section, and with Philadel- phia’s non-profit organization Urban Tree Connection (UTC), in forging relationships within these neighborhoods while breaking down racial and demographic barriers. TYG raised awareness of their valued partnership with UTC and stepped up its fund- raising to support the signifi- cant impact the partnership has made in the lives of the residents in Philadelphia as well as in the lives of the TYG teens. “Mission Philly has pro- vided me with the best social, spiritual, and cultural experi- ences of my life. Every year I look forward to nothing more than that one great week of work,” said TYG member Dylan Platt. This year, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church joined their partner- ship on a special project, suc- cessfully transforming a vacant lot in West Philadelphia - pre- viously used as a dumping site for garbage - into a beautiful community garden. - by Peggy McRae It was a sweltering Saturday afternoon in West Philadel- phia, but everyone gathered was too excited to let it get the best of them. It was the culmination of a week of hard work, but the final reward was the opportunity to cele- brate the results of a success- ful 2008 Mission Philadelphia project with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Since 1996, TYG and their sponsors have enthusiastically resided in Philadelphia for a week in June to focus on transforming challenged com- munities in the West Philadel- phia corridor. TYG chose Villanova University again this year as their home base for the week in order to create one new garden project, and maintain previous garden sites throughout the week. TYG continued its long- standing partnership with the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in the Overbrook Mission Philadelphia: Mission Accomplished! July/August 2008 Volume 1, Issue 10 Vacation Bible School July 28-August 1 Space available! To register, contact the church office Volunteers needed; contact Paula Sayre for more information Clergy Reflections 2,3 Vestry Corner: Step Up Suppers Resume 3 New Youth & Family Minister Welcomed 5 Journey Begins in Call to Mission 6 Trinity Schedules DOCC Program 7 Youth Lead Parish in Guatemalan Trip 7 TYG Wraps up Mis- sion Philadelphia 4 T.Y.G. Inc. Up & Running 5 Inside this Issue: On Saturday, June 28th, Mayor Nutter, a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, reflected on the group’s sig- nificant achievements at the afternoon dedication cere- mony for the new garden. The Mayor thanked the Mis- sion Philadelphia team for providing the region with an example of how his vision for the future of Philadelphia can materialize through similar projects, and for supporting the momentum gained from his Keep America Beautiful/ Philly Spring Clean Up cam- paign. He expressed hope that their efforts would in- spire other youth groups to model TYG’s program. Following the ceremony, TYG surprised the Mayor with a Mission Philadelphia t- shirt, bandana, birthday cake and card. UTC’s motto states, “We build community, one vacant lot at a time.” After a suc- cessful week, it was certainly a mission accomplished!
Transcript
section, and with Philadel-phia’s non-profit organization Urban Tree Connection (UTC), in forging relationships within these neighborhoods while breaking down racial and demographic barriers. TYG raised awareness of their valued partnership with UTC and stepped up its fund-raising to support the signifi-cant impact the partnership has made in the lives of the residents in Philadelphia as well as in the lives of the TYG teens. “Mission Philly has pro-vided me with the best social, spiritual, and cultural experi-ences of my life. Every year I look forward to nothing more than that one great week of work,” said TYG member Dylan Platt. This year, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church joined their partner-ship on a special project, suc-cessfully transforming a vacant lot in West Philadelphia - pre-viously used as a dumping site for garbage - into a beautiful community garden.
- by Peggy McRae It was a sweltering Saturday afternoon in West Philadel-phia, but everyone gathered was too excited to let it get the best of them. It was the culmination of a week of hard work, but the final reward was the opportunity to cele-brate the results of a success-ful 2008 Mission Philadelphia project with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Since 1996, TYG and their sponsors have enthusiastically resided in Philadelphia for a week in June to focus on transforming challenged com-munities in the West Philadel-phia corridor. TYG chose Villanova University again this year as their home base for the week in order to create one new garden project, and maintain previous garden sites throughout the week. TYG continued its long-standing partnership with the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in the Overbrook
Mission Philadelphia: Mission Accomplished!
July/August 2008 Volume 1, Issue 10
Vacation Bible School
July 28-August 1
Space available!
To register, contact the church office
Volunteers needed; contact Paula Sayre for more information
Clergy Reflections 2,3
Vestry Corner: Step Up Suppers Resume 3
New Youth & Family Minister Welcomed 5
Journey Begins in Call to Mission 6
Trinity Schedules DOCC Program 7
Youth Lead Parish in Guatemalan Trip 7
TYG Wraps up Mis-sion Philadelphia 4
T.Y.G. Inc. Up & Running 5
Inside this Issue:
On Saturday, June 28th, Mayor Nutter, a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, reflected on the group’s sig-nificant achievements at the afternoon dedication cere-mony for the new garden. The Mayor thanked the Mis-sion Philadelphia team for providing the region with an example of how his vision for the future of Philadelphia can materialize through similar projects, and for supporting the momentum gained from his Keep America Beautiful/Philly Spring Clean Up cam-paign. He expressed hope that their efforts would in-spire other youth groups to model TYG’s program. Following the ceremony, TYG surprised the Mayor with a Mission Philadelphia t-shirt, bandana, birthday cake and card. UTC’s motto states, “We build community, one vacant lot at a time.” After a suc-cessful week, it was certainly a mission accomplished!
This has been a truly re-markable summer to date here at Trinity Episcopal Church. Our parish is not different from others in the wider Church in that we see a decrease in attendance and our programs and min-istries enter a period of hiatus for the months of June, July and August. Still, Trinity is a parish that does not rest easily. From Lob-sterfest to Mission Philadel-phia, from the Diocesan Guatemala Youth Mission Trip to Vacation Bible School, we keep ourselves busy with the work of pro-claiming God’s good and acts of service and social justice. Earlier this season, I and four parishioners, Chuck Christenson, Mary Miller, Laura Huestis and Inez Bing, attended a diocesan training event for DOCC-Disciples of Christ in Community. Mariclair+ attended the main training event at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. the fol-lowing weekend. This pro-gram was actually begun ten years ago at Trinity, but the fire forced it into a prema-ture suspension. I am truly excited to see this exercise in formation and commu-nity-building coming to Trin-ity once again. We are look-ing forward to starting this program in the fall with a kickoff retreat gathering in September. Lobsterfest and Mission Philly were both wonderful successes, not just from the work accomplished and the funds raised, but also from
the spirit and grace Trinity and the wider community experienced in the mean-time. There are so many stories of God’s blessings bestowed, from old friends returning to new leadership arising. Dr. Patty Gill-Webber, Kyle Evans, “Mr. Wilson”, Kristen Steuber, John Allison, Jerry Hische, Peggy McRae, Bill Yandle, Debbie Stedman, Lori and Chuck Christianson, George Kuebrich, John Daukas and MANY, MANY others have worked above and beyond the call of duty to support both TYG and our growing outreach mission in West Philadelphia…those tri-umphs culminating in Mayor Nutter’s participation in a garden dedication. God is indeed with us and the peo-ple of Philadelphia in this powerful witness to renewal of community and spirit. Soon, eight of our youth and I will depart for Guate-mala. This Diocesan Mission Trip has seen participation from Trinity Church for years. We have sent adult leaders and youth to our companion Diocese, and have welcomed members of that sister community to us…and now we are taking that largest contingent from any parish in the diocese in an effort to continue to deepen our connections abroad to friends we have found and have grown in the grace of God’s love. All of these moments call to mind for me the portions of our Baptismal Covenant that provoke us to love each other, to recognize
Christ in all persons and to pursue lives committed to striving for justice and peace. Still all of these ef-forts are mere prelude to the parish discerning a com-mitment to becoming “One Congregation” as the Epis-copal Church calls us to ministry to the world through the Millennium De-velopment Goals put forth by the United Nations as an effort to end the effects of poverty worldwide on the human family. Our Church embraced them at General Convention in 2006, as did our Diocese. We now are praying, learning and seeking ways to do our part for the greater good. In this issue of Trinity’s Tid-ings, you will see and hear words of witness to what we are already doing…and in the coming months we will explore together what it means to grow in Christ in service to our neighbors around the globe. I have witnessed amazing steward-ship efforts on behalf of our own community, and of the wider church. Trinity con-tinues to “Step up and Reach Out” and in this sea-son it gives a greater sense of warmth than the summer sun. For now, enjoy the grace and ease of these restful months. Tend your gardens and enjoy the warm weather. Rest, and re-create. There is time now for the Sabbath of this sea-son before the next chapter of our life together begins in earnest! –MKS+
Rector’s Reflections
Trinity Tidings, July/August, 2008
“All of these (summer) moments call to mind for me the portions of our Baptismal Cove-
nant that provoke us to love each
other, to recognize Christ in all per-
sons and to pursue lives committed to striving for justice
and peace.”
- Marshall Shelly+
Page 2
Assistant’s Aside
Volume 1, Issue 10
as Assistant Rector, I am even more excited about what is coming up in this next program year. Starting this fall, Trinity will have its own Disciples of Christ in Community program. This program is a chance to get to know each other while learning more about our Christian faith and our Epis-copal heritage. This will ac-tually be the second debut of DOCC at Trinity. The first DOCC class here had
just wound up their inaugu-ral session when the Chapel burned in 1998, and had to be suspended as rebuilding took first priority. I have realized in the last year that community is one of the things that Trinity does best, and so I encour-age you all to sign up for DOCC this fall, and make new connections while strengthening your relation-ship with God.
Page 3
Vestry Corner: Step Up Suppers Return this Fall - by Angela Johnson, Stewardship Vestry Liaison “In most congregations in the fall of every year, we talk about making a pledge commitment of time, talent and, of course, money to God. That commitment of money shows up in the of-fering plate, often accompa-nied by the thought that it helps balance the church budget. But what if, when the celebrant holds up the offering plate at the alter, we saw, instead, ourselves in that plate - our whole selves surrendered to God as an offering of thankful trust and faith in God and in God’s purpose for our lives and for God’s church? Is this not what Jesus taught and lived - a surrendered life? God offers us sacred food and spiritual suste-nance in Christ’s Body and Blood as grace to live a sur-rendered life, knowing how really hard that is. Sometimes I think the offer-tory is becoming less about
surrender of our whole selves and more about a striving toward commitment of money only, and that leaves little room for God’s grace and spirit to trans-form hearts and lives. Pleas for money often become messages for maintenance and survival and not invita-tions to give ourselves to mission and trust in God.” The excerpt above was written by The RT. Rev. Bud Cederholm (Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese of Mas-sachusetts) and published in the recent Episcopal Times. As our Stewardship com-mittee has been preparing for our upcoming STEP UP Suppers that will begin in September, our message to the congregation is tied to what the Bishop is speaking about. It is our hope that these Suppers and Brunches will become synonymous with Christian community. They will provide us with another way to revisit our commitments as stewards of God’s gifts to us. We
will take time to break bread together, reflect on the many blessings God has bestowed upon us as we consider what else God is calling us to do as individu-als and as a congregation. I am thankful to God when I think of how we at Trinity are giving ourselves to Christ through our out-reach and mission work. The Millennium Develop-ment Goals, Mission Phila-delphia, Tabasamu, Peace-meal and Guatemala Out-reach trips are just some of the ways we are fulfilling our Baptismal Covenants to Christ. Accomplishing this work requires the use of our time, talents and treas-ures. So as we celebrate what we have done, let’s look to the future of what God is calling us to do. Please sign up for one of the STEP UP gatherings one of your fellow parishioners will graciously host and please, save a seat for Christ at each meal.
“What if, when the celebrant holds up the offering plate at the
altar, we saw ourselves on that plate - our
whole selves surren-dered to God as an of-fering of thankful trust and faith in God…?”
This July I celebrated my one-year anniversary as a priest and as a part of Trinity. And what an amazing year it has been- from celebrating my first Eucharist to getting to know all of the individual personalities that call Trinity home, it has truly been a transformative twelve months. As excited as I am about the time that I have spent
“Look for more in-formation about
DOCC, including a schedule of meet-
ings, in this issue of Tidings.”
they have formed along the way. In addition to relation-ships within the group, we also formed bonds with the people of Philadelphia who live in the neighborhoods where we work. Working alongside neighbors, both young and old, is always a wonderful experience. This year we returned to worksites from previous years. The neighbors were happy to see us and eager to work to make their communities beautiful. Once again, we succeeded in transforming vacant lots throughout Philadelphia into beautiful gardens for the neighbors to enjoy. Our efforts at Mount Carmel Baptist Church were even recognized by Mayor Nutter and many community members came
Trinity Tidings, July/August, 2008
Cultivating a Future: Reflections on Mission Philly 2008
Page 4
out for the dedication of the garden we created there. Once the work day ended, the youth enjoyed games, dancing to music, or movies at the dorms where we stayed at Villanova. We were also welcomed back to St. Thomas African Epis-copal Church for a delicious dinner one night. This year the youth group also went bowling together for the first time and everyone had fun! Thanks to the wonder-ful parents and caring adults who support the youth group, we were able to re-lax and have a well-earned good time during the eve-nings. We are all looking forward to next year when we can go through this amazing week together once again.
“Mission Philly has pro-vided me with the best social, spiritual and cul-tural experiences of my life. Every year I look forward to that one great week of work.”
- Dylan Platt, TYG
member
- by Sarah Shields Though it is hard to believe, Mission Philadelphia 2008 has come and gone and I am proud of each and every person involved! This year included a great deal of transition, and the youth and adults involved in this week of service and com-munity-building worked well together by being flexible and supporting one another through it all. Kathleen Davie took over the primary leadership role during the week and was supported by four interns: Courtney Smyth, Peter Ev-ans, Liz Shovlin, and myself. We are all alumni of the youth group and we en-joyed getting to know the current members and be-coming a part of the family
Volume 1, Issue 10
Trinity Welcomes New Youth and Family Minister A warm and heartfelt wel-come goes out to Joel Esala, Trinity’s newly appointed Youth and Family Minister. Joel and his wife Sarah were welcomed into the Trinity family at the July 13th Sun-day services. Joel grew up in the Midwest as the son of a Lutheran minister and family coun-selor. After giving up dreams to be a boxer and fighter pilot, Joel decided to follow in his father’s foot-steps and pursue vocational ministry. While attending
The Ohio State University, Joel met Sarah and quickly fell in love with his best friend, and they were mar-ried in 2002. After graduation Joel worked for his college church, where he served as a student minister for three years. In 2004, Joel and Sarah enrolled in seminary together at Reformed Theo-logical Seminary in Orlando, Florida, where he earned a Master of Divinity and she a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. In 2007 they
Page 5
moved to Princeton, New Jersey where Joel completed his Master of Theology de-gree. Sarah works in Human Resources for Princeton University. In January their family grew to include Tres-sel—a Lab-Beagle mix whose namesake is the Ohio State University foot-ball coach, Jim Tressel. Joel’s hobbies center on food, books and sports, and he is thrilled to be a part of the ministry team at Trinity. Welcome!
- by Andrew Powell T.Y.G. Inc. is a registered non-profit organization qualified to receive dona-tions which are tax deducti-ble to the donor. It was established in 2004 at the suggestion of a Trinity pa-rishioner in order to solicit support for outreach pro-jects from foundations and businesses that cannot, un-der their charters or poli-cies, give to religious institu-tions. T.Y.G. Inc. is a separate entity from Trinity Church, and it is important to main-tain this distinction. The objectives of T.Y.G. Inc. are, however, supported by the Trinity vestry, and include raising funds to support projects that engage teens and youth in community service and outreach pro-grams for the benefit of the needy and low income households in the Delaware Valley. We are in the proc-
ess of expanding this focus to include similar outreach projects directed to other parts of the world such as Kenya and Guatemala. This year, T.Y.G. Inc. was active for the first time col-lecting funds from corpo-rate donors who sponsored Lobsterfest or made cash contributions to support Mission Philly. We have also received offers of cor-porate donations to be made to T.Y.G. Inc. to sup-port the outreach activities of some of our youth in Guatemala. This is just the beginning. As T.Y.G. Inc. gets up and running, there will be ad-ministrative and accounting issues to smooth out, and fundraising challenges to face. We have also not yet finalized our processes for selecting projects to fund, and receiving funding re-quests from project leaders. While all funding decisions
T.Y.G. Inc. Up and Running must be taken exclusively by the T.Y.G. Inc. Board of Directors, the Board is committed to work closely with Trinity vestry in identi-fying and vetting projects. As we raise funds and fi-nance projects, we will keep all of our donors, as well as our parishioners, updated about our accomplishments. We are excited that we can use this organization to ac-cess sources of funding that are closed to the Church, and put these funds to work for worthy causes that are consistent with our Chris-tian commitment to im-prove the lives of others. The Directors (and Office Holders) of T.Y.G. Inc. all serve as volunteers and in-clude: Marshall Shelly+(President), John Daukas (Vice President), Matt Grif-fith (Treasurer), Andrew Powell (Secretary), Kyle Evans and Jean Evans.
Joel Esala, pictured here with his wife Sarah, is Trinity’s
newly appointed Youth and Family Minister. Welcome!
Pursuing the Call: The Next Chapter in Missioner Preparation
- by Kyle Evans Three months have passed since Trinity’s Open Table meeting where I announced my call to serve as a Mis-sioner for the National Epis-copal Church. Trinity Church and its pa-rishioners have been in-credibly supportive of the new direction that I am tak-ing in ministry. I have re-ceived warm wishes, loving cards and offers to provide assistance in planning and preparation. In addition to the pledge of $1,500 from Trinity as ap-proved by the Vestry, I have also received 35 personal donations from members of the congregation. Along with an award of $2,000 from the discretionary fund of Bishop Bartlett, Interim Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and a commit-ment from a person distinc-tive from all of these com-munities, these gifts cur-rently total over $9,500. In terms of financial assistance, the generally accepted Mis-sioner expense guideline is a total of $20,000 for one Missioner year. It is difficult to express in words how powerfully mov-ing and affirming this sup-port has been for me. I have felt completely loved, sustained and prayed for through this experience. What is priceless to me is the knowledge of the ongo-ing prayers and support from so many wonderful people. In addition to my deep appreciation for Trin-
ity’s spiritual and financial assistance, I would like to update the congregation on other aspects of my Mis-sioner process: Upon my return from Kenya, I traveled to Mt. Manresa Retreat Center in Staten Island, and spent two intensive weeks in Missioner Training. Along with the Missioner team, I then par-ticipated in the “Everyone, Everywhere” Conference, held every three years to inform and inspire those committed to Mission in the Episcopal Church, with re-nowned speakers offering inspiring experiences of global service. The confer-ence closed with a Eucha-rist, during which the Mis-sioner team was commis-sioned. In that moment, my commitment to serve as a Missioner was affirmed and confirmed. I felt anointed both by God and by those present.
I have received enthusiastic support from several area Rectors in response to a letter I sent to diocesan churches regarding my Mis-sioner service. I expect to spend much of the late sum-mer and fall visiting churches in hopes that local churches will choose to share in this experience.
Here at Trinity, my Mis-sioner Support team - Ali Bove, Jean Evans, Irma Fralic, Linda Kenyon, Kaylyn Koberna, Caroline and Reid McCarthy, Cliff Nesbit and James Wells - has provided me with ongoing prayer, administrative support and
spiritual direction. Please contact me if you are inter-ested in joining the Mis-sioner team. Thank you again for your enthusiasm and spirited sup-port of my call to Mission. I look forward to many op-portunities in the coming weeks and months to share more about this new, excit-ing and challenging chapter in my life, in the life of Trin-ity, and in the life of the greater Diocese. Please feel free to contact me anytime at (267) 221-9239 or [email protected].
Haiti: A Nation in Need
- Haiti is the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere; the aver-age annual income is
$100.
- Electricity is a rare commodity.
- Unemployment is
near 90%, with most people living by sub-sistence farming in
eroded, depleted soil.
- Clean water is scarce.
- The infant mortality rate is high, largely
due to diseases borne by contaminated drinking water.
- The average life
span is below 50 years of age.
Page 6 Trinity Tidings, July/August, 2008
Assignment Announced The confirmed location of Kyle Evans’ Missioner assign-ment is the Diocese of Haiti. Why Haiti? The need is great (Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere), and Haiti has been absent of a Missioner for some time. Kyle’s tasks there will include: - working closely with Rev. Oge Beauvoir, priest and Dean of Sainte Trinite Cathe-dral in Port au Prince, Execu-tive Director of the Haiti Episcopal Seminary, and over-seer of 252 Episcopal schools; - serving as mentor and pas-toral presence to the female seminarians of the Haiti Epis-copal Seminary, -providing administrative sup-port and strategic planning to area Episcopal schools, - teaching English as a Second Language to adults, and much, much more...stay tuned!
Do you want to get to know your fellow Trinitari-ans while deepening your understanding of God’s call to us through Christ? Then sign up to be a part of Trin-ity’s Disciples of Christ in Community program! From September to Decem-ber, we will meet weekly for a simple meal, followed by a presentation by one of our priests on a question of the Christian journey (what is Christian community, exactly what can Scripture tell us, what are our Angli-can traditions, etc.), and then spend time in small groups discussing and relat-ing. It’s a transformative way to forge unique, lifelong connections with others, to deepen your own spiritual
journey, and to grow the heart of the church. There will be two separate tracks so that everyone can partici-pate - a Wednesday evening group that will meet from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and a Sunday afternoon group that will meet from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. In order to support the development of each group, we ask that you commit to missing no more than two of the fourteen sessions. There is a $50 licensing fee for each participant; schol-arships are available. For questions or more informa-tion on the program cur-riculum, please contact the Rev. Mariclair Partee at [email protected].
Begins: September 13, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.: Retreat for all participants
Ends: December 17: Combined Session for all participants *enjoy a meal beginning one hour before each program
Disciples of Christ in Community: Encouraging Spiritual Growth
Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 10
Parish Almanac: May, June Parish Register: Members Enrolled 996 Trinity Households 332 New Families: Tori & Steve Socha Michael & Barbara Yount Avg. Sunday Attendance:
May 293; June 273 Pledge Income: May $32,885; June $34,356 Deaths: Kathryn Glazier, wife of Earl; Robert Stephens, husband of Kathy; Wallace Sellers, husband of Naudain; Walter Gamble, husband of Martha; Albert Worthington, husband of Joan Baptisms: Phoebe Alexandra Tetreault, daughter of Bruce & Lauren; Nathalie Nicole Houston Ranje, granddaughter of Pat & Sue Houston; Colton Patrick Kendig, son of Patrick & Leslie
- by Hannah Powell On July 26, Trinity will send the Rev. Marshall Shelly and eight youth members to Guatemala on the diocesan youth trip. The trip is com-prised of members from throughout the Diocese of Pennsylvania. This year Trinity is sending a record number of youth on the trip, the standard for a par-ish being one or two partici-pants at most. The group is led by the Di-ocesan Youth Liaison, Susannah Hunter, who has visited Guatemala many times, ably assisted by spiri-tual advisor Marshall Shelly+. While in Guate-mala we will be accompa-
nied by clergy and youth from Guatemalan churches, and guided by Victor Hugo Contreras, a very experi-enced veteran of many Di-ocesan trips. The group will visit churches throughout the spectacular highlands, in-cluding our sister parish in Solola. We will also spend time at the San Lucas Tole-man Mission and fair trading cooperative, established over 40 years ago near the scenic Lake Atitlan. We will work in an orphanage for HIV+ children and in schools as part of a program to teach basic dental hy-giene, and much more! We recognize all of the pa-
Youth Depart for Diocesan Trip to Guatemala
Wednesday Group 7:00-9:00 pm*
Sunday Group 2:00-4:00 pm*
September 17 September 21
September 24 September 28
October 1 October 5
October 8 October 12
October 15 October 19
October 22 October 26
October 29 November 2
November 5 November 9
November 12 November 16
November 19 November 23
Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break
December 3 December 7
December 10 December 14
Fall 2008 Schedule
rishioners who have helped to make this an enriching and wonderful experience for our Trinity youth. Particular thanks go to those who have collected toothbrushes, helped facilitate projects planned for the trip, and volunteered to help with last week's successful car wash. There will be an-other car wash on July 20, during and after the 9:30 service. We look forward to sharing tales of our experi-ences when we return!
