveiling of new vestments from the Altar Guild, and a dinner that raised $30,000 for the upcoming Chapel of the Holy Innocents renovation. Trinity lived into its mission of service by developing and facilitating 100 ways to serve. Trinity Knitters committed to knitting 100 hats and have nearly reached their goal. The centennial also offers the opportunity to look back and John Bridge is busy writing an updated history of our church titled “Be Thou My Vision.” There has also been a renewal of planned giving as an important form of stewardship for our parish. Mother Julia thanked Ann Smith for her leadership of that effort. Those that commit to making a planned gift by this summer will receive special recognition as Centennial Members of Trinity’s Tree of Life Society.

Mother Julia presented the Vestry classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 and the Vestry members received an ovation from the congregation.

Mother Julia presented the tellers for the Annual Meeting, which included Monica Beniste, Dirk Edwards, Faith Hennings, and Albie Marco. The tellers will be responsible for collecting and tallying ballots for Vestry members and Diocesan Convention delegates. Youth Group members passed out the ballots for both Vestry members and Diocesan Convention delegates.

The slate of nominees for the new Vestry class was presented, which included Carol Decoursey, Shelly Furuness, Karen Haley, Todd Relue, and Nathaniel Samba. Additional nominations from the floor were requested, but none were submitted.

The slate of nominees to serve as Trinity’s delegates to the 183rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis was presented, which included David Bacon, Cathy Bridge, Jeff Brinkmann, Sally Hardgrove, Todd Relue, and Kathy Watson.

Additional nominations from the floor were requested, but none were submitted.

Mother Julia expressed Trinity’s appreciation for Rev. Teresa Angle-Young who provided important leadership on our strategic planning effort. Rev. Teresa convened groups to gather information and implemented a parish-wide survey. The Vestry used the gathered information to identify four areas of direction to help guide Trinity over the next 3-5 years. These four areas of focus will be: Connect and Engage, Grow and Become, Leader and Transform, and Measure and Support. Mother Julia reported there is lots of work being done to advance these areas through specific action steps.

The congregation submitted written ballots containing their votes for Vestry members and Diocesan Convention delegates.

The meeting was reconvened in the Fortune Room after Eucharist.

Mother Julia led the congregation in a post-communion prayer and hymn.

In mid-May, Mother Ering Hougland joined Trinity as an Associate Rector. She has done wonderful work to make the parish more welcoming and to support Trinity’s transition to REALM. Mother Erin, Diana Creaser, and Jennifer Fisher are working together to lead Trinity’s Sunday Dinner ministry. Darren Palmer, the ministry’s long-time manager, has retired. Sunday Dinner has welcomed new part-time workers over the past few months and Jen Fisher has started a bible group that has 2025 regular attendees.

Mother Julia reported that many ministry leaders submitted written reports, which have been distributed to the parish.

While many of these reports cannot be discussed at the meeting due to time constraints, Mother Julia commended the reports be read by parishioners after the meeting.

Mother Julia thanked Tracey Lemon and Albie Marco for their hard work on preparing the parish reports for the Annual Meeting. Tracey and Albie received an ovation from the congregation.

Mother Julia discussed that Hanna Curtis moved with her husband to Texas. Mother Julia thanked Missy Roetter for expanding her responsibilities to oversee Sunday School. Mother Julia thanked Father Ben, Mother Erin, and several parishioners for helping to carry on this important ministry. Mother Julia believes a full-time children’s and families minister is in the budget for 2020 and would like to make the call this summer.

Kim McPherson will lead family faith formation classes in the interim until the new minister is found.

The Approval of Meeting Minutes The minutes from the prior Annual Meeting held on January 27, 2019 were approved as submitted.

Mother Julia thanked Todd Relue for his work as the Clerk.

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Ed Stephenson and Kate Howe are leading the Outreach Advisory Committee. Several of Trinity’s partner organizations are experiencing leadership transitions including the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Mapleton Fall Creek Development Corporation, and Project Home Indy. Mother Julia congratulated parishioner Amy Sue Bacon for her new role as the head of Horizons at St. Richard’s. Amy Sue received an ovation form the congregation.

Mother Julia reported that she feels blessed to be the Rector at Trinity. She looks forward to working with the Vestry on the strategic plan. Mother Julia thanked everyone for their many contributions. Mother Julia received an ovation..

Senior Warden’s Reports Senior Warden Tricia McMath reported of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes Convention. She reported that it was a really great experience and opportunity to learn what other similarly situated Episcopal churches are doing. Tricia’s main take away was that Trinity is doing really well and proactively meeting the challenges it faces.

Mother Julia also thanked David Amstutz, head of St. Richard’s school, for joining Trinity for the Annual Meeting. David received an ovation. Mother Julia reported on Father Ben’s work with St. Richard’s, which has expanded and deepened including through the recent joint Magi Tree project. St. Richard’s students have benefitted from many school chapels with Father Ben and Michael Messina. Mother Julia and David Amstutz are dreaming up new ideas for collaboration.

Tricia reported that, every two years, there is a mutual ministry review with Mother Julia. The review this past year was a very affirming event and provided a good reason to discuss the great things that we are doing and can do in the future.

Tricia shared that Trinity had approved $11,000 of outreach grants this year to St. Nicholas, Trinity Haven, and Raphael Health Center. Trinity is also hiring a master gardener to help care for our cloister and Lemler gardens.

Mother Julia reported that St. Richard’s completed construction on their new expansion. Many Trinity parishioners played central roles in that work. Mother Julia recognized David Amstutz, Bob and Marlene Marchesani, Tom Greist, and many others for their contributions to the project. Everyone involved in the expansion received an ovation.

Tricia reported that her first year as Senior Warden has been extremely rewarding thanks to Trinity’s wonderful Vestry, clergy, and staff.

Trinity completed the renovation of the Corner House, which is now the Chaplain’s House and Mother Julia reported that the Anthony family is very happy there. David Bacon, Janet Craun, Rob McMath, and Dirk Edwards were all thanked for their contributions to the renovation.

Ministry Updates Theresa Arness-Coates reported on St. Nicholas Early Learning Center, which opened in 2016 and have been very successful. St. Nicholas was formed to offer high quality childcare to neighborhood residents for children from birth through 3 years. Its goal is to have 50% of its enrollment from lower income families. St. Nicholas received a Pathways of Quality Level 3 certification, which is a national certification and mark of quality in the childcare field. Theresa reported that St. Nicholas had received a grant from Trinity to provide a warming kitchen that would expand meal options. St. Nicholas also secured a grant from the United Way of Central Indiana for an expansion that includes two new classes, a resource library, a staff lounge, and renovated kitchen area. St. Nicholas’s Executive Director Dave Sandrick has decided to leave, so the organization’s board has undertaken a search for his replacement. Theresa thanked all the parishioners who had donated to support St. Nicholas. Theresa and St. Nicholas received an ovation.

Mother Julia reported that Trinity is in discernment regarding potential uses for the St. Edward’s House including the possibility of establishing Indiana’s first Episcopal Service Corps house. The Episcopal Service Corps is a program that operates under the national Episcopal Church and provides young adults primarily in their 20s with an opportunity to come together to live, pray, and work in their communities. Mother Julia is challenging the parish to discern a clear direction for the St. Edward’s House in 2020.

Mother Julia reported that Trinity will look to continue a third service after the summer months. Like the traditional summer outdoor service, it will be more informal and directed at families. It will likely be held in the Fortune Room. There will be a comprehensive plan that will precede the roll out of the third service.

Leigh Ann Hirschman reported on Trinity Haven, Indiana’s first and only residence focused on LGBTQ homeless youth. Trinity Haven, incubated and launched by Trinity, is now an independent organization. The organization now has a full board of directors with substantial involvement from Trinity parishioners and the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. Trinity Haven also hired its founding director, Jenny White. Mother Julia, Leigh Ann, and Jenny White served as marshals in the Indianapolis Gay Pride Parade. Trinity Haven has garnered substantial local and national news coverage. The organization is continuing to pay back a starting loan from Trinity. Trinity Haven’s $1.5M start up fundraising goal has been met and surpassed.

Trinity contributed $50,000 to that campaign. Parishioners contributed $200,000 more. Trinity Haven recently finished its fundraising campaign with a gift from the United Way. Leigh

Mother Julia indicated that there will be a reevaluation of Christmas Eve services for next year. The 3:00 pm service will be reinvigorated as a Trinity Christmas Pageant next year.

Trinity is planning to provide other offerings as well including Rhythms of Grace, a new liturgy for families with children on the spectrum. During Lent, Trinity will offer Wade in the Water, which will prepare participants for Rites of Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation of their faith. Mother Julia hopes all parishioners will consider participating.

Mother Julia reported that the organ revoicing project, which has been in the works for four years, will finally be under way this year.

Trinity is planning to host another all parish retreat in the fall of 2020. The date will be sent out to parishioners.

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Ann thanked Rob McPherson and Steven Stolen for acting as their chairs of the fundraising campaign. The State agencies have been generally helpful and receptive to Trinity Haven, but the approval process has been slow. Trinity Haven is expecting more than $500,000 per year in State funding. The organization is also exploring the possibility of opening a network of host homes in the future. Leigh Ann thanked Trinity parishioners for all of their support. Leigh Ann and Trinity Haven received an ovation.

and will be joined by Patty Gotway, Joel Harrison, Christy Jacobi, Erik Hembre, and Gavin Stevens. Mother Julia commended John Hirschman’s written report to the parish.

Wardens and Vestry Appreciation Mother Julia thanked the wardens and outgoing Vestry members. This was the first group of Vestry who were elected after Mother Julia joined the parish. Mother Julia thanked Senior Warden Tricia McMath, Junior Warden Gayle Holtman, Leigh Ann Hirschman, David Bacon, Scott Whitaker, and Samuel Massaley. They all received an ovation.

Explanation of 2019 and 2020 Budgets Treasurer Keenan Buoy discussed Trinity’s 2019 financials and the 2020 budget. Keenan discussed expenses by ministry area.

The highlights from 2019 include that total parish support was strong, coming in at more than $13,000 over budget. The pledge completion rate was also high at 97%. Other parish support was $2,000 more than budgeted. Other income was $3,000 more than budgeted. The total draw on the Legacy Fund was $1,151,702. Total revenues for Trinity were $16,700 over budget.

Election Report Mother Julia reported the results of the election of the Vestry Class of 2023, which will include Carol Decoursey, Shelly Furuness, Karen Haley, Todd Relue, and Nathaniel Samba.

Mother Julia reported the results of the election of the Diocesan Convention delegates, which will include David Bacon, Cathy Bridge, Jeff Brinkmann, Sally Hardgrove, Todd Relue, and Kathy Watson.

Introduction and Appreciation of Trinity Staff Mother Julia introduced Dirk Edwards, Dr. Michael Messina, Rita Earls, Hamp Liggins, Dave Smith, Missy Roetter, Kim McPherson, Father Ben Anthony, Mother Erin Hougland, Tracey Lemon, Albie Marco, Rev. Jennifer Fischer, and Faith Hennings.

The staff each received ovations from the congregation in appreciation for their continued good work.

Regarding expenses, personnel expenses were $46,000 below budget. Total parish program expenses were $6,000 below budget.

New initiatives and programs expenses were $20,000 below budget and total property expenses were $3,000 under budget.

Total parish support increased steadily from $534,805 to $657,312 between 2015 and 2019.

Mother Julia also thanked the nursery personnel, Monica Beniste, Lucas Fletcher (assistant organist), security team, and three new part-time staff at Sunday Dinner. All received an ovation.

The budgeted expenses by ministry areas for 2020 is very similar to 2019 expenses by ministry area.

This year’s stewardship goal is $664,158.

Stewardship Appreciation Shana Stump, Co-Stewardship Chair, reported that she was happy to invite everyone to help “Build the Body of Christ” this year. Trinity had over 20 new and new returning pledgers this past year and about 100 households increased their pledges.

Here was also a significant increase in overall dollars pledged.

There continues to be an increase in online pledging. Shana thanked the Stewardship Committee and particularly Jeff Brinkmann, Co-Stewardship Chair. She also thanked Mother Julia and Mother Erin for their leadership and Tracy Lemon for her design work. Shana thanked Albie Marco and Faith Hennings for their work in tracking pledging and Monica Beniste for her assistance with the mailing. Shana reminded everyone that stewardship continues year-round. Shana thanked everyone for helping to make this a great beginning to the new century.

The planned Legacy Fund draw in 2020 is $28,100 less than last year’s draw. The Legacy Fund draw has been decreasing since 2015.

The budget for Personnel expenses in 2020 is $25,000 more than 2019 to reflect a new staffing structure, specifically a new curate position. The budget includes increased adult formation programming costs. It also includes an increased total property budget to reflect anticipated maintenance costs.

The outreach budget has also increased by $7,700 to help support outreach ministry partners. Budgeted total expenses decreased by $2,500 from last year’s budget.

Keenan thanked Albie Marco and Faith Hennings for their hard work on Trinity’s finances. Albie and Faith received an ovation.

Mother Julia thanked Kennan Buoy for his hard work overseeing the church’s finances and serving as treasurer.

Mother Julia also thanked the Finance Committee. Ann Durkos has been on the Finance Committee for around 25 years and chaired the committee for the last decade. Mother Julia thanked Ann for her many years of service. The parish applauded Ann’s work. Keenan Buoy will serve as interim Chair of the Finance Committee. Patty Gotway will be assisting in that work as well.

Mother Julia thanked the members of the Guild of Unexceptionable Cuisiniers, led by Jim Purucker, for all of their work in preparing the meal for the Annual Meeting and many other meals throughout the past year.

A video was played to honor the stewardship of Trinity parishioners.

There being no further business to be conducted, the Annual Meeting was adjourned at 11:53 am with a singing of the Doxology.

Cathy Bridge, Lynette Herd, and Jay Simmons all served as Legacy Fund trustees for many years and are ending their service. Mark Green and John Hirschman will continue as trustees 7

Senior Warden’s Report

Regathering Task Force

Tricia McMath, Senior Warden

Todd Relue In response to a directive from Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Trinity convened a task force composed of Trinity clergy, staff, and parishioners to address issues surrounding regathering during the pandemic. The task force reviewed expert guidance, data regarding the spread of virus, and the practices of other area churches and institutions to create a plan for safely conducting in-person worship and other gatherings. Consistent with the task force’s guidelines and diocesan requirements, Trinity parishioners were able to start regathering in July for socially-distanced outdoor worship in the cloister and Lemler gardens. These gatherings expanded to include Eucharist and, with the assistance of outdoor heaters and cold weather gear, continued into January of this year.

Annual Parish Meeting At the Annual Parish meeting in January we said “thank you” to the retiring vestry members of the class of 2020 (Leigh Ann Hirschman, Gayle Holtman, Samuel Massaley, Scott Whitaker, and David Bacon) and elected the new vestry class of 2023 (Carol DeCoursey, Shelly Furuness, Karen Haley, Nathaniel Samba, and Shana Stump). We also elected lay delegates and alternates to the Annual Convention of the Diocese of Indianapolis.

Vestry Retreat The Vestry had a retreat at the end of February to get to know one another and plan for the upcoming year.

Todd Relue was elected by the Vestry to be Junior Warden and Shana Stump accepted the ask to be the Clerk to the Vestry.

The task force also advised Trinity regarding its day-to-day operations and assistance of campus partners in Trinity’s Outreach Center. As vaccines become more widely distributed, the task force will develop a plan that allows for increasing numbers of Trinity’s parishioners to safely regather for worship.

The Rest of the Year Needless to say, many of the goals the Vestry had set for 2020, particularly strategic planning and implementation, had to be set aside as we turned our attention to supporting clergy and staff in Trinity’s response to the COVID pandemic. And we discovered the challenges of meeting monthly and conducting business via ZOOM at the end of the day that many of us had spent in endless ZOOM meetings. I’m so thankful for and grateful to our Vestry members for continuing to faithfully attend those ZOOM meetings as it provided a wonderful opportunity to connect and engage.

Regathering Task Force members are: Mother Julia Whitworth Todd Relue Rick Beardsley David Crabb Erica Dollhopf Dirk Edwards Erik Hembre Albie Marco Robert Marchesani Jennifer Phelps

In direct response to shutting the church doors, the Vestry, clergy, and staff connected with parishioners by making phone calls, sending emails, or writing notes to all those for whom we have contact information. This was done early on during the shut down, and then repeated as we had a plan to reopen. Vestry members also stepped up to participate in the early recorded online services as a way to further engage and connect with parishioners. Additionally the Vestry approved participation in the federal PPP loan program and applying for forgiveness.

Despite COVID’s interruption of our planned work for the year, there was some business as usual: St. Edward House The Vestry approved funds to repair and preserve the St. Edward House exterior.

Youth Room The Vestry approved the use of 2019 surplus funds to renovate the Youth Room.

Miscellaneous Vestry Approvals The Vestry approved the following recommendations: Outreach Grants: grants totaling $10,000 to Second Helpings, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Horizons, and Indiana Youth Group. $7000 was approved for Mid-North Food Pantry.

It has been a pleasure to serve as Senior Warden with this Vestry as we dealt with the challenges of COVID. It was not at all the year I imagined, but I was honored to be working with clergy, staff, and parishioners who responded in amazing ways to keep the mission of Trinity on a steady course.

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Worship at Trinity The Rev’d Julia E. Whitworth, Rector strumental preludes/postludes recorded elsewhere while our organ is revoiced—as well as photo montages, recorded readings, guest preachers, and more. Our intention was to continue offering moments of beauty and spiritual nourishment for you throughout this season of fast from our space and community.

We have also attempted, quite bluntly, to keep it interesting so you will keep tuning in.

In May and June, I assembled a Regathering Taskforce to help us frame parameters for reintroducing in-person worship.

On July 11, we began to offer a Garden service with required registration, enrollment caps, assigned and distanced seating, masks, and other precautionary measures. By summer’s end we were holding three Garden Services: 8am Morning Prayer in the Cloister Garden, and 9am and 10:30 Holy Eucharist in the Lemler Garden, while online offering continued with Zoom adult forums and coffee hours. We also celebrated the Eucharist in the Garden on Wednesday evenings at 5:30.

For obvious reasons, 2020 brought considerable challenges in planning and executing liturgy at Trinity. We kicked off the year with a celebration of the Epiphany, the Baptism of our Lord, the Feast of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the commencement of Lent as we traditionally do: with the celebration of Holy Eucharist and rich offerings of music by our choir and choristers in our beautiful sanctuary.

After a live-streamed “Welcome Back” Eucharist and picnic on the soccer field, the weather began to get colder and the days shorter. By November we had scaled back our Garden Eucharist to just one per Sunday at 10:30am. On January 9, we suspended the Garden Eucharist until Lent.

I think none of us will take that for granted ever again.

As the realities of the COVID-19 coronavirus began to make themselves known, on March 15 we offered live streaming of our 8am and 10am Eucharist services for those who preferred to stay home. On March 22, we offered Morning Prayer service which was streamed with no congregation in the church, and

by Sunday March 29, we were all home under the Governor’s Shelter-in-Place order.

I am tremendously grateful for so many who made liturgy -the work of the people--continue through this pandemic year.

I give thanks for the creativity of Trinity’s Worship Team—especially Dr. Messina, Father Ben, Mother Erin, and Summerlee Walter. I’m deeply grateful to Hugh Resnick who has continued

In the ten months which have passed since, the staff Worship Team—myself, Father Ben, Mother Erin, and Michael Messina, along with Summerlee Walter, Missy Roetter and recently Tracey Lemon— have continued to modify our worship offerings, responding to restraints of the virus and our technological limitations and conscious of the appetites of our parishioners as expressed through parish surveys. Because of the size of Trinity’s congregation, we determined early on that we would pre-record our worship services to make them available both live on Facebook and at any time on the parish website, which was rapidly redesigned to meet the needs of a digital community. For three months we gathered on zoom from our homes and we recorded the Liturgy of the Word. Soloists and readers recorded their offerings from homes as well. Our Communications Assistant, Summerlee Walter, stepped into the role of worship video editor gracefully and has knitted together our online services every Sunday since March 29, save Christmas I and the Annual Meeting Zoom .

On Trinity Sunday we were permitted to return to our sanctuary for recording worship, at which point we began including Holy Eucharist and Spiritual Communion in our online offering. We continue to edit in musical material —ranging from virtual choirs, soloists recorded midweek, organ and other in9

Worship at Trinity was transformed in 2020, in ways we never could have imagined. But it continued, faithfully and imaginatively, to the Glory of God!

to organize lectors who record themselves for the weekly service. Missy Roetter organized our garden seating and, with head usher Eric Baiz, guided them through new safety protocols. In November, our longtime Altar Guild head Anne Throop retired, handing over that ministry to the very able Kim Purucker. Their patience, agility, and good will was greatly appreciated in the face of near-constant change. From home our incredible affiliate clergy blessed us with recorded reflections and devotions during Holy Week and Advent. Many liturgical volunteers had to step back during this season of quarantine and distancing, but we felt their support and prayers in so many ways This period has been some of the most demanding, and creative, of my career as a liturgist. Leading a live Agape supper with my family for Maundy Thursday and filling my dining room with Easter flowers will stay with me as treasured memories of this challenging time. Seeing your beautiful faces, pets, and gardens in photo montages nourished my soul, as did the choirs’ amazing virtual anthems, All Saints Evensong, and Zoom Lessons and Carols. I am proud of our original Zoom Christmas pageant with over 45 children and our elegant Christ Mass, enabled by a professional camera crew and editor Brian Boak. We have held both garden and indoor private baptisms, buried our dead, prayed at moments of national importance, and held one another as a prayer community.

While we have worshiped apart from one another at times, the church has never been closed.

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2020 Baptismal & Pastoral Rites Baptism Phillip Lee Barber Jr Elson Allen Brown Emerson Ann Brown Mindy Ann Westrick Brown Alexander Murlen Byanski Catherine Elizabeth Haake August River Johnson-Nichols

Transfers Out Patricia Price Barbara Kallaur

Johnathan Patrick Pierson Conrad Charles Scherer Deaths Victoria Ford Haley John Robert Bean Arlene M Pierson Sara S Lyle John Mowry Kennedy L Bentley Margaret E Webb Mary L. Sutherland Deedra Runyan

photo by Olive Soriero

Membership and Worship 2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Average Sunday A>endance (includes Saatruday evening services)

234

255

253

251

274

254

Pledging Households Households BapIzed Members Communicants in Good Standing

226 340 748 713

219 327 729 695

218 321 743 711

233 340 775 767

230 345 793 781

241 345 793 781

BapIsms RecepIons into the Episcopal Church ReaffirmaIons of BapIsmal Vows

15 3 13

4 0 0

10 1 0

6 15 0

10 0 0

9 0 0

Marriages Burials Transfers In Transfers Out

3 11 12 2

6 9 4 2

10 5 5 3

6 3 0 4

10 8 18 6

0 8 1 2

Sunday CelebraIons Weekly CelebraIons Private Home Communions St. Richard's Services

114 84

116 29 104 90

119 15 116 102

115 66 63 99

133 70 161 114

122 33 19 23

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Music at Trinity

Dr. Michael Messina, Director of Music

May we all continue to proclaim the presence, power, love, and beauty of God through music.

2020 BEGAN like any other year: we again hosted the Three Choirs Festival on Feb 9, with guest conductor Jeffrey Smith of St Paul’s Parish, K Street, Washington, DC. Dr Smith rehearsed with us from Thu-Sun, and conducted our choir Sunday morning, as well as the combined choirs of Trinity, St Paul’s, and Christ Church Cathedral, at Evensong on Sunday afternoon.

On Mar 1, Music at Trinity was pleased to present the Kenyon College Chamber Singers, Dr Benjamin Locke, conductor. They sang an exquisitely beautiful and diverse program featuring the music of female composers. Unfortunately, the encore was marred by the random firing of a bullet through the back window of the church—fortunately, no one was physically harmed.

We welcomed the Yuletide on Dec 4 with the release of a festive and humorous video featuring the Lady and Lord of the manor (Jolene and Michael Moffatt), the quarantined madrigal singers, and recordings from past madrigal concerts.

Along with St Paul’s and Christ Church, Trinity produced an online service of Christmas Lessons and Carols as a gift to the entire diocese. We were joined by the choirs of All Saints, St Christopher’s, and Trinity (Bloomington), as well as singers from throughout the diocese for congregational carols.

2020 has taught us all how integral, uplifting, and restorative music is to our worship, indeed, to our common LIFE. Absent this, we have comforted each other, but acknowledge there is no replacement for the act of singing with and for one another.

Members of our choir: • Trinity Choir (*denotes staff singer): Organ/Piano Scholar: Kat Jolliff • Soprano: Lillian Crabb, Laura Cruise-Gibson, Erica Dollhopf, Cheryl Eiszner, Deb Havill, *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

THEN…March 10 was the last rehearsal of our choir/choristers, as the country began to face the COVID pandemic. Despite an almost complete ban on choral singing, rehearsal, and worship, members of the choir have made myriad videos for online services, and gathered (masked and socially-distanced) to sing for Advent and Christmas drive-by events and therapeutic hymn-sings in the garage on 33rd St, across Meridian.

In 2018 Trinity contracted with Quimby Pipe Organs for the revoicing and renovation of the organ. After more than two years on their wait list, our pipework was removed at the end of July and transported to the Quimby shop in Warrensburg, MO. The pipes will be reinstalled, regulated, and the voicing adjusted on-site beginning on Mar 15. A concert series celebrating the organ will be scheduled during the 2021-2022 program year.

Trinity held its last regularly scheduled Taizé service via Zoom on May 10. We hope to offer Taizé worship on an occasional basis once we can again gather safely.

I am pleased to report that, the pandemic notwithstanding, we added four new choristers to our ranks! These four have yet to experience a proper rehearsal, but they are a joy to know and train. All the choristers combined newly-recorded chants, readings, and recordings of the full choir from past years in order to observe the feast of All Saints with an online Evensong on Nov 1.

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• Tenor: Robert Bentley, *Zach Cardwell, David Crabb, John Eiszner, Ed Ferguson, Jerry Hall, Aiden Harvey, Rick Herd, Joseph Naas, Cos Raimondi, Hugh Resnick • Bass: Jeff Brinkmann, *Gavin Craig, Erik Hembre, Malcolm Hembre, *Matt Hume, Jim Knowles, Kyle Myers, Chuck Schafer, Austin Smith, Allan Williams We are grateful for the expertise and support of our section-leaders, who lead and inspire us when we sing together, and who have made many solo videos for our online worship!

• Choristers: Levin Adler-Mueller, Quincy Bacon, Hollis Carbrey, Kevin Dawson, Clara Haley, Soren Hembre, Charlie Hirschman, Sam Moffatt, Ellie Potter, Maxine Steensland, Minna Steensland, Grace Whitworth-Neufeld, Keagan Williams I am unimaginably blessed to work in this place, and I’m profoundly grateful for everyone who makes and/or supports music here. I am also grateful for gifted and creative colleagues who are a joy to work with! May we all continue to proclaim the presence, power, love, and beauty of God through music.

Adult Learning & Formation The Rev’d Erin Hougland

Throughout 2020, we had to be very creative and innovative in how we did our formation work together. When the COVID19 Pandemic hit our community, we had to move everything online and begin thinking of new ways to gather together while staying at home and staying safe during this time.

continuing to generate more. While this year was challenging in many ways, it gave way to many new and creative opportunities for us to learn and grow together.

Our Adult Programming in 2020 began as usual with our My Journey Spiritual Story-Sharing Group and a Trinity 101 session for newcomers, as well as our regular Sunday Adult forums in the Fortune Room. As we began our Wade in the Water Confirmation Series, a program that had about 60 individuals participating (so awesome!), the pandemic hit Indianapolis and we had to move our robust Sunday/Wednesday Wade in the Water Series to online learning. From there we set a template for how to do online lectures, learning sessions and other virtual learning programs. Below is a list of the many offerings we tried and offered during this unique year. Much of the content for our time together was focused on the issues that were unfolding over the course of the year: maintaining sanity during an isolating time, self-care and wellness, science and medicine, racial justice and political unrest.

Before the Pandemic:

Spiritual Formation Series Events, one-time events, and Small Groups • Distilled Theology • Same Blood Play Reading and Community Discussion • Church for Kids with Autism Workshop with Rev. Lindsay Luunum After the Pandemic: • • • • • •

Wade in the Water Continued Online in Lent and Easter Small Groups and Discipleship Groups begin to generate My Journey Spiritual Story-Group Newcomer Welcome and 101 Class COVID Frontlines Community Discussion Fall 2020: Thursday Community and Communion Speaker series • Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Small Group formation • Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Film series discussion • Advent Centering Prayer Series

Another new opportunity arose during this season,the opportunity to generate small groups and discipleship groups within our community. As a result of the pandemic our community has doubled its small group and discipleship groups and are

Regular and On-Going Groups moved to virtual meeting • • • •

Monday Ignatian Study Group Tuesday Rector’s Study Group Education for Ministry (EFM) Post-Grad Study Group Sunday Lectionary Study Group

Trinity Small Groups Caregivers’ Support Group Discipleship Groups (5 currently) Education for Ministry (EFM) EFM Post-Grad Book Study (suspended in March 2020) Monday Bible Study with Father Ben Sunday Lectionary Bible Study (suspended in March 2020) Shepherd’s Dinner Group Social Justice & Racial Reconciliation Working Group

Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) House Meetings Tuesday Rector’s Study Group Trinity Men’s Group Seasonal / Themed Groups: • Advent • Lent • Epiphany

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January 2020-May 2020: Seminar participants were : Kyle Myers, Lydia Banton, Ginny Cottrell, Richard Hughes , Mike Kohtz, Robert and Martha Weissert. Kyle, Lydia and Ginny earned their certificates of completion.

Sunday Adult Forums Throughout the year, Trinity invites guest speakers, ministry leaders, and partners to present topics of faith & interest. We relied on this as a point of connection with each other and the community during the pandemic time and had several interesting offerings.

September 2020: A new class was formed in the fall : Mike Kohtz, Richard Hughes, Robert and Martha Weissert were joined by Sally Hardgrove , Bryan and Shelley Furuness , and Jodi Ammons.

Highlights from 2020 include: Before the Pandemic

The class meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 -8:00 pm via Zoom.

• Wade in the Water Confirmation Series and Discussion (continued online after the pandemic) • The Rev. Lindsay Luunum guest speaker (and preacher) on creating worship for kids with autism.

• The Rev. Dr. David Hampton guest speaker (and preachers) on his role in the community as priest and working in the Mayor’s Office (MLK Jr. Sunday).

CHANGES MADE IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC: All recruiting, registration and class meetings were done via social media, Zoom, email, text and phone calls. This year’s class has not met in person. Certificates of completion for 2020 grads have not been presented yet.

LESSONS LEARNED: Setting up and hosting meetings via the computer. Paying attention to the “Mute” button.

After the Pandemic • The Rev. Dr. Christina Davis, forum on mental health and self-care during the pandemic and racial injustice • Bishop’s Visitation and Forum Discussion • John Bridge’s Be Thou My Vision book release, a history of Trinity Episcopal Church Indy • Advent Prophecy and Poetry Series

Being more intentional in building community in a group that has not worked together before...... different set of listening skills and visual focus skills.

Using a group page on social media to help build community . A sort of “Show and Tell” corner to support sharing of resources, experiences and reflection materials that do not get included in weekly sessions.

Education for Ministry(EfM)

January 2020-March 2020 was a particularly challenging time for this group. Sara (co-mentor) was gone due to illness and death of her husband. But Jim Knowles (co-mentor) did an exceptional job in keeping the weekly group going forward and Lydia, Kyle, Ginny, Mike , Dick, Martha and Rob were faithful in their continued full participation in the program. This is a community that is deeply faithful, committed to one another and living out each day their covenant of hospitality to one another.

Sara Bean & Jim Knowles

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 has assisted more than 80,000 persons in discovering and nurturing 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.

EfM Mentors: Sara Bean and Jim Knowles.

Be Thou My Vision: The Story of Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis To complete the celebration of the first 100 years of Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, parishioner John Bridge has written Be Thou My Vision: The Story of Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis. Be Thou My Vision is a 290-page, high-quality paperback with over 100 illustrations. It is priced at $15.00 to make it as affordable as possible.

To put the story of Trinity into context, Be Thou My Vision weaves the stories of the state of Indiana, the city of Indianapolis, and the church together. Part I of this book tells how the state and the city came to be and how The Episcopal Church arose in those early years. Part II deals with Trinity in its original incarnation as the Church of the Advent and with Indianapolis during that time. Parts III through V tell the story of Trinity from the time of the creation of its existing English Gothic church building to its hundredth year.

The book also contains a glossary of Episcopal terms, a piece written by Edith Whitehill Clowes about her involvement in the concept, design, and construction in the existing church building that was predicted to stand for 2,000 years, and a list of the bishops of Indiana and Indianapolis and the rectors and senior wardens of Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis.

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Families, Children & Youth Children & Family Ministry

Family Game Night at Holiday Park: We enjoyed a picnic dinner at Holiday Park and played some fun socially distance games together, another opportunity for us to come together safely and connect.

We had a big year this last year and much of the beloved ways we have of connecting with our kids were not available to us as usual due to the pandemic. This year was a year full of innovative thinking and creative new ways of coming together to learn and have fun with our younger ones at Trinity.

Family Movie Night Drive-In with SRES: With St. Richard’s Episcopal School we partnered to host a double feature drivein movie event. We passed out snacks and fun Halloween themed crafts while enjoying seasonal movies together in a safe and socially distanced way.

Below are some highlights of the many ways we sought to connect with our children during this pandemic season. We learned a lot along the way, including how well kids adapt to Zoom learning and meeting! We also figured out ways to have families connect with each other despite the distance.

Youth continued to meet and get creative with how they were learning and growing together. While this was a hard year in many ways, we grew as a community and with the help of our children and youth, we braved new technological waters.

Sunday School Continued in Zoom, with different groups based on age so that those in similar age groups could learn together in a small group setting. We also integrated some intergenerational lessons so the kids could all come together and see one another.

Advent Drive-Thru: We held a Advent Festival Drive-Thru event where families and all parishioners could drive by the church and pick up seasonal goodies, an Advent Wreath and some seasonal activities, crafts and devotions for the Advent and Christmas seasons.

We are so grateful to our children, our families and our youth as well as our Sunday school and youth leaders who continue to find ways to connect with kids and keep the formation going despite the distance and hurdles of the pandemic. We are so grateful for you and all that you offer to our community.

Our First Ever Zoom Christmas Eve Children’s Christmas Pageant!

Highlights for the many ways we connected, learned and had fun together in 2020.

Before the pandemic hit we kicked off Sunday School and Youth the usual way meeting in-person and having fun and robust Children’s Chapel opportunities during worship. We were also able to have a children’s Ash Wednesday service coupled with the Tuesday Mardi Gras party. That evening we invited all children into the church to learn about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and Lent and receive Ashes with their families. It was a very successful event and a great learning experience for us all.

Lent: We continued with Sunday School and other ways of connecting including virtual movie nights on the platform Scener and a remote game night.

Virtual Summer Learning with Families: Through the SALT Curriculum, we were able to create video lessons to be viewed by kids and families along with fun activities and music to go along with those lessons. Many families also connected with each other to discuss what they were doing together while following along with the lessons.

We worked with the 6th and 7th grades of our church community to write a Christmas Pageant and from there we organized the kids of the congregation to record the pageant in Zoom.

We had so much fun collaborating with one another, laughing at the silliness of the play and the costumes and not to mention the Zoom setting we were using for the production.

It resulted in a beautiful, joyful and sweet pageant for the congregation. Fun was had by all and was surely the most entertaining event of the year.

Virtual Backpack Blessing: As we got back into the swing of what would be a very unique school year we led a backpack blessing via Zoom for our kiddos. We mailed home, to all families, prayers and backpack tags for them to begin their school year in faith that all shall be well, that we were all in this together, whether you were going back to school in-person or virtually.

Family Hike at Fort Ben: We enjoyed a long hike with about 10 families at Fort Ben in October. A way to be safely together during an isolating time which provided fun for the kids and connections for our families.

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Nursery Patty Gotway, Nursery Coordinator Nursery care is always available as part of our welcome to our youngest members and their families. The Nursery offers a place where infants and young children can experience the love and care of this community, and it offers parents an opportunity to give their full attention to worship and other church activities.

The Nursery was suspended in March 2020. We will restart when conditions become safe for our children and staff. On a happy note Tia and her husband, Don, welcomed their son, Jackson in July. All are doing well!.

Youth Ministry Missy Roetter, Youth Coordinator Both youth groups (Rite-13 and J2A) were able to continue meeting throughout the pandemic via zoom. We even had a Christmas Trivia contest for our December Christmas on zoom.

The J2A pilgrimage has been postponed due to the pandemic.

They will be traveling to Rome and Assisi in June 2022.

The most exciting news is that the new J2A youth room furniture was finalized and ordered. Bright green, blue and yellow chairs, coaches and such will be delivered in February. All of this new furniture along with new carpet will brighten up this basement room and be a place where teens will want to hangout.

I want to extend a huge thank you to the leaders of both groups. J2A: Bobby Bell and Katherine Smith, Rite-13: Lillian Crabb, Jim Maher and Fred Roetter. Their patience, dedication and love for the program is outstanding.

Parish Life Missy Roetter, Parish Life Coordinator Despite the Covid restrictions Parish life continued to thrive in 2020.

This is due in part to the newly formed Parish Life committee and their dedication to keeping the parish connected. Marlene Marchesani, Patty Gotway, Tricia McMath, James Cramer, Scott Whitaker and Missy Roetter met monthly via zoom throughout the year. Some of the new activities that they planned include: City Wide Scavenger Hunt, Senior Advent bags with a poinsettia, calendar and Advent readings delivered to all of Trinity’s seniors, and Altar flowers delivered to residents in nursing homes.

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St. Francis Flowers in the church

Outreach Ministries Revd. Jennifer Fisher and Mother Erin Hougland

In 2020 may we continue to intersect with initiatives already taking place within our community, in partnership with other churches, faith communities, and organizations.

Throughout the challenges of 2020, we were called as the church to reevaluate how we might safely engage our neighbors and continue our long tradition of outreach and justice efforts for this particular moment in time. When COVID-19 began locking down our city in March, we deemed it necessary to temporarily close the Sunday Dinner ministry as our staff and volunteers were in mostly high-risk categories. Our tenants in the Trinity Outreach Center also temporarily shut down their in-person services, with the exception of the Mid North Food Pantry (MNFP) who put in extraordinary effort to pivot their ministry to a fully outdoor pantry in the back parking lot of the T.O.C. We are proud to share news from Indy Hunger Network that out of all the 200 food pantries in the city, MNFP is the ONLY one still offering 100% client choice. This is something to be really proud of and we all applaud the hard work of the Mid North team.

amazing outreach and justice leaders who creatively stepped in to keep moving their ministries forward even as staff experienced personal transitions. The strength, skill, and heart of our lay leaders is why Trinity has such a vibrant presence in our neighborhood even amidst a pandemic. We encourage you to take the time to read the reports of both the Outreach Advisory Committee, Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group, and Sunday Dinner ministry where you’ll find detailed accounts of the work we’ve done in 2020.

As you read these reports, you’ll see that outreach and justice efforts at Trinity involve meeting basic needs, providing institutional support, and doing advocacy work within our city and world. Trinity has thriving ministries in the Outreach Center that help to provide basic needs and emergency support.

Our rent subsidies and partnerships also help to provide institutional support to several non-profit partners. But the pandemic, the fight for racial justice, climate change and the many challenges we faced in 2020 showed us just how important and impactful advocacy work is in our socially distanced world. This is why Trinity really began to lean into conversations around justice and systemic change over the past year.

We challenged ourselves to examine not only our work as the church, but also our individual calls to social justice. Organizations like Showing Up For Racial Justice offered a curriculum to host House Meetings for White Allies. Rev’d. Jen organized these meetings for us and eight leaders of Trinity have been participating in monthly meetings since October. The Vestry also approved the Outreach Advisory Committee’s request to become a 2021 member church with both Bread for the World and Faith in Indiana, two justice and advocacy networks who we have partnered with for several years.

It’s our hope going forward that Trinity might lean even further into our influence and resources within our community by educating ourselves on the importance of fixing the systems that create poverty, food insecurity, racism, and injustice. While we have a strong core of advocates in our partner ministries both on and off the Trinity campus, more focus and education about the work they do will help us all understand that investment in the slow process of making major change is at least as important as meeting people’s basic needs today. We’ve already started these conversations with our committees as we look toward our 2021 programming and beyond.

In 2019 the Rev. Jennifer Fisher ended her time with us as a Seminarian Intern for Outreach and began her time with us as the Sunday Dinner Minister. After graduating with her M.Div in May 2020, she joined the staff part-time as our Minister for Outreach and Justice. Rev’d. Jen and Diana Creasser were tasked with the challenge of re-opening the Sunday Dinner ministry just as Mother Erin was preparing to take medical leave. Upon Mother Erin’s return, Rev’d. Jen took maternity leave to welcome her second son. We’re thankful for the many 17

It’s our hope that as we continue to listen to how God is calling us to serve in this moment, that everything we do would be Spirit-led in partnership with our neighbors, empowered by our relationships, and with a focus on anti-racist actions with the community and our partner ministries.

Outreach Advisory Committee Submitted by Kate Howe The Outreach Advisory Committee is responsible for planning and oversight of outreach activities of the church, in collaboration with clergy and staff. In 2020, many of our usual in-person outreach activities were put on hold, and we looked for new ways to engage in outreach and support our neighbors during the pandemic. The Committee met by Zoom to work on the following activities.

Support of Trinity outreach ministries and partners in COVID-19 response. In March, Sunday Dinner temporarily ceased operations, and those needing food assistance were directed to Mid-North Food Pantry’s outdoor, socially-distanced food distributions for assistance. The Committee asked the vestry to approve an additional $2,000 donation to the Mid-North Food Pantry to supplement our usual annual contribution to support their work. This funding was approved by the Vestry. Sunday Dinner resumed operations this summer, handing out to-go meals outdoors.

Outreach grants. Outreach grants are typically made in late fall, but the Committee chose to open its grants process earlier this year to provide assistance to organizations needing extra funding for COVID response or those with budget shortfalls due to the economic crisis. In previous years, applicants were asked to identify a particular project that grant funds would be used for, but the requirements were loosened this year to allow organizations to request funds for whatever they needed most.

The Grants Committee (Rick Beardsley, Erica Dollhopf, Rev. Jennifer Fisher, Kate Howe, and Justice Vaughn) reviewed applications and recommended the following grants, which were approved by the Vestry and distributed in early September.

- Dayspring Center - $2,500

- Horizons at SRES - $1,250

- Indiana Youth Group - $1,250

- Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic- $2,500

- Second Helpings - $2,500

Collaboration with the Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group. The Outreach Advisory Committee and Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation (SJRR) Working Group share several members in common and decided that we would like to collaborate more closely with each other to ensure that we are better integrating social justice and racial reconciliation into all of our outreach activities at Trinity. The SJRR Working Group and the Outreach Advisory Committee held a joint meeting this summer and pledged to meet together periodically in the future. The Outreach Advisory Committee also provided feedback on the new SJRR strategic plan.

Renewed commitment to advocacy. In June, Trinity members participated in a virtual Offering of Letters with Bread for the World led by Cathy Bridge. Participants wrote letters to their elected officials, asking them to support both domestic and international hunger relief programs. Several Trinity members worked with Faith in Indiana on voter registration for both the primary and general elections. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the many disparities and injustices in our world and the importance of our call as Christians to advocate for justice. The Committee recommended to the Vestry that we deepen our commitment to advocacy work at Trinity through both financial contributions and continued participation with Bread for the World and Faith in Indiana.

Committee members: David Bacon Rick Beardsley (Co-chair) Lisa Buoy Dianna Creaser Nedra Feeley

Kate Howe (Co-chair) Susan McMahon Jane Stephenson Erin Vincent

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Dayspring Dinners Jan Gould, Coordinator Dinner at Dayspring is one of our longest standing Outreach service projects at Trinity. We have been serving meals to families at Dayspring for over 16 years. A group of volunteers prepares dinner on the third Sunday of every other month, usually feeding 35 - 40 residents, many of whom are children.

The meals consist of a hot entrée, salad or vegetable, fruit, potato or pasta dish, and dessert. The meals are served family style in the newly remodeled Dayspring dining area. Parents serve their own families much as they might do if living at home. Healthy juices, as well as milk and water are served with the meal. Trinity volunteers frequently donate the food items used in meal preparation. Reimbursement for meal costs is always available from the Outreach budget. Fried chicken dinners, chili suppers, and pizza night are a few of the favorites! Volunteer duties include food prep and service, as well as kitchen clean up after the meal. This is normally a two hour time commitment on Sunday from 5:15 to 7:15. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Jan Gould at jang1136@aol. com for more information.

The pandemic of 2020 brought new challenges to Dayspring and to our ministry. Families could not safely live and eat together in the Dayspring building. Volunteers were not permitted to come in and prepare meals. Ten Dayspring families were moved to extended stay suites. They had their own sleeping and dining quarters and were able to do much of their own food preparation. The big question was how could Trinity help? Our volunteers were asked to donate gift cards to the families in lieu of prepping meals. As usual, our dedicated volunteers provided more than enough cards for each family to be able to shop for the food of their choice on our designated Sundays. I couldn’t help but think that as many of us complained about not being able to visit with family or friends, and feeling isolated in our homes, imagine what it must have felt like to not have a home to safely shelter in? Hats off to the creative minds and dedicated staff of Dayspring Shelter for figuring out a way to keep these families safe and cared for.

Kudos to all our volunteers and friends for graciously donating gift cards for the purchase of these meals. God Bless each and every one of you for being part of the Dayspring Ministry.

Volunteers for 2020: John and Cathy Bridge, Carrie Kinder and family, Bill Coleman, Mary and Steve DeVoe, Ginny and Emma Cottrell and family, Jan and Jim Gould, Kate Lange, Karen E. King, Ann Perry, George and Christine Plews, Kathleen, Jim, Ivey and Sarah Jane Strickland, Mary Nicodemus and Peter Whitten. (Humble apologies if I have left anyone out!)

Exodus Immigration Welcome Team

Elsa Sands, Chair The refugee ministry continues to work with Prosper and his family.

Big news for 2020: • Alex is a freshman at Wabash College and Vanessa has been enrolled in IUPUI’s intensive English classes.

• Sidonie and Prosper welcomed their new baby son, Solidaire , in November!

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Trinity Sunday Dinner Diana Creasser, Chair; Kelly Garverick, Volunteer Coordinator; Reverend Jennifer Fisher, Clergy

The Sunday Dinner seeks to nourish the spirit and bodies of those among us who are hungry, thereby creating a more viable community through generosity, hospitality, and fellowship.

In June the Rev. Jennifer Fisher was hired as the Minister for Outreach and Justice. One of her responsibilities was to work with Diana Creasser and Mother Erin Hougland to strategize and re-open the Sunday Dinner. At this time, Diana identified Kelly Garverick, a long- time volunteer with the Sunday Dinner as someone we could ask to join us in leading these efforts.

With Rev. Jennifer, almost eight months pregnant, the Sunday Dinner ministry proudly re-opened on August 9 with a hot “to go” style meal in compostable packaging handed out on the lawn in front of the Trinity Outreach Center.

The Year in Review: The Trinity Sunday, like so much else in daily life, has experienced much change as we have adjusted to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic in our city, immediate community and church family. In its 13th year of service, the Sunday Dinner began the year with our traditional family style dining which included Bible study before the meal, gospel music, and camaraderie between volunteers, neighbors, and families as all ate a meal at shared tables. Once COVID-19 became rampant in Indianapolis and the city was shut down, it was deemed necessary that this Trinity ministry would follow the restrictions and protections of the diocese, church, and city.

The Sunday Dinner temporarily closed on Sunday, March 15th.

However, through very thoughtful deliberation and creative problem solving, the Sunday Dinner continues to serve a substantial hot meal to our most vulnerable neighbors during a most unprecedented time.

On our first Sunday in August, with very little advertising, we served 61 returning neighbors and continued to average 50 through the end of December. 227 of these neighbors are children. It was a joy to see so many familiar faces and know that many are still in the neighborhood and managing to get by during such a difficult time.

The Sunday Dinner has served 2,358 guests and many more meals during 2020. People are given extra bags to take home to other family members. Demographically, the ministry still serves primarily black men and families, who represent 1,952 persons or 83% of total neighbors coming to receive a meal. Males, which includes adults and children are 65% of who we serve and 34% females. 227 children and youth represented nearly 10%. All in all, the Sunday Dinner served about 50% fewer (2,362) people in 2020 than 2019. The weekly attendance also reflects about 50% of last year’s weekly guest number. These reductions can be explained by the temporary closure and changed meal experience. Each year, ministry leaders complete a demographic report for Second Helpings which reflects more specifically who is reached through this community work.

The meal service had already been quickly modified in early March by Diana Creasser, team leaders and the Sunday Dinner staff working with Second Helpings to be a hot “to go” style meal handed out from the lobby of the Trinity Outreach Center. This model was tested on March 15 and then became the approach to be followed when the ministry re-opened on August 9. This was not an easy decision, but due to the many unknowns about COVID-19 in the spring, and because too many of our leaders, volunteers, and staff were in high-risk categories we felt we didn’t have enough personnel to safely keep running weekly at that time.

The People Who Serve: The Sunday Dinner had previously operated with six teams of committed volunteers led by experienced team leaders.

Part of the restructuring of the Sunday Dinner involved Rev. Jen surveying volunteers to identify who would be interested in continuing to serve with an altered meal plan based on COVID safety practices. The team model did not seem to fit the times with its uncertainties and so many volunteers at risk for

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various reasons. So, an electronic sign-up process was put in place, modeled after the Mid-North Food Pantry. New volunteers were recruited to join former team members to forge a steady and reliable group of people who continue to try and meet the mission of the Sunday Dinner.

Clinic and the Mid-North Food Pantry which promotes the Sunday Dinner through their network. These volunteers have all embraced this new paradigm, and the Sunday Dinner team is grateful for their participation and the continued dedication of the staff.

During the Fall season, with the Covid-19 cases and deaths increasing and winter approaching, the Sunday Dinner team tweaked the model to reduce the time volunteers were on campus along with the number of volunteers to maintain the safety of all volunteers, guests, and importantly the staff: Maria, Sheila, and Stephen.

While this new “to go” style setup lacks the community connection easily found over shared meals at the table, we have found ways to engage and connect with folks when possible, whether through praying together or just checking in and hearing how life is going. Just being able to physically see one another from six feet apart has brought joy to all of us who’ve served in this ministry for some time. The young families who sign up to serve with us are especially joyful. Seeing the kids of Trinity and St. Richard’s engaging with our neighbors through this ministry has been a highlight of the year.

Other changes required to streamline the process included rethinking how food is prepared and served. We are grateful to our Sunday Dinner staff, Sheila Adkins our cook and kitchen manager, Maria Williams our operations manager and Stephen Hiser our associate who jumps in wherever we need him.

Only Sheila and Stephen prepare the meal for volunteers to package safely in the dining room. Maria and Stephen, arrange set-up and manage meal hand-out logistics. Their experience, agility, and commitment have underscored our ability to adapt. The staff are key to making the Sunday Dinner work without team leaders. We appreciate them and all that they do to serve and direct aspects of the Sunday Dinner ministry.

Second Helpings continues to be our core partner, sustaining this ministry since its beginning in 2007. Their faithful provision of the weekly entrée and other food items is the foundation of the meal. While still investing in the Sunday Dinner, they’ve continued incredible work in continuing to safely cook meals for so many who are in need across our city. During usual years, Second Helpings inspects our kitchen for safety and cleanliness and we always pass. Because of the scope of their work, there was no inspection this year but staff continue to adhere to the same principles of sanitation.

The current 2021 model has two volunteers for the packaging and meal preparation and two volunteers to distribute meals in the lobby. Presently, there are 33 volunteers listed on the Signup.com with 10 of those being families with children ranging in age from 7-15 years old.

As part of the initial modifications to the volunteer engagement, Rev. Jen created a Sunday Dinner Volunteer link on Signup.com with spots listed for each Sunday. This flexibility was key as it was clear that, just as other volunteer-based organizations, many volunteers may not want ( or be able) to participate in the ministry as they did before. The numbers of volunteers dramatically shifted from the original 150+ volunteers at the beginning of January and February to six during the summer and finally to four at the present time. Yet, even with the stream-lined set up and volunteer base, we were able to provide 60-80 hot meals during the Summer and Fall seasons. This is a testament to the creativity and indefatigable efforts of the Sunday Dinner team.

We’re also thankful to Mid-North Food Pantry and Circle City Relief who provided us not only with helpful advice and support as we prepared to re-open but who also gave donations of bread, other food items, bags, or water from week to week.

Our partnership with the pantry has been a blessing to our neighbors as every week they give us items they are not easily able to give away, everything from apples to makeup to seltzer water and even diapers. We also use their tent awnings during outside meal distribution and large carts for moving supplies and meals.

It is with great pride to say that the Sunday Dinner volunteers are committed and enthusiastic about their service. Several volunteers mentioned that although they miss the family style sit-down dinner and close interaction with the Sunday Dinner guests, the revised model offers a chance to form new relationships. We have volunteers who are TEC parishioners--some of whom were on a Sunday Dinner team and some who are new to this ministry. We also had volunteers from St. Richard’s Episcopal School, surrounding neighborhoods and even from St. Francis Episcopal Church in Zionsville. We have benefited from our relationships with the Neighborhood Christian Legal

Thanks to large donations from the McConnell family, we even have a stock of kids’ books to hand out each week along with large-print Bibles and devotional booklets for anyone who is interested.

The Sunday Dinner has benefitted from strong leadership during this pandemic year. The Rev. Jennifer Fisher works side by side with Diana Creasser and Kelly Garverick and the entire team works through Mother Erin Hougland. Their combined experience, backgrounds, and dedication to maintaining the 21

heart of the ministry and mission has been sustenance for the body and soul in the form of a warm and plentiful meal and spiritual counsel. This ministry’s light has not diminished even in dark days.

reach Center. We’re very grateful for everyone who dropped off a donation for these bags at our Advent Drive-By event on December 14 and throughout the weeks of Advent.

“While we greatly missed the opportunity to gather and celebrate the holidays as a community sitting around the Sunday Dinner tables, I will always cherish the memory of packing 100 gift bags at home with my four-year old son and telling him about “our friends at church” as we worked together. It was an opportunity for many of us at Trinity and in our partnering ministries like All Saints and the Food Pantry to contribute toward sending warmth and provision to our neighbors and their families. Some of our Sunday Dinner neighbors have been coming to our campus to share a meal with us every week for the past 13 years. We were grateful for this small way in which we could share the holiday spirit with them during this difficult time.” - Revd. Jennifer

Other Highlights: Another thanks goes to a group of Trinity parishioners: Cindy Strietelmeier, Patty Gotway, and Beth Kinn, who reached out to Rev. Jen and offered to sew masks for Sunday Dinner guests and volunteers. They sewed hundreds of colorful fabric masks in sizes fitting adults and children which have been handed out every Sunday along with disposable masks to guests as they pick up their meals. No one can approach a serving table or the Trinity Outreach Center lobby door (winter inside delivery) without a mask. The team also encourages neighbors to always keep clean masks on hand for their daily personal use.

Since the Sunday Dinner is a ministry of Trinity Episcopal Church, the operating budget provided a line item with funding of $30,500 for 2020. This covers salaries for the part-time staff and security as well as all supplies and additional food items. Unspent funds at the end of the year were used to provide the Christmas bags and purchase year-end items needed for the first quarter of 2021. The 2021 operating budget for the Sunday Dinner remains the same.

The Year Ahead • Evaluate the ongoing paradigm for the Sunday Dinner in keeping with the coronavirus.

• Relocate back outside when the weather becomes warm again.

• Consider ways to respond to pastoral needs with COVID-19.

• Expand the lay leaders to facilitate Bible study.

• Develop creative menus to coordinate with the Second Helpings entrees.

• Enhance the fellowship and hospitality aspects of the ministry as possible.

• Update volunteer and staff training on the scriptural aspects of feeding and serving those in need.

• Maintain safe food handling certification for all staff.

Christmas and the New Year In December, we chose to use savings in our budget to give generously to our neighbors. Our ministry leaders, Kelly and Revd. Jen, organized and assembled holiday gift bags for every person who came to pick up a meal on December 20 and 27, while Diana and staff concentrated on special meal preparations for both holiday meals. We selected festive reusable bags and filled them with essential items and holiday treats. Adult gift bags included items for cleanliness, dental health, warmth, and edible treats. The bags included items such as soap, toothbrushes, gloves, socks (purchased at a savings through All Saints Episcopal Church), an invitation to worship during the season at Trinity, and a Christmas prayer booklet prepared

by Revd. Jen accompanied by an electric tea light. The MidNorth Food Pantry donated tooth flosser kits, colored pencil sets, and some snacks for the kids. Each bag also contained Christmas coloring sheets, hot chocolate, candy canes, chips, chocolates. The kids’ bags also included small toys, craft kits, books, and extra treats. Thanks to a generous donation from Trinity parishioners, Chris and Corky Plews, we were able to include a handwritten gift card with a one-day bus fare ticket inside each adult bag.

Every week our regular neighbors continue to thank us for being back and ask when we’ll be able to return to our shared meal in the dining room and weekly Bible study. Our hope and prayer is that 2021 will bring us back inside and together in hospitality and fellowship.

Our hope was to warm our neighbors both physically and spiritually for the Christmas holiday. Word spread quickly about the gift bags and neighbors expressed much gratitude when receiving them. Extra childrens’ bags were later donated to the mothers at Dove Recovery House next door to the Trinity Out22

Select Outreach Ministry Partners

Horizons @ St. Richard’s

Additionally, Horizons assembled weekly adventure kits for students, which contained school supplies, worksheets, STEM kits, LEGO kits, books, and healthy snacks, to facilitate active learning from home.

AmySue Bacon, Executive Director Horizons at St. Richard’s Episcopal School (Horizons at SRES) is a transformative six-week, tuition-free summer program that traditionally serves approximately 150 Pre-K through eighth grade public school children from under-served families in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood and wider Indianapolis

To help our students deal with the additional stress and isolation of this summer, Horizons made social-emotional learning and support a priority. Horizons utilized the RULER Social-Emotional Learning (“SEL”) Curriculum, provided students with whole-class, SEL lessons for two 40-minute sessions twice a week, and offered opt-in sessions dealing with anxiety, racial tensions, friendship, and depression.

Through a Trinity Episcopal Outreach Grant, Horizons will be able to expand our social-emotional support throughout our year-round programming in 2021. Horizons’ students also benefited from direct support from Trinity parishioners’ through the annual Giving Tree. Sponsored by the generous donations of Trinity parishioners, SRES families, and the Butler Development department, Horizons students received gifts for the holidays.

Through the difficulties of the past year, Horizons learned the value of maintaining our relationships with the Horizons’ extended family: students, parents, teachers, community partners, and donors. Our partnerships organizations, such as Trinity Episcopal and SRES, allowed us to continue providing summer and year-round programming when our families needed it most. Staying connected to Horizons families and offering additional supports, such as the COVID-19 food assistance fund, forged deeper bonds with Horizons families.

community. Currently, all of our Horizons’ students identify as BIPOC. All Horizons’ students also qualified for free/reduced lunch. This past summer, Horizons served 72 students in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Horizons was led by Executive Director, AmySue Bacon. The Horizons advisory board encompasses members from the greater Indianapolis community and includes several Trinity Episcopal Church parishioners. Currently, Trinity members Jenn Dawson, Bob Marchesani, and Shelly Furuness serve on the Horizons board.

Horizons’ students spend their summers in small-group settings, learning from certified teachers. Our mission is to close the summer learning gap for Indianapolis kids from low-income families through: • • • •

Intensive academic enrichment from Pre-K to 8th grade A fun learning environment Lifesaving swim lessons Year-round support for families

This summer offered unique challenges for our program due to the pandemic. Horizons shifted to a remote format delivered virtually to ensure the safety of our community. Horizons teachers delivered high-quality reading, math, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) instruction Monday - Friday from 9:30am – 12:30pm to students who checked in on devices. For students without computer access, Horizons loaned out Chromebooks through a partnership with SRES. All students that wanted to take part were able to join.

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The Mid-North Food Pantry (MNFP) Cathy Bridge and Kathleen Strickland Of course, the Pandemic was the pivotal point for the Pantry.

2020 Highlights • In March 2020, the Pantry moved its food distribution from the basement of the Trinity Outreach Center (“TOC”) to the parking lot behind the TOC. This was for the purpose of maintaining safety for volunteers, employees and clients while continuing to serve our neighbors in need.

• While client choice of necessity became more limited, the Pantry continues to offer choice in produce, baked goods, and other categories.

• In the spring and summer months, the Pantry received donations of fresh produce from the Farm at Butler and an urban farm in Indianapolis. The Pantry’s garden also provided lovely produce for our clients.

• The Purdue Extension Master Gardener program at the Indiana State Fairgrounds contributed a substantial amount of produce in the summer months.

• Trinity Episcopal Church donated open anchored tents to the Pantry which provide shelter from the elements.

The Pantry donated an upright restaurant style heater to Trinity Episcopal Church since it was not possible for the Pantry to fit the heater in the freight elevator of the TOC. Trinity uses this heater to provide warmth as it continues to offer some in person, outdoor services during the winter months

their lives such as substance abuse and homelessness.

The Pantry agrees to continue to be a first in class distributor of food and other related services in its community. Gleaners agrees to help the Pantry expand its food distribution capacity and support the Pantry’s capacity for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach.

• The oil lines to the freight elevator in the Pantry started to leak in December, causing it to become non-operational .

After an onerous period of the Pantry using the passenger elevator instead, the freight elevator has been repaired for the time being. Trinity has contracted with Oracle Elevator Company for a full replacement in the Spring, however.

The Pantry is hopeful that the inevitable disruption of service during the replacement will cause the Pantry to be closed for a very limited period of time.

• In 2020, the Pantry served 11,237 households, 35,968 family members, 14,241 children, 2,128 Veterans and 308 homeless. The Pantry received 97,641 donated poundage of food with Whole Foods and Second Helpings being the primary donors. The Pantry currently has approximately 42 volunteers and paid staff.

• Volunteers and staff have been unbelievably staunch in continuing to serve in these challenging times. Susan McMahon and Matthew Jennings, Pantry Manager, need to be singled out for their heroic and resourceful efforts to continue service to our neighbors in this most difficult time. Both Susan and Matthew are long standing members of Trinity Episcopal Church.

• The Pantry received a grant from Indy Hunger Network to purchase heaters to provide a source of warmth for volunteers. The Pantry has acquired several heaters for this purpose.

Trinity Members and Their Contributions to the Pantry • Trinity Episcopal Church Members, Cathy Bridge, Timothy Dorsey Nikeesha Pittman, and Kathleen Strickland serve on the Board of Directors of the Pantry.

• As a result of the quality of its food pantry practices, the Pantry has recently been designated as an Anchor Pantry Partner by Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Pursuant to this relationship, Gleaners used grant funds available to it to provide additional staff for the Pantry during these challenging times and the Pantry is now receiving donations of food from Fresh Thyme in Broadripple which are picked up by a volunteer on a weekly basis. The Pantry is pleased that its partnership with Gleaners enables it to offer employment opportunities and other support to persons who are seeking to recover from challenges in

• Kathleen also serves as Vice President and Cathy serves as Chair of the Operations Committee.

• Members Ross McKenna, Jon Parker, Cathy Bridge, Nancy & John Farrar, NIkeesha Pittman, Tammy Lieber, Lisa Adler, Jen Dawson, and Outgoing MNFP Board President Erin Vincent along with their families regularly volunteered at the Pantry during the Pandemic.

• Under the leadership of Katie Simmons and in collaboration with the League of Women Voters, Jim Knowles, Shannie Hughes, David Bacon. Jane Stephenson, Ed Stephenson and Cathy Bridge (all of whom are Trinity parishioners) conducted a voter registration drive for neighbors served by the Pantry.

• Lisa Buoy contributed thousands of Aldi bags, St. Richard’s Boy Scout Troop 180 donated food and personal care items, and with the encouragement of Kathleen Strickland, Orchard School hosted a food drive in the fall to benefit the Pantry.

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St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. Jill Brooks, Executive Director

The center currently serves 39 students from one-month to four-years old and continues to add new children where space is available. SNEL is an Indiana Paths to Quality Level 3 certified child care center and enrolls children from all economic levels, including children receiving state CCDF vouchers and scholarships. will allow the center to provide healthy food options for students moving forward. When SNEL was able to reopen on June 1st, it was ready for the challenge of providing both a nurturing and safe environment for our students.

St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc (SNEL), located in the Trinity Outreach Center, offers safe, welcoming, and high-quality childcare. SNEL serves children of diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds. Conceived by a small committee of Trinity parishioners, the nonprofit organization opened in September 2016. Now open for over four years, SNEL continues to live into its mission by providing tuition-assistance supporting low and middle-income families. The center currently serves 39 students from one-month to four-years old and continues to add new children where space is available.

SNEL is an Indiana Paths to Quality Level 3 certified child care center and enrolls children from all economic levels, including children receiving state CCDF vouchers and scholarships.

The SNEL Board of Directors shifted our two main fundraising events, The Walk for Dreams and Wine Down, to virtual fundraisers in 2020. Both events successfully enabled us to grow our tuition-assistance fund and, ultimately, help more low and middle-income families in need of high-quality child care attend SNEL. This has been especially necessary in the past year due to the financial hardships families have faced due to the pandemic. More families have reached out for tuition-assistance. SNEL has learned of how costly child care is for families’ budgets and how appreciative families are of the tuition-assistance SNEL is able to provide. Seeing how our mission directly impacts our families has been very powerful this year.

The SNEL Board of Directors encompasses members from the greater Indianapolis community and includes several Trinity Episcopal Church parishioners. In 2020, Trinity members on the board included Theresa Arness, AmySue Bacon, Shanna Stump, Meg Feemster, Kay Whitacker, Jan Barnaby-Kempf, and Isaac Hougland.

For more good news, check us out on Facebook: Facebook. com/StNicolasEL or the St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. website at www.stnicholasel.org,

SNEL met the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic through the tireless planning and work of Executive Director, Jill Brooks, a committed Board of Directors, and dedicated staff members.

In late March, SNEL closed in response to stay at home orders, the closure of church buildings to stop the spread of the virus, and a desire to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. SNEL was able to continue employing staff through the closure with the help of Temporary Assistance Grants to Retain Child Care and a PPP loan.

The Executive Director and staff used the time of closure to develop comprehensive COVID-19 plans, protocols, and procedures. The center underwent deep cleaning. Personal protective equipment and additional cleaning supplies were ordered. Staff completed training required for state re-certification. Through the help of a grant from Trinity Episcopal Church, SNEL was also able to install a warming kitchen, which 25

Trinity Haven Jenni White, Founding Executive Director Trinity Haven, which will be Indiana’s first and only home for LGBTQ youth at risk for homelessness, is Trinity Church’s newest mission partner. Trinity Haven was incubated and launched at Trinity Church; although it is now an independent 501(c)(3) with a gorgeous home a few blocks off the church campus, the two organizations will always have a connection that is more meaningful than words can describe.

young adults who are currently experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The goal of host homes is to provide a safe, temporary, welcoming space for up to six months where the young person has time to repair their relationships with self-identified family or make decisions about other housing options with the support of a caring housing case manager.

This is a big step for Trinity Haven, as we will be able to house at least 10 more youth each year, including those ages 16-17 (with a waiver from their parents) up to age 24, in host homes beginning in the spring of 2021.

Another exciting project that we were able to bring to fruition was the creation of a contemplative garden, designed around the young burr oak which was gifted to Trinity Haven by the Diocese in 2019. With funding from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation and the donated talent of landscape architect Kristopher May, our front yard is now beautifully landscaped, featuring native plants and flowers in all colors of the rainbow. This endeavor was also part of a young man’s Eagle Scout project: Malcolm Hembre, son of Kate Howe and Erik Hembre, helped to coordinate the installation, recruiting several of his fellow scouts and their families, as well as members of Trinity Church and the greater community. Over the course of three days, our yard was transformed, while adhering to COVID-19 protocols of wearing masks at all times, frequent handwashing, etc., even while outside.

2020 was an exciting year for Trinity Haven – full of twists and turns and new opportunities! The pandemic certainly threw a wrench into the gears we had turning, primarily as it pertained to finishing the house. Painters, contractors, and volunteers had to be scheduled so they could complete their work and, to keep everyone as safe as possible, not come in contact with each other while in the house, which meant things took a little longer than they would have otherwise. But we now have a fully furnished home, much of which was designed by Trinity Church parishioner Mike Arnold; our security cameras and alarm system are protecting the property; and we are now ready to hire staff and stock the pantries so that we can open our doors and fulfill our mission. Our Transitional Living Program is slated to open this spring and will house up to eight LGBTQ youth ages 18-21 (and those ages 16 and 17 if they are legally emancipated) for up to two years.

And finally, while we had hoped to have an open house to show all our supporters – especially our friends at Trinity Church – our beautiful home, the pandemic forced us to get creative. With the donated talent of videographer Gary Nelson, we produced a Virtual Open House, inviting everyone into our home from the safety of their own. The video is available on our website, and we hope you enjoy the tour if you haven’t already. We also launched an e-Newsletter, which you can subscribe to from our website as well.

In addition to opening our Transitional Living Program at the house, Trinity Haven will also be launching Indiana’s first Host Homes Program! The City of Indianapolis was awarded $3.88 million dollars by the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program – a division of HUD. Trinity Haven applied for and was awarded almost $250,000 to develop a Host Homes Program.

Host homes are a short-term housing option for youth and

We hope you will continue to follow the progress of Trinity Haven and celebrate with us when we open both our Transitional Living Program and our Host Homes Program very, very soon.

Thank you for your support of Trinity Haven and LGBTQ youth at risk for homelessness.

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Social Justice & Racial Reconciliation Working Group Bill Coleman, Chair

The purpose of the Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Working Group (SJRR) is to create opportunities that provide information, advocacy, and initiatives that address the many social injustices, particularly related to race, in our society today.

The SJRR agenda is expected to cover a wide range of social justice issues related but not limited to: poverty, healthcare, quality education, affordable housing, criminal justice, voter suppression, and current events that impact local, regional, and national topics. On this basis we work in partnership our neighbors.

In the spring of 2020 the COVID 19 pandemic had a direct impact on SJRR programs. In lieu of in-person programs, virtual programming became the method of presenting topics. While the presentation of information was thorough, the loss of meaningful in-person face-to-face interaction with attendees and presenters was apparent. After the presentations of the Infant and Maternal Mortality Series sited below (January 2020), all presentations were virtual.

Activities for 2020 were as follows:

Film series: • Session 1. Individual viewing of “Just Mercy” the film adaptation of the bestselling book by Brian Stephenson founder of the Equal Justice Initiative which works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality.

Guiding Principles. For managing our activities, the SJRR adopted the following set of guiding principles: • Recognize that all have biases and continue to do our best to identify our own.

• Strive to be open and honest about our biases and misconceptions while taking care to not hurt others.

• Session 2. Zoom discussion about the effect of the movie led by AnySue and David Bacon.

• Strive to be open to experiences and beliefs different from our own.

Book Study: • A three session discussion of “The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Americas white Church’s Complicity in Racism” led by Dr. Brian Steensland, Professor and Chair of Sociology, UPUI. The book provides the history of how white churches, pastors and parishioners have participated and condoned racial oppression and a call for today’s churches to right the past.

• Remember to work with the people around us, seeing their strengths rather than only limitations, and recognizing people are not problems to be solved.

Infant and Maternal Mortality Series: • Session 1. Our Neighbors: A conversation with local health care leaders about the disparity in frequency of deaths affecting Black infants and mothers compared to the general population. Expert presenters were: Sherry Gray, CEO of Raphael Health Center: and Dr. Mary Abernathy, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at the IU School of Medicine.

• Session 2. “Same Blood” A staged reading of stories of inequity in the healthcare system from Black women growing up and living in Central Indiana. The script developed at IUPUI was presented by Summit Performance Indianapolis.

COVID 19 Race-and Inequity • Session 1. Viewing the webinar underwritten by the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes that examined the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on Black and Minority communities featuring a panel that included NY Times columnist Charles M. Blow.

• Session 2. A Zoom Conversation discussing the information received in the webinar and “What We Can Do?”

Same Blood staged reading in the Fortune Room

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Community Relations • The SJRR met with Elan Daniel, Executive Director, Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation. The discussions included the importance of community partnerships and update on the Corporation’s initiatives regarding affordable housing.

• Faith Voter Teams were established in collaboration with Faith in Indiana. Team members attended training sessions and participated in phone banks contacting Indiana voters. These non-partisan contacts encouraged over one thousand Indiana voters to vote. Members also participated in the Georgia runoff election phone banks and provided voter registration guidance to clients of the Trinity outreach programs.

• The SJRR continues to explore ways that Trinity might assist Black owned businesses in Indianapolis by monitoring local initiatives.

Future Programs: Programs will focus on how our community can survive the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Membership in the SJRR is open to parishioners and neighbors. Feel free to contact Bill Coleman at wscoleman@aol.com.

If anyone has program ideas or wants to join the group please contact Bill Coleman or Mother Erin Hougland.

Sherry Gray, CEO of Raphael Health Center: and Dr. Mary Abernathy, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at the IU School of Medicine.

Webinar underwritten by the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes that examined the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on Black and Minority communities, April 2020.

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Pastoral Care Ministries

The Rev’d Dr. Benjamin Anthony, Associate Rector Pastoral care takes many forms. At the heart of it is a direct interaction between people, often the one-on-one interaction between individuals. This personal—interpersonal—interaction is the space where pastoral care is needed and delivered. And it is precisely the space that has been invaded, distanced, and emptied by the threat of COVID-19 and the practices necessary to slow its spread.

The events, programs, and practices that have in previous years sustained pastoral care ministries at Trinity have largely been set aside. Creative and adaptive responses have enabled pastoral care to continue throughout this past year and reinforced the reality that pastoral care is a community-wide responsibility. Pastoral care is the community seeing and caring for its members as individuals and drawing those individuals back into community’s embrace.

While some familiar tentpoles of the pastoral care tent (like Fall and Spring Eucharist and Lunch for Seniors) had to be suspended, others continued in an adapted and often online form. The faithful team of Lay Eucharistic Visitors adapted their ministry to social distance measures and the lockdown of residential eldercare facilities. Visits consisted of phone calls or phone-assisted visits through room windows at residences and the rite of Private Home Communion was adapted to use the now-familiar rite for Spiritual Communion.

Small groups that continued to meet through videoconferencing apps like Zoom were critical sites of pastoral care. Groups such as the Monday Bible Study, the Rector’s Study Group on Tuesdays, the Trinity Caregivers group on the third Thursday of each month, the twice-monthly Men’s Group have all continued to meet via Zoom. No one would mistake a videoconference for a conversation in the Crist Room but no one who participates in these small groups would express anything but gratitude for the opportunity to see others and to be seen by them.

Pastoral care was also delivered during 2020 through the delivery of material tokens of care and affection. Meal trains were organized for those moving through seasons of grief, new life, and medical hardship. The Parish Life Committee’s delivery of Poinsettias and an Advent care package was a tangible expression of prayer and love for the members of our community whose age makes them especially vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19.

When the grief and isolation of this time has passed and the difficult insights it has created can be received, I hope that we will have discovered the riches we have in one another. And I hope that we will see that how important it is that we care for one another and do so accordingly.

Trinity Men’s Breakfast Peter Sehlinger, Chair Before the pandemic, the Trinity Men’s Group met for breakfast at 8:15 a.m.on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at Duo’s Kitchen. The group resumed meetings on Zoom in December at 9:15 a.m. We celebrated our fourth anniversary in January. We offer an opportunity for attendees to share experiences and get better acquainted. While largely social in nature, at each meeting Ross McKenna reads a short scriptural passage and a commentary from the tract Forward Day by Day, which are followed by discussion. All men at Trinity are encouraged and welcome to join us at these meetings.

In November the group resumed meeting at the same time via Zoom. They are joined by two resource persons who have been caregivers, and by the Rev’d James Knowles, the group’s chaplain. We share experiences and offer support to fellow caregivers, and offer suggestions and available resources. All conversations remain strictly confidential. Caregivers at Trinity and elsewhere are invited to attend our meetings.

Trinity Caregivers’ Support Group Peter Sehlinger, Chair The Trinity Caregivers’ Group began meeting in the summer of 2014 and is composed of individuals who are caregivers for relatives and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, strokes, and other debilitating medical problems. The group met on the third Thursday of the month at 3:30 p.m., until the pandemic forced them to cancel their gatherings in March.

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Trinity Comforters Patty Gotway, Trinity Comforters Coordinator cares for all communion linens, communion vessels and clergy vestments, as well as all flowers within the sanctuary, and provides assistance to the clergy as needed.

Trinity Comforters mission is to make handcrafted items to provide a personal connection between those making the item and those receiving it. Sewing aid is also provided to the Church staff when requested. Trinity Comforters is self-funded through donations of material and money from its members and generous friends.

Pre-COVID, we had three meetings a year – September, January and May. We work in teams with each team being responsible for one scheduled weekend per month, in addition to occasional services during the week. We welcome new members as openings occur. They would be expected to complete a period of training and working with a seasoned member prior to becoming a regular part of a team. As a result of COVID, Altar Guild groups have become smaller to allow for safe distancing in the sacristy and in church as well as preparing for the different changes to liturgy. Although we are all not gathered in person for worship, we have continued our behind the scenes work. The small group that gathered to prepare for the Christmas service was special and we all commented on how great it felt to be “back in church”. Soon .... we will all be back in church soon!

Our goal for the anniversary year was to make a 100 hats for people in need. By March 2020 we had met that goal with over 100 hats and other items created. We have not had any on going projects during 2020. But if any one still wishes to contribute hats or other items, we can always find a happy recipient!

Finished items can be left at the church office.

Trinity Guilds Acolyte Guild Kate Howe, Christy Jacobi, Alex Pierson, and Todd Relue All acolyte activity was put on hold in March when we stopped having services in the church. Malcolm and Soren Hembre and Evie Relue helped with the Christmas Eve recorded service.

The Altar Guild held a small tea to say farewell and THANK YOU to Anne Throop in October. Anne served as the President of the Altar Guild for many years and will be missed by all of us as she has moved to southern Indiana to be closer to her family. Thank you to Mary Challman who retired earlier this year as well. We also will miss Deedra Runyan and her happy quiet smile. There are currently 16 active members in the Altar Guild: Kelly Bentley, Patty Bennett, Linda Brown, Janet Craun, Betsy Cronin, Catey Hale, Jennifer Lutes, Mary Maher, Sandra Malcom, Tricia McMath, Dana Newell, Kim Purucker, Missy Roetter, Katherine Smith, Kay Whitaker and Nancy Wright.

Trinity had 48 acolytes serving in March of 2020 when in-person services were discontinued. We would like to recognize the acolytes who were serving at that time.

Gold Crosses (have served 100 or more services) Evan Furuness, Malcolm Hembre, Kyle Lee, Joseph Naas, Abby Resnick, Abby Smith Silver Crosses (have served 60 or more services) Madeline Bucken, Madison Gonzalez, April Heller, Erin Heller, Sydney Heller, Charlie Hirschman, Andy Jacobi, Caroline Johnson, Ian Miller, Evie Relue, Liam Whitworth-Neufeld, Allan Williams

Leaders: Kim Purucker, Dana Newell, and Linda Brown.

Anyone interested in serving on the Altar Guild, please contact Kim Purucker, kspurucker99@gmail.com or 317/697-5151.5

Chalice Guild

Bronze Crosses (have served 30 or more services) Eli Bucken, Hollis Carbrey, Dieudonne Djarabe, Vanessa Djouma, Erika Heller, Soren Hembre, Ryan Jacobi, Sara Jacobi, Noah Lee, Giscard Medjeham, Alex Ngaba, Dale Potter, Sarah Jane Strickland, Myia Thomas, Keagan Williams

The Chalice Guild stopped ministry after March 2020, once church services started following Covid guidelines for communion. All members are eager to return when it is safe to do so!

Jeannice Shobe, Leader (8AM) The Chalice Bearers for 8 a.m. are a small but mighty team. Our regular participants are Michael Cuticchia, Finis Tatum and me.

Continuing Acolytes Liam Bell, Bailey Garverick, Madeline Bockstahler, Nicholas Bockstahler, Henry Bucken, Mason Lee, Vera McConnell, Adeline Adler Mueller, Lucy Phelps Kelleher, Sage Phelps Kelleher, Ellie Potter, Wynn Potter, Edward Relue, Ivey Strickland, Kally Vincent.

Jeff Martin, Leader (10:30AM) 10am Chalice Bearers: Lisa Adler, Theresa Arness, Eric Baiz, Kelly Bentley, Brock Brown, Jerry Butt, Mary Chalmers, Deb Cooney, Ellen Crabb, Bonnie Frye, Jim Gould, Sally Hardgrove, Lynette Herd, Dick Hughes, Watta Johnson-Massaley, Russ Lawson, Sandra Malcom, Jeff Martin, Samuel Massaley, Susan McMahon, Alex Ngaba, Jen Phelps, Winter Snow, Jane Stephenson, Kathleen Strickland, Kathy Watson, Kay Whitaker, Eric Williams, and Neil Wylde.

Acolytes who Graduated in 2020: Eli Furuness, Erin Heller, Ian Miller, Alex Ngaba, Abby Resnick, Abby Smith

Altar Guild Kim Purucker, President The Altar Guild is responsible for the preparation of the altar for various sacraments as the Rector directs. This includes every service held in the church and outdoors. The Altar Guild 30

Garden Guild

Greeter’s Guild

Sharon Lemler, Leader God offered us many profound insights in 2020.

One of them is this:

Tom Greist, Leader The Greeter’s Guild is blessed with many wonderful Greeters: Lisa Adler and Adam Mueller, Amy Sue and David Bacon, Maren and Bobby Bell, Patty and Richard Bennett, Mary and John Challman, Betty Elliot, Shelly and Bryan Furuness, Sally Hardgrove and Ron Newlin, Lynette and Rick Herd, Gayle and David Holtman, Christy and Jim Jacobi, Erin Kilbride-Vincent and Abby Vincent, Trish and Rob McMath, Brittany and Brad Knick, Kim and Jim Purucker, Ann and Dave Smith, and Iris and Colin Terry.

Flowers, trees, birds, bees… (and weeds) were unaffected by this illness.

They kept sprouting, growing, blooming, as if nothing were wrong.

All of the Greeters look forward to getting back to greeting in 2021!

We humans had to make many changes in how we tended the two gardens at Trinity Church/St. Richard’s. Lots of times just one or two volunteers would go and work in solitude. There’s a peace and contemplative opportunity in that kind of gardening. At other times, 4 or 5 of us would gather at an appointed time, and spread out, wearing our masks and enjoying the fellowship of others at a distance, grateful for the beauty, sunshine, fragrance and breeze to be enjoyed in a garden.

We were extremely aware that the garden in the courtyard was used in a much more fulsome way this past year. Members of both church and school communities were outdoors in the garden! Every time they could be! Meetings. Classes. Worship.

Recess. Car pool pick-up. Personal prayer time. Lunch breaks.

More meetings. More worship. More classes. More recesses.

More car pool pick-up. More personal prayer time. What a gift it was – and is.

Meanwhile the cloister garden offered many of the same settings. Many days I would see an individual having a quiet time of contemplation in the garden as I arrived to work. A lovely sight.

We will also resume more bona fide “work days” – I like to call them “play dates” for our guild members.

Thank you, God, for these gardens, and for all of our communities who delight in them.

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Saint Stephen’s Guild

Ushers Guild

Anne Greist & Hugh Resnick, Leaders St. Stephen’s Guild/Trinity Lectors participate in the liturgy on a rotating basis by reading scriptural lessons from the lectern and leading prayers from the nave during services. From a group of over 35 parishioners, Lectors are scheduled quarterly according to their availability and the liturgical needs for regular Sunday morning services, Evensongs, Mattins, festivals such as Lessons & Carols, The Great Easter Vigil, and other occasional services.

Most services include three readings: an Old Testament lesson and a New Testament lesson found in the Revised Common Lectionary and the Prayers of the People found in the Book of Common Prayer. Readings for occasional services and baptisms can vary, and festival services include a broader range of readings utilizing Lectors from Trinity youth, St. Richard’s Episcopal School, the immediate neighborhood, and the greater Indianapolis community.

Eric Baiz, Leader Our 2020 theme was “Tis the gift to be simple.”

In an ordinary year, the duties of the ushers are quite broad and complex.

The Trinity Ushers’ Style Handbook is packed with 11 pages of what and how to do.

Despite COVID-19 eliminating indoor public services, nevertheless, a skeleton crew of ushers was needed to assist in our “Franciscan” outdoor, garden services.

During the Lemler Garden services, we saw frolicking squirrels, bunny rabbits, birds -- plus the whole cycle of flowers, trees, and other greens.

Yet, we were enveloped in a lovely cloister, protected and free to worship our God. There were about 10 ushers who volunteered over the year to stand at the “cattle gate” to greet and lead people to their assigned garden benches and chairs.

In response to the Pandemic The 8 am lector schedule has been non-existent since the start of COVID precautions.

The church staff did wonders to prepare this space for our worship, thus making the ushers’ work very simple. Everyone came with a mask. The occasional unplanned-for guests of early arrivals for the Sunday Meal were welcomed and seated.

Hugh Resnick scheduled readers most of the year and beyond the obvious move to mostly pre-recorded readings from home, leaders and readers learned how to deal with large video files and how to most effectively send them (or links to them) around the internet. But now, most of the group are comfortable doing that.

In the heat-of-the-summer, there were prized seats in the shade of our two big trees.

As we wait in expectation for the vaccines to be available and used by everyone, we can be thankful for all the blessings that have allowed us to be a worshiping community.

2020 Members: Theresa Arness; David Bacon; John Bridge; Jerry Butt; Mary Challman; Mary Chalmers; Deb Cooney; James Cramer; John Craun; Michael Cuticchia, Holly Day; Mary DeVoe; Ann Durkos; Cheryl Eiszner; John Eiszner; Jan Gould; Anne Greist; Joel Harrison; Leigh Ann Hirschman; Gayle Holtman; Shannie Hughes; Karen E. King; Jim Knowles; Theresa Langdon; Russ Lawson; Sandra Orr Malcom; Bob Marchesani; Jeannie Mayhue; Mary Miller; Jennifer Phelps; Christine Plews; George Plews; Ben Potter; Hugh Resnick; Victoria Resnick; Jody Root; Alice Soriero; Olive Soriero; Steven Stolen; Alisha Valentine; Kathy Watson; and Robert Wilson.

Adding Choir Members/Choristers: Ed Ferguson, Chuck Schaefer, Syd Schaefer, Jerry Hall, Jolene Moffat, Jennifer Mentink, Erica Dollhopf, Joseph Naas, Minna and Maxine Steensland, Hannah Resnick, and Abby Resnick.

Trinity Office Volunteers Albie Marco, Director of Finance & Administration In March and with new pandemic guidelines, the volunteers were asked to take a break. They are all eager to come back!

Becky Peyton, Sandra Orr Malcom, and Sara Bean we miss you!

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St. Richard’s Episcopal School David Amstutz, Head of School

This will be a different sort of annual report as this school year and the last portion of the last school year have been like no other. It’s been a challenging and stressful period, but we’ve persevered, modeled the Grit aspect of our 3G’s (Goodness, Gumption, and Grit), and grown as educators in the process.

This year has reminded us of the intensely social nature of education at our level. Our students were thrilled to open the school year in person. It was clear on the first day of school that they needed to be together. Likewise, despite the health risks associated with in-person learning, our teachers were delighted to be with their students. And, our parents were grateful they were able to focus fully on their work again.

As we begin the transition to Dr. Leslie Hosey as our next head of school, I carry with me an image from our first day of school.

We were anxious about all of the unknowns but particularly worried about whether our youngest students would be able to wear their masks . At drop-off that morning, I was stunned and deeply touched to watch our new pre-K students get out of their cars, strap on their masks, and bravely march into a building many of them had never been in before. Now that is gumption!

My best wishes to the good people of Trinity Episcopal Church for a healthy 2021! Davidl!

Along the way we’ve experienced many unexpected blessings.

This past summer, we were faced with the daunting task of opening the school year under pandemic conditions. There was so much that was unknown at the time, and public health officials were struggling to provide us with guidance. So we formed a Back-to-School Advisory Task Force and, along with our SRES Board Executive Committee, designed an approach that allowed us to be in-person while also optimizing the health and safety of our teachers and students.

What was different about our new approach? Seemingly everything. Drop-off and pickup, with no parents allowed in the building, went from one site to four. It requires all of our teachers every day to run these multiple sites. Lunch has also become a logistical challenge akin to a major military operation. With students eating at their physically distanced desks, getting the right meal to the right student at the right time is highly labor intensive. We’ve significantly changed our teaching and learning processes, invested heavily in our facilities, and asked a great deal of our teachers, students, and families.

They’ve all responded beautifully, allowing us to have a highly productive school year to date.

The mission of St. Richard’s, an independent Episcopal day school, is to instill knowledge and values for a lifetime through the implementation of Five Pillars for Success: Faith, Classic Curriculum, Leadership, Civic Responsibility, and Global Readiness.

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Chaplain’s Report The Rev’d Dr. Benjamin Anthony, Chaplain Katie Elder and Cheryl Eiszner continue to provide excellent divinity instruction to the students across the three divisions (Early Childhood, Lower Division, and Middle Division). Mrs Eiszner has embraced and flourished in her work as Godly Play instructor and Mrs. Elder has exercised considerable and thoughtful initiative in her role(s) as chaplain to Early Childhood students and divinity instructor to Lower and Middle Division students. The faithfulness, intelligence, and care with which they teach and care for the students is extraordinary. It is of little surprise then to see how loved they are by students and teachers alike.

As Chaplain my primary role is to supervise and enact the chapel and divinity program at St. Richard’s. Additionally, I work to cultivate at the school an environment consistent with Episcopal values. My work as part of the school’s Leadership Team and Diversity Committee are venues where those values are integrated into and reinforced in the life of the school.

The 2019-2020 academic year was more than three quarters complete when on March 13 the coronavirus prompted the school to shut down and transition to remote learning. An initial return-to-school in mid-April after spring break never materialized. Traditional spring school events were scuttled, rescheduled, and recreated. The graduation for the class of 2020 was celebrated first on Zoom—as much of our community life would soon be transferred—and then with a festive car parade on 33rd Street.

2020 was a year marked by disruption, upheaval, and loss.

But it was also a year marked by a deeper appreciation for community, traditions, and joy of being together. Teachers are true heroes: for all the ways they are practical, steadfast, resilient. But the heroism is especially evident in the faces of the students, who are the very embodiment of hope for a different tomorrow.

The faculty adapted to teaching remotely, adapting rapidly in the spring and then more deliberately over the summer.

The SRES Leadership Team, guided by David Amstutz, head of school, worked continuously over the summer to formulate the reopening plans so that St. Richard’s could return to in-person instruction for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. This aspiration became reality on Thursday August 13 and St. Richard’s has maintained in-person instruction more or less continuously since.

The sounds of students playing on the playground were a welcome and frequent sound in the neighborhood. A welcome disruption of the pandemic and social distance-enforced silence; frequent because of the increased use of outdoor space as part of the school day. Lunch served in the classrooms and soccer field, recess outside (when the temperature remains above 30 degrees), modified drop-off and pick-up procedures, masks, and frequent handwashing have all become normalized part of school life. And in turn, the return of school life has restored a measure of normalcy and hope to the community.

Chapel and community gatherings have continued at St. Richard’s, though like worship at Trinity it has largely continued through pre-recorded videos and on Zoom. The limitations of the shift to video are familiar to anyone reading this but this same limitation birthed an anthology-style Lesson & Carols service. A pre-recorded “Lessons & Carols Through the Years” video was shared with the school and church communities, providing a placeholder and reminder of the treasures we have in our traditions and will have again soon.

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Who’s Who at Trinity Church TRINITY CLERGY The Rev’d Julia Whitworth, Rector The Rev’d Dr. Benjamin J. Anthony, Associate Rector The Rev’d Erin Hougland, Associate Rector The Rev’d Jennifer Fisher, Outreach Minister, part-time

TRUSTEES, TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH LEGACY FUND Mark Green Patty Gotway Erik Hembre Joel Harrison John Hirschman, President Christy Jacobi Gavin Stephens Keenan Buoy, Treasurer to the Vestry The Rev’d Julia Whitworth, ex-officio CHAIRS OF TRINITY MINISTRIES Adult Formation, Erin Hougland Card Ministry, Sandra Orr Malcom Caregivers’ Support Group, Peter Sehlinger Celebration Coffee Hour, Christy Jacobi Children’s Chapel Committee, Kathy Watson Choir Board, Michael Messina.

Choir & Choristers, Michael Messina Columbarium, Chris Plews and Mike Cuticchia Comforters & Knitters, Patty Gotway Community Outreach Grants, Kate Howe Dayspring Dinner, Jan Gould Discipleship/Small Groups, Erin Hougland Education for Ministry, Sara Bean Exodus Welcoming Team, Elsa Sands Finance Committee, Keenan Buoy Girl Scout Troop 5458, Brittany Knick Joint Properties Committee, Erik Hembre Landscape Committee, Kate Howe Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEV), Karen E. King, Scott Whitaker Lectionary Bible Study, Benjamin Anthony Monday Bible Study, Benjamin Anthony Nominating Committee, Tricia McMath Nursery, Patty Gotway Office Volunteers, Albie Marco Outreach Advisory Committee, Kate Howe, Rick Beardsley Parish Life Committee, Missy Roetter Pastoral Care Committee, Benjamin Anthony, Carol DeCoursey Regathering Committee, Todd Relue Social Justice and Reconciliation, Bill Coleman Stewardship, Jeff Brinkmann and Shana Stump Sunday Counters, Mary Devoe Sunday School, Erin Hougland Tree of Life Planned Giving, Ann Smith Trinity Comforters, Patty Gotway Trinity Men’s Breakfast, Peter Sehlinger

Affiliated Clergy (non-stipendiary) The Rev’d Dr. Charles Allen The Rev’d Gordon Chastain The Rev’d Bob Dekker The Rev’d Nancy Ferriani The Rev’d Jim Knowles The Rev’d Jim Lemler The Rev’d Mary Mail The Rev’d Jean Smith The Rev’d Mollie Williams The Rev’d Mark Strietelmeier The Rev’d Catherine Wilson TRINITY STAFF Rita Earls, Housekeeping Dirk Edwards, Director of Facilities Faith Hennings, Finance Assistant Katherine Jolliff, Organ/Piano Scholar Tracey E. Lemon, Director of Communication & Invitation Hamp Liggins, Housekeeping Albie Marco, Director of Finance and Administration Michael Messina, Director of Music Missy Roetter, Youth and Parish Life Coordinator David Smith, Maintenance Technician VESTRY Rick Beardsley, 2021 Linda E. Brown, 2021 Mary Chalmers, 2021 Tricia McMath, 2021, Senior Warden Ann Smith, 2021 Bobby Bell, 2022 Deb Cooney, 2022 Marlene Marchesani, 2022 Bill Mirola, 2022 Shana Stump, 2022 Gayle Holtman, 2020, Junior Warden Carol Decoursey, 2023 Shelly Furuness, 2023 Kären Haley, 2023 Todd Relue, Junior Warden, 2023 Nathaniel Samba, 2023 Keenan Buoy, Treasurer to the Vestry Shana Stump, Clerk to the Vestry 35

Who’s Who at St. Richard’s Episcopal School ST. RICHARD’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE CMTE Rosalia Morquecho, President Erick Ponader, Past President Gil Voy, Vice President Ron Bockstahler, Secretary Mark Gramelspacher, Treasurer Jennifer Springer, at large The Rev’d Julia E. Whitworth

Trinity Properties, Todd Relue Trinity Sunday Dinner, Diana Creasser Trinity Youth, Missy Roetter Tuesday Study Group (with the rector), Julia Whitworth Waycross Bucks, Christy Jacobi.

Worship Committee, Julia Whitworth CHAIRS OF TRINITY GUILDS Acolyte Guild, Kate Howe, Christy Jacobi, Alex Pierson, Todd Relue Altar Guild, Kim Purucker Chalice Guild - 8AM, Jeannice Shobe Chalice Guild - 10:30AM, Jeff Martin Garden Guild, Sharon Lemler Greeter’s Guild, Tom Greist Madrigal Guild, Christy Jacobi Saint Stephen’s Guild (Lectors) - 8AM, Anne Greist Saint Stephen’s Guild (Lectors) - 10:30AM, Hugh Resnick Guild of the Unexceptional Cuisiniers, Jim Purucker Ushers Guild, Eric Baiz

BOARD MEMBERS Kimberly Bacon Gray The Right. Rev’d Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows Elizabeth Bearby Nneka Breaux Cindy Cho Nick Colby Ellen Crabb Tom Dawson Adriana Keramida Strahl Andrew Morrison Leigh Anne Naas The Rev. C. Davies Reed Timothy Root

OUTREACH MINISTRY PARTNERS Horizons @ St. Richard’s, Amysue Bacon Mid-North Food Pantry, Cathy Bridge, Kathleen Strickland Project Home Indy, Hope Hampton St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc, Jill Brooks Trinity Haven, Jenni White

EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS David Amstutz, Head of School Ryan Brunkhurst, Faculty Representative Glenda Shaw, Parent Organization President Kären Haley, Trinity Vestry Representative

TRINITY REPRESENTATIVES Mapleton Fall Creek Development Corp., David Bacon

ST. RICHARD’S ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF David Amstutz, Head of School John Brady, Head of Middle Division Cherie Bowen, Head of Early Childhood & Lower Divisions Linda Chestnut, Financial Officer Will Williams, Director of Development & Major Gifts The Rev’d Dr. Benjamin Anthony, Chaplain AmySue Bacon, Executive Director of Horizons at St. Richard’s Nikeesha Pittman, Director of Extended Day & Summer Camp Programs Officer Chris Smith, Security & Student Resource Officer John Kroetz, Assistant Director of Development Debi Schilling, Administrative Assistant & Healthcare Support April Thomas, Registrar, Business & Enrollment Executive Assistant Marianna Gerritzen, Administrative Assistant

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Trinity Annual Report for the Year 2020

Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours for ever. Amen.

Collect for the Mission of the Church

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 3243 N Meridian Street • Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 317 926 1346 • www.trinitychurchindy.org