On April 2nd, we will meet from 12-2pm, to share lunch and to fill Easter eggs forTrinity’s Easter egg hunt. Then we will head down at 1pm to Upperville Baptist to unload canned goods to help with the local food basket ministry.
Then, on Easter Day, April 16th, please arrive at 9:30am in the Bishop’s Garden to help hide the Easter eggs for our kids at Trinity, who will hunt for them after the 10:30 service. We need your help!
Calling all EYC, 6th-12th graders! We will meet on Sunday, March 12th, from 3-5pm, for a St. Patrick’s Day Party. We will gather in Cox Hall for some good snacks and games to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick. We will also be baking and decorating shamrock cookies to be shared later in the week with our homeless brothers and sisters in DC.
Come join us, wear your green, and bring a friend!
Have you ever tried taking on a discipline, during Lent or at another time of year, and found it difficult to continue? The wonderful news is that Jesus is our perfect example of practicing the spiritual disciplines, and we can look to his example to help guide our own. In a world where spirituality is often so lacking, how can we help deepen our own connection to God, to our neighbor, and to all creation?
Jesus says in the Gospel of John that He is the living water and that those who drink of the living water will never again be thirsty. As Christians, we need to dig that well and keep that water replenished again and again. This Lenten season is the perfect time to be refreshed!
Come explore, learn, and practice the Christian disciplines of prayer, fasting, study, and worship, as we seek to deepen our own spiritual wells. We will be meeting on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15, from March 5th-April 2nd. Join at any time; drop-ins are always welcome!
The Book of Psalms or Psalter is essentially the hymnal of ancient Israel. It was compiled from older collections of lyrics and used to accompany acts of worship in the Second Temple. Although actual authorship is uncertain, many of the Psalms are attributed to King David and thus date back to at least 1000 BC. Containing 150 psalms, the Book of Psalms is one of the longest in the bible and contains some of the most beautiful and beloved verses in all of Christianity.
While the original music is long lost, it is certain that the Psalms were intended to be sung. There are many references to this in the Psalms themselves as well as elsewhere in the Old and New Testaments. In the early Christian church the Psalms were probably sung in similar fashion to the lost ancient Jewish tradition. However, by the fourth century, plainchant was developing and used to sing the Psalms. With the Reformation came renewed interest in the Psalter as theologians/composers wrote metrical versions of the psalms set to hymn tunes, making them easier to sing, many of which are still part of our hymnody today. Similarly, English reformers devised Anglican Chant which allowed the psalms to still be sung with speech-like rhythm but over a simple harmonic structure. This form of psalm singing is part of our current Hymnal 1982.
During this season of Lent, our music will focus on the Psalms. Each Sunday, the Offertory Anthem will be a choral setting of the appointed Psalm for the day. In addition, we, as a congregation, will attempt to sing the appointed Psalm using Anglican Chant in place of our usual antiphonal reading. Hopefully, with a little bit of practice, we will all be able to experience the full meaning of these beautiful words as they were meant to be expressed as well as continuing an ancient tradition.
Our Vestry met on Wednesday, February 15 for its monthly meeting. The minutes for the meeting will be filed and available for your review.
We received the Treasurer’s reports, as usual, and I suppose it’s a good thing that there is nothing unusual to report. The 2017 budget has been recorded in our accounting system and we are tracking with this plan. Since the beginning of 2017 we have received 7 new pledges, thanks be to God, which brings our count to 158 for a total of $567,549. That puts us at about an 83% participation rate. As I often say- it’s never too late to submit your pledge for the year and Vestry remains committed to full participation. We will continue to encourage each other in this endeavor and we ask that you do the same. Your presence, participation and pledge are the foundations on which we will continue to build Trinity Upperville through the year and helps us to ensure we can support the missions, programs and goals that we have set for 2017.
Speaking of goals- as we have reported to the congregation, Vestry continues to discuss ways that we can use the four priorities we have set for 2017 (encourage our Stewardship, enhance our Christian Education, grow and strengthen our Congregation and expand our Outreach) to make Trinity a force for the betterment of our church, our community and our world. We seek to build up new leadership that can help us sustain our efforts to increase our inward and outward presence and to become a place where current and new members can come to listen to and learn about the opportunity and responsibility to participate in God’s will for our lives. You will be hearing more from Vestry as we develop our plans for this year that will further our intent to support the Faith, Place and Mission of Trinity Church. We hope and pray that you join us. As it has been in the past, our key to success will be our engagement. We encourage all of you to engage with us. Let us know what is going well and tell us what can be improved. It is only together and with God’s blessing that we will succeed.
A bit more business of the Vestry is worth noting this month:
The Buildings and Grounds committee has been working diligently to get the nursery back up and operating. Updates to flooring, electrical, plumbing, windows, furniture and a new coat of paint inside are ongoing and will ensure that we can continue to offer this important service in a safe and secure environment. The nursery building is also used to support various other ministries of Trinity. If you have time, please walk over and check out the improvements.
We were pleased to hear that the Art Show reported income from sales of about $1500. It was a delightful event that showcased the amazing talents of our members and friends. Thanks to all of you who attended and especially to those who made a purchase.
We received reports from all committees. I want to give a special thank you to Parish Life, Worship and Ambassadors. The often behind the scenes work that these committees do to support Trinity is remarkable. Please let them know you appreciate their efforts when you get a chance to do so.
I want to use a bit of space to encourage you all to support and engage with our 2017 Stable Tour. There will likely be another whole section in the Genesis, but this is a big and important event that will take all of us to be successful and supports our significant Outreach ministry. Please let Kat Gemmer, our 2017 Chair, know if you can help.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers, input and support!
On Wednesday evenings throughout Lent, beginning March 8, we will offer a Wednesday Evening Lenten Study program. The program will begin with a free catered meal at 6:30 PM, followed by the program at 7:00 PM called "The 5 Marks of Mission". Topics will include:
February 28 from 5:30-7:30 PM
Join us for our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. The men of the church will be preparing the meal, and the Parish Life Committee is providing the decorations. This is a free meal, and all are invited to participate! Shrove Tuesday (also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), is celebrated in anticipation of the start of Lent the next day (Ash Wednesday). It is the symbolic act of using up the unhealthy items in the kitchen pantry in advance of the more penitential observance of Lent.
Thanks largely to the navigational skills of Gina Hammond and Ken Knapp, the So Others Might Eat (SOME) January group virtually glided into Wash- ington, DC despite the known perils of inaugural traffic.
January SOME Cooks
Kit Hemion, Holly Bimba, Pat Reilly, Ellen Hall, Stephanie Knapp, Robin Keys,Ann MacLeod
January SOME Serves
Len Shapiro, Pat Reilly, Gina Hammond, Bob Appenzeller, Jim Gemmer, Ken Knapp, Margaret New, Robin Keys, Ann MacLeod
This is the third time in 30 years that we can recall our service coinciding with the transfer of power in our nation’s Capitol, but there were some concerns as this was the first since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001 and security was tight.
We deviated from our normal route of the 14th Street Bridge and rounded the beltway all the way to Silver Spring with nary a car in sight, proceeding down Georgia Avenue, making every single green light practically until our arrival at O Street, NW.
With much time to spare we learned upon arrival that the area shelters had been advised to keep their doors open all day and feed the guests on site rather than send them out for lunch to kitchens like SOME. This action was an effort to promote safety and crowd control, or so we were told.
Despite the edict, we managed to feed close to 300 people our standard fish meal, beloved by all.
Many views were heard about the incoming Administration as well as the outgoing and we managed to rise above the noise and get our meal on the table earlier than ever.
Our group fed a blind father of two with children in tow, the handicapped, the elderly, the infirmed, the down- trodden as well a private dining room full of women. Our faith and mission to continue this program lies with these individuals and will respectfully continue, with the support of our ministry, the Outreach Committee and congregation, no matter who controls the White House.
Rallying for the cause were: Bob Appenzeller, a true jack-of-all trades and our resident humorist; Ken Knapp, our fish cooker extraordinaire; Jim Gemmer, who cheerfully washed pots and pans and dishes the entire morning; Len Shapiro, the green bean master and driver; Margaret New, who braved Massachusetts Avenue traffic and joined us on the serving line, Gina Hammond, who bakes like a professional and knows her way around the city; Pat Reilly, who joined us both to prepare the rice and serve it; and the venerable and noble Ann MacLeod, who handed out plates and offered kind words to all our guests. Robin Keys roamed the dining room as usual.
Previously in the Cox Hall kitchen, our cooks readily dis- patched with the chopping of some gargantuan carrots and other vegetables to assemble the rice casseroles.
Please consider joining us on March 16 for cooking and on March 17 for a return trip to Washington to serve. We are also encouraged by your generosity in donating brownies, cookies and other treats and bread and muffins to accompany our meals. In March, consider providing goodies with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
Our Vestry met on Wednesday, January 18th for its monthly meeting. The minutes for the meeting will be filed and available for your review. We received the Treasurer’s reports which included the status of finances for 2016. Pending final closing numbers, I’m happy to report that we ended the year with a positive net income. Our pledge collection rate for 2016 was 102%. Thanks be to God and to all of you for your dedication to Trinity last year!
Now- on to 2017. Those of you who were at the congregational meeting on January 22 heard that we have not yet reached our goal of full participation of all members in 2017 pledges. While we certainly understand that not everybody can make the regional average annual pledge of approximately $3,000, it is the belief and prayer of Vestry that every Trinity member will make a pledge of whatever amount you can. If it is your practice to put your contribution in the plate each Sunday, please consider estimating what that will be over the year and make that your pledge. As I have said before, Vestry can only make plans for the year based on the pledges of support that you all give. And of course, for the many of you who have already pledged, thank you!
Vestry approved the 2017 budget. It, too, was presented at our Congregational update on the 22nd. Carol’s presentation was outstanding- she is clearly a Power Point guru. If you were there, you saw (after the 2016 budget flew away- you had to be there!) that the 2017 budget is balanced. However, I’ll point out that it’s a bit of creative math that allows us to present a balanced budget. The finance committee does an excellent job working the numbers, but I want you all to know that the usual expense line that takes a hit when we increase spending is the group that makes up the Buildings and Grounds expenses. The result is that some needed repairs may get delayed or cancelled pending unexpected adjustments to income such as special gifts. So here I go again... Vestry needs your support- your Presence, your Participation and your Pledge. Please speak to any of us if there is something we should be doing that we are not now or if you just have some ideas that you want to discuss.
Vestry spent a good deal of time at the meeting discussing our goals and priorities for Trinity in 2017. Rob led us in a review of the Vestry Resource Guide particularly focusing on discernment of our mission and ministries and how we can develop them this year. As I described briefly at the congregational meeting on January 22, we are focusing on four primary areas- Stewardship, Christian Education, Outreach and Congregational Growth. And as Rob summarized, our overarching goal for the year is to identify and develop new leadership that will help support our current and future life and ministries at Trinity Upperville. You will be hearing and seeing more about this in the coming months.
Our Buildings and Grounds committee reported on recent accomplishments and future recommendations. Of note, in case you have not noticed, the outdoor lights on Cox Hall, Peard House and the Sanctuary are now on timers. The lights are set to come on at 5:30 PM and turn off at 10PM. Minor repairs to the Sanctuary thermostat were completed that will hopefully allow us to keep the building a bit warmer. The Cottage and the Gulick house have both been leased for the year. The Gutters have been cleaned and various improvements have been made to our IT infrastructure that will help all of our church programs.
We heard from the Stable Tour committee which continues to move forward with their planning. They have approved the design for this year’s poster and they have a growing list of farms that we will offer to our participants. We hope that you will join us for this year’s Tour as a Steward, a volunteer, an observer or all of the above! This is an important undertaking in the life of Trinity that will require as many of us who are able to pitch in to help make is a success.
Finally, when I wrote this note last year, we had just experienced Snowmageddon 2016... 34” at our house! Yes, winter is not over and maybe I just jinxed us, but my how things have gone differently this year. Isn’t it wonderful how God’s creation and beauty can been seen every day no matter what type of weather He brings our way? I hope and pray you all have a great February- we look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 marks the beginning of Lent, a season of reflection and introspection in preparation for Holy Week and Easter.
Lent begins with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday we will have 2 services, one at 12pm and one at 7:00 PM. We encourage everyone to participate.
The services will include both the Holy Eucharist and the imposition of ashes. During the imposition of ashes, the rectors will take ashes (from the burning of the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms) and will make the mark of the cross on each congregant’s forehead. The imposition of ashes is a reminder of our mortality, and our total reliance on God.
“For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” - Genesis 3:19
You are invited to the opening reception of the Trinity Church Art Show
Friday, February 10, 2017
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Art by Trinity Parishioners and Friends Proceeds benefit the Trinity Church Outreach Fund! The Art Show will also be open after the 8:00 am and 10:30 am church services on Sunday, February 12.
The EYC (6th-12th grade) is headed to Whitetail Ski Resort in Mercersburg, PA, on February 11th. RSVPs and payment must be turned in to Rachel Rickenbaker no later than Sunday, January 29th, in order to guarantee a spot.
We will have both lunch and dinner at Whitetail. As soon as you let me know you are interested, I will send or give you (in church) the form to fill out. There is financial help available if need be. Please contact Rachel for more details and to RSVP! It's gonna be a fun time!
Each year in the days following Christmas, I always remember one of my favorite Christmas cards, both sent and drawn by one of our talented parishioners. It was a picture of Santa Clause sound asleep in his rocking chair with the calendar on the wall reading December 26. I guess they don’t have a January newsletter at the North Pole.
As this Christmas was a particularly difficult one for me personally, thinking of this Christmas card made me wonder, does Santa get cranky during December under the pressure of making toys for the entire world? And then there is the real Christmas story. I’ve always had a soft spot for Joseph. The poor fellow; as if being taxed is not bad enough but to have to walk half way across the country just to give up your carpentry earn- ings, and to top it all off, when he finally arrives the only motel has no vacancy. Do you suppose he had a few choice words right then that were not recorded in the Gospels? And what about Mary? Nine months preg- nant and riding on a donkey. Need I say more? She surely had some moments that were not so meek and mild.
Well, maybe this isn’t the case. Maybe actually carrying the Son of God makes all the tension go away. This year, however, I found that just singing about him does not. The tension builds all through Advent with busy schedules and high expectations until by Christmas Eve I’m ready to tell Jesus himself “quit bugging me, and next year you can take care of your own birthday”. (Don’t worry, he and I have an understanding relationship.)
Now, finally, after all the pomp and circumstance is done and after waking from the Dec. 26th nap I am better able to focus on some of the most important messages of Christmas. And so, to singers and ringers, children and adults, instrumentalists and organists, from soloists to those singing in the pews; thank you. Together we celebrated well, the greatest gift of all. The gift of love and eternal life given to us is the form of a baby humbly born in a manger. Thanks be to God.
Happy New Year! What a wonderful time we all had at this year’s Christmas Auction! Much merriment was had on Friday night at the preview party and it continued right on to the live auction on Sunday. Thanks to the efforts of many at Trinity including our Chair, Debra Latiolais and her most noteworthy assistant Lori Connelly- DeFranco, our Trinity staff, congregation, friends and visitors, we were able to raise over $30,000 – thanks be to God! If you missed this year’s event, you’ll want to be sure you don’t next year as we have already started planning for another great time.
Our Vestry met on Monday, December 19th for its monthly meeting. The minutes for the meeting will be posted and are always available for your review. Our meeting started with a welcome visit from former Vestry member Joe Fluet. Joe presented a lovely Christmas season sermonette reminding us about Christ’s unwavering love.
We received the Treasurer’s reports which indicate that our finances are sound and we should finish the year in good order. Pledges for 2017 continue to come in. If you have not made yours for the coming year, please do so today. The Vestry is committed to achieving full participation in our Stewardship giving. As a responsible Vestry, we cannot make plans for needed expenditures without your promise of support. Together, we have built the foundation for a monumental year. A year that will challenge our commitments to strengthening our congregation, supporting our community and expanding our outreach. We hope and pray that you and every member of Trinity will join us this year.
Our Vestry approved the provisional budget for 2017. The final budget for 2017 will be approved this month following the Finance committee’s review of our 2016 financials. We have set the date of January 22 to present the new budget to the congregation. We invite your participation and input at that meeting as we put in place the fiscal foundation for the new year.
Our meeting continued with another lengthy discussion about our priorities and goals for 2017. We are close to having them completed. The Vestry will be holding our Winter retreat in mid-January when we will finalize our goals and develop objectives to achieving them. These will also be presented at the congregational meeting on the 22nd.
Vestry received a detailed report from the Buildings and Grounds committee. The Chair, Sanford Diday, and his committee have been diligently reviewing and prioritizing needed repairs across our beautiful campus. The Vestry approved several expenditures perhaps most notably the replacement of our 50+ year old lighting system in the church proper.
Finally, I hope that you all had a Blessed and Merry Christmas and are prepared for the best year you can imagine in 2017! Your Vestry continues its commitment to help make this year one to remember at Trinity Upperville as we enrich our Faith, improve our Place and grow our Mission. We look forward to you joining us in any way you are motivated to do so.
Calling all youth in 8th grade and older! What is Confirmation, and why is it important for our lives as Christians?
We will have an information meeting on Sunday, January 8, from 9:30-10:15 AM. Any parents and kids who are interested in finding out more, please come to the meeting. We will hold classes every Sunday, from 9:30-10:15, leading up to the Bishop's visit on May 7.
For more info, please contact Rachel in the office at 540-592-3343.
Dear Friends,
Advent is a season dedicated to a fuller appreciation of the call we share to live Christ-centered lives. In order to establish time in our busy calendars to focus on the real reason for this season, I invite you to join us for a series of discussions on Wednesday evenings November 30th, December 7th, and 14th. We will gather here at the church for a simple supper at 6:00pm. The program will last for about an hour. We will conclude the evening with the brief night prayer service known as Compline.
We will make use of guidelines for the season suggested by a group that calls itself "The Advent Conspiracy":
Worship Fully: On Wednesday, November 30th, we will discuss the meaning of "Worshipping fully". We will take a quick tour of the great resources we have in the Book of Common Prayer and Hymnal. We will discuss the central place of the Holy Eucharist in our worship on Sunday mornings. We will also explore the opportunities offered to help us pray daily as well as make use of the Advent Wreath in our homes throughout the season.
Spend Less/Give More: Our discussion on December 7th will focus on the fallacy that, in spending more, we will find greater happiness and peace. Much has been written about the joys of living life simply, and that it is indeed in living simply that real spiritual, emotional, and physical health are to be found. Furthermore, when we are set free from our addiction to spending, we discover our true nature in the joy of giving for the sake of the world around us.
Love All: Our final program on December 14th will focus both on John 3:16 and Jesus' summary of the Law. What did Jesus mean when he taught his disciples that we are to love God with all that we are and all that we have? What does it truly mean to love our neighbors as ourselves? How do we learn to do this more and more? How do we put our love for God and our neighbors into practice?
I will look forward to these discussions and making this journey through Advent with you.
Faithfully in Christ,
Rev. Rob Banse
All are welcome and invited! Rachel's husband, James, will also be ordained with her. If you are interested in details or in carpooling, please call the church office.
November 13
Dr. Paul Chandley will speak at forum about the history and qualities of our Aeolian Skinner organ and the Baldwin piano. He will also address the Anglican tradition of a stone cathedral as it relates to the acoustics for the organ, piano, and voices as well as other instruments. He will address musical topics to include the unique challenge of organ and piano maintenance in an environment of fluctuating humidity.
This interactive lecture will be held in the front of our church as his wife Sophia Pavlenko plays selected sacred pieces to demonstrate the topic’s main speaking points on both the organ and piano.
Paul Chandley received his undergraduate degree in performance from the University of North Carolina and his master’s and doctoral degrees in performance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He is currently the Executive Director of the Trinity Music Academy in Troy, NC, Principal Conductor of Opera Experience Southeast, and Director of Music at the Trinity United Methodist Church. He has been a regular guest conductor for the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, the Kiev Symphony, the Rockhill Opera Company, the Kansas City Opera Company and the Opera Company of North Carolina.
His wife Sophia Pavlenko has toured extensively throughout the world and has traveled to all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. Over the last two years, she has presented 87 concerts in North Carolina alone. Her musical compositions, including her astounding 1st and 2nd Piano Concertos, have been featured by the Kiev Symphony and Chorus and the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Sophia has been featured on PBS television and in Our State Magazine for her contributions in bringing world caliber music to North Carolina.
Visit their site to learn more about Paul and Sophia at www.paulandsophiachandley.com
Begins Friday, December 2 in Cox Hall
This year’s auction offers an array of “one of a kind” and “once in a lifetime” items! The auction will begin with online bidding of truly unique experiences. Visit the auction website and start your bidding today at: www.bluetreemarketing.com/trinityupperville. Then, attend the Preview Party on Friday, December 2 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. A few select items will be auctioned off at the preview party this year. Gourmet food, drink and beautiful music! Come early and bid often! Bidding will continue through Sunday, December 4, when we will close the silent auction bidding at 1:00 PM and begin the LIVE auction.
Visit www.bluetreemarketing.com/trinityupperville and check out some of the amazing options and start your bidding today!!!
Please Join Us
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 AT 7:30 PM
Upperville Baptist Church 9070 John S. Mosby Highway, Upperville VA
Enjoy a Great Evening with your Neighbors Trinity Bell-Ringers, Mt. Pisgah Choir & More Local Talent Everyone is Welcome! The Offering Benefits: The Churches of Upperville Outreach Program Providing food during this holiday season and throughout the year to those families who need help in our community!