Weekly Newsletter 1/28/21

Jan 28

Written By David Bohnenkamper

If you would like to receive the Trinity Presbyterian Church newsletter every week, you can sign up here.

Trinity Presbyterian Church PC(U.S.A.)

Welcoming you to share the joy of Christ

Worshiping Together | Serving Together | Caring Together

December 28, 2020

From Pastor Chris

This Sunday, January 31, at 11:30 a.m. is our Annual Congregational Meeting. Hopefully you have received your meeting packet and copy of the Annual Report via email, but if you need to, you can find information on the meeting (and a link to download the Annual Report) here: https://trinityspringfieldpcusa.org/news/annual-report-amp-congregational-meeting

We will email the Zoom link for the meeting on Sunday morning as well, so watch your inbox!

I also want to highlight one of the articles you will find in this week's newsletter. We have been asked by the Springfield Greene County Health Department to share the current information available on COVID vaccines and how to access them in our community. I know there is a lot of information floating around about vaccines, so I would encourage you to take some time and review this information and then talk to your healthcare provider if you have more questions.

I look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting this Sunday via Zoom! If you have any questions about how to participate, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Peace,

Pastor Chris

NOTICE: Annual Congregational Meeting

The Session of Trinity Presbyterian Church has called for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation and the Corporation to take place on Sunday, January 31, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Additional information on how to participate in the meeting will be sent to members prior to the meeting. Business to be conducted during this meeting shall be the presentation of the 2020 Annual Report.

2020 Annual Report

The 2020 Annual Report for Trinity, which includes the 2020 end-of-year financial report, will be presented at the annual meeting on January 31, 2021. Copies have been distributed via email, are available at this link, and print copies are available from the church office on request.

Work of the Church: January 2021

Highlights from the January 19, 2021, called Meeting of John Calvin Presbytery, convened virtually. The meeting was called to learn about and act on a report from the Transitional Project Committee, a subcommittee of the Committee on Ministry, assigned to research and present a proposal to help vacant congregations in their search for a pastor. The TPC proposed that John Calvin Presbytery call Greg Emery, ruling elder from Brownsville, TN, to work 10 hours a week with three congregations, focusing on interim tasks. Each participating congregation will contribute financially to the program with John Calvin Presbytery paying the remainder of the projected cost. John Calvin Presbytery voted to extend the call to Greg Emery, and to make the necessary changes to the 2021 JCP budget to cover the cost of the program.

Trinity’s Commissioners to John Calvin Presbytery are Sharon Marsh and Kathy Morriss.

The Deacons met via video conference on Sunday, January 10, 2021. The next stated meeting of the Deacons is Sunday, February 14, 2021.

The Deacons’ January Report: With a continued focus on the needs of members during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Deacons shared member concerns and discussed how best to make and maintain contacts. Group assignments for incoming Deacons were made, and all were reminded about the Officer Training modules to be completed during January.

Kristin Butler is the Chair of Deacons, and Mary Kay Hoops is Clerk of Deacons.

The Session met via video conference on Sunday, January 17, 2021. The next stated meeting of the Session is Sunday, February 21, 2021.

During their January meeting, the Session:

Approved two additions to the budget for 2021. The 2021 budget will be shared with the congregation at the Annual Meeting of the Congregation and the Corporation on January 31, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.
Discussed plans for the ordination and installation of officers, which will occur later this month.
Approved the 2021 schedule of payment of the Mission and Public Witness Committee’s pledges for Shared Mission and the Theological Educational Fund.
For questions regarding the work of the Session, you may contact Carole Hudgings, Clerk of Session.

Treasurer’s Report

Total Income

12/1-12/31/2020: $45,727.59 YTD (1/1-12/31/2020): $467,588,53

Total Expenses

12/1-12/31/2020: $47,468.65 YTD (1/1-12/3012020): $388,899.15

Operating Budget Account Balance as of 12/31/20: $49,754.00
ICS (Insured Cash Sweep -- also known as “Trinity Funds for the Future”) Account Balance as of 12/31/20: $681,227.68
Petty Cash as of 12/31/20: $131.80

Questions about the Treasurer’s Report may be directed to the Treasurer, Stephen Kane.

The following is a list of the various committees and organizations of Trinity, along with their leadership teams for 2021. While we are unable to meet in person, most of the focus of the work of the church has been on mission outreach.

Christian Education and Faith Formation (Leadership Team: Nia Howard (E), Katie Kull (D), and Amy Price (E))

Communications Task Force (Leadership Team: Kristin Butler (D), Katie Kull (D), and Jim Stewart (E)). In January, the Communications Task Force reviewed the current communication tools available at Trinity. They discussed ideas for improving our abilities and tools to connect with church members and spread our message to others. The Committee recommended that the Session amend the 2021 budget to cover the costs to improve the internet service speed to the building.

Finance (Leadership Team: Bob Kick (E), Colleen Laas (D), and Susan Uffmann (E))

Generosity and Engagement (Leadership Team: Patty Dunn (E), Max Perryman (D), and John Rush (E)). The committee elected Patty Dunn to serve as Moderator and Max Perryman as Clerk. In a discussion of the recent pledge campaign, the group noted that the 2021 pledges received to date are slightly below the previous year, but consistent with historical averages. The consensus was the procedures and strategies utilized were effective. The COVID-delayed Engagement Fair will continue to be postponed until the church is open to in-person activities. Other methods to involve church members are being pursued.

Mission and Public Witness (Leadership Team: Penni Groves (E), Mary Kay Hoops (D), and Todd Morriss (E)). In January, the Mission and Public Witness Committee:

Hosted the monthly curbside food drive for Crosslines. The next food drive will be February 8, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Voted to allocate Mission funds to the following: Shared Mission, Theological Educational Fund, Council of Churches, Eden Village, Eden Village 2 (to help support the purchase of their store), and Trinity’s International Co-Worker.

Personnel (Leadership Team: Bob Kick (E), Jim Stewart (E) and Brenda Williams (E))

Welcome and Fellowship (Leadership Team: Randy Hoops (E), Cletus Johnson (E), and Gail Tombleson (D))

Worship and Music (Leadership Team: Kristin Butler (D), Susan Uffmann (E), and Brenda Williams (E)). The Worship & Music committee seeks to make Trinity’s worship engaging and accessible to all. Current planning efforts focus on seasons of the liturgical calendar. Announcements about Ash Wednesday and special Lenten worship opportunities will be made in the near future.

Please Note: (E) designates Elder, (D) designates Deacon, and (YD) designates Youth Deacon.

COVID Vaccine Information from the Springfield-Greene County Health Department

As vaccination distribution efforts continue in our community and across Missouri, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department is encouraged by the ongoing community efforts to vaccinate eligible individuals against COVID-19. Although vaccine is extremely limited in Missouri, community and state partners have continued to solidify plans to distribute vaccine as efficiently as possible as supply has become available.

Mass vaccination opportunities to come

The governor’s office announced this week that mass COVID-19 vaccination sites will soon be established across the state to provide further access to eligible Missourians. The Missouri National Guard and Department of Health and Senior Services will establish mass vaccination teams in each of Missouri’s nine Highway Patrol regions. While we do not know when a mass vaccination site will be set up in our region, the governor’s office expects all nine sites across the state will be operational by the end of January. Each site will have the capacity to provide up to 2,500 doses per day. The governor’s office will announce dates and locations at a later time.

Health care vaccine opportunities

The COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to people who are eligible in the state’s current phases of vaccine distribution, but are in limited supply. Eligible groups include: healthcare workers, first responders, emergency service workers and certain high-risk individuals. Most people will receive the vaccine from their healthcare providers. You can sign up to receive updates at the links below.

Mercy: mercy.net/MOvaccine

CoxHealth: coxhealth.com/covid/vaccine

Jordan Valley Community Health Center: jordanvalley.org/covid-19-vaccine

Continuing to stay vigilant

Until there is a sufficient supply of vaccine available for everyone, our community will remain vulnerable. Individuals need to continue to wear a mask, watch their distance, wash their hands and avoid large crowds even if they receive the vaccine. If an individual has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or if they have symptoms, it’s important for them to seek testing. Our community has worked hard to expand access, and we are confident in our ability to test people who need tested. To learn more on how to get tested, visit our testing information here.

Staying up-to-date

The health department is committed to keeping our community informed on vaccine distribution. There are several ways individuals can stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments:

Sign up for regular email, text messages and automated phone calls at health.springfieldmo.gov/FinishStrong. There you can also sign a pledge to keep up prevention efforts.
Visit health.springfieldmo.gov/COVIDvaccine for information on vaccine safety and availability, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.
For questions not answered on our website, please call our COVID-19 call center Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm at 417-874-1211. Selection Option 2.
Sign up to receive our news releases by using the Notify Me tool on our website.

Follow our social media accounts at facebook.com/SGCHD andtwitter.com/SGCHD

The Common Table Podcast

Each week Pastor Chris is joined by a guest to discuss life, faith, and where we are on the journey. From Trinity members and staff to local ministry leaders and community members, there's always room at The Common Table! Listen and learn more at: https://commontablepodcast.com

Carla's Corner

Today we had our last staff meeting with Reed Dressler. Reed is leaving on Monday for basic training and that is something I know a little about...... not from my own personal experience, but my son Clay and husband Tim both went through basic training. It's not a walk in the park and Reed will need all of our thoughts and prayers, as will his wife Kensey. The 6-8 weeks Reed is in basic training, he can write letters but that's it......no phone calls. I will really miss Reed and so will our youth who have participated in Sunday School and Sunday night youth group. Reed had a great way with the kids. He always had cool Sunday School lessons that involved a lot of thinking and talking. Although he will be missed, Reed assured us he wants to get back to Springfield sometime this summer to visit his Trinity family. Maybe by then we can have an in-person party! Let's all keep our fingers crossed (and get that vaccine!)

Youth Sunday School with Pastor Chris

In Reed's absence, Pastor Chris has volunteered to teach our Youth Sunday School Jan 31 thru the month of February. We are going to do this with our Sunday morning Zoom meeting. Pastor Chris will create a break-out room for our youth, just as he does for all of our other Sunday School classes. The link is sent out every Sunday morning to all Trinity members, so don't miss it! I'm sure there will be great discussions!

Valentine's Day Idea

I had an idea about asking my Trinity kids to make valentine day cards and then sending them to members of our congregation who were more isolated than others. However, I started thinking this might be something cool for our entire church to do. Of course, these don't need to be hand-made.......I still think the valentine cards the kids buy for elementary school are cute! If you have a church directory, you can find names and addresses in there, but, if you know of someone in particular you would like to send a card to, I bet Pastor Chris and I could help you out too. It's something to think about. It's funny because, if Covid hadn't happened our youth and children would definitely be getting together to make cards and crafts and who knows what else! I guess I'm getting some great ideas for next year when we can be in-person.

Minute for Mission

(depending upon how fast you read)

January 28, 2021

Eden Village II

Hello Trinity.

Your Mission and Public Witness Committee has a budget that is about 25% of the total operating budget for our congregation. We are grateful that our congregation is so generous. We also want the members of Trinity to know more specifics about how that money is spent.

This week’s column focuses on Eden Village II. As most of you know, this is a village of tiny homes that provides inexpensive housing for chronically homeless members of our community. The first Eden Village held its grand opening and moved in its first resident in August of 2018. Trinity sponsored one of the tiny homes and assisted the resident of the home with furnishings and modifications needed to make the home more accessible for her.

During 2020, property for Eden Village II was developed. Eventually, it will add 24 more tiny homes for our homeless friends. In partnership with Westminster Presbyterian Church, Trinity helped purchase a building for Eden Village II that will be a convenience store for residents.

As Pastor Chris explained, “The goal of the Eden Village II store is to provide a physical place to stock and prepare household essential items (soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc) that residents often forego in favor of food when money is tight. They can exchange volunteer work around the village in exchange for store credit to get items they need. This helps their money go further while also building investment and pride in the community.”

For more information about Eden Village, go to https://edenvillageusa.org/springfield-mo/

This is just one of many projects your Mission and Public Witness Committee is involved with. If you would like to join our committee and help with this very rewarding work, please contact Penni Groves 417-840-5264, or Todd Morriss 417-848-7471.

Trinity Book Club

Do you love to read? Do you ever want to discuss books you have read? Do you need recommendations for future reading material? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may enjoy the Trinity Book Club which meets (via Zoom for now) on the second Monday at 7:00.

Upcoming books:

February 8–The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

March 8-Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

If you are interested, contact Penni Groves at pennimarie@msn.com or 417-840-5264

Worship With Trinity

Even though the pandemic means we aren't gathered together in the same physical space, we are still worshiping together at a church family. Find our latest worship service, plus weekly resources for families, devotional links, and much more on our worship page.

https://trinityspringfieldpcusa.org/worship

January & February Birthdays at Trinity

Take a moment to say a prayer of thanks for these members of our Trinity family this month

January 9 Harry Criswell

Jerri Flikkema

Joan Menchetti

Martha Sparrow

January 10 Nell Jersak

January 11 Grace Douglas

Rachel Plate

January 12 DeAnn Holt

Sarah Muegge

Julie Thomas

January 15 Denise Miller

January 17 Rich Landrith

Marilyn Lowe

January 18 Rev. Chris Miller

January 21 June Thomas

January 25 Jillian Kane

January 26 Jim Forrester

January 28 Carole Douglas

Feb 4 Daphne Anderson

Feb 7 Emmett Douglas

Feb 11 Ansley Arquitt

Feb 13 Ronora Correll

Connor Holliday

Feb 14 Barbara Highley

Feb 15 Reed Dressler

Feb 17 Brenda Williams

Feb 19 Caleb Conaway

Joshua Conaway

Pamela Schlemmer

Feb 23 Sarah Gugliotta

Feb 24 Cynthia Oliver

Feb 27 Betty Forrester

Susan Uffmann

If you would like to be included in our birthday list, please be sure to update your records with the church office before your birthday occurs. You may call or email your information.

Remaining Connected During Social Distancing

Even though we aren’t together for in-person worship, there is still a lot happening with your Trinity family right now. To see the latest, and how you can get involved in safe ways, visit our News & Updates page on the church website: https://trinityspringfieldpcusa.org/news

Sunday School Classes

Topical Discussions Fellowship:

January 3: Class sharing and discussion-all members.

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by United Methodist Pastor and Bishop, Robert Schnase.

Jim Stewart will teach and facilitate these classes, enriched with scripture and thoughtful discussion questions.

January 10: Radical Hospitality
January 17: Passionate Worship
January 24: Intentional Faith Development
January 31: Risk-Taking Mission and Service
February 7: Extravagant Generosity

We encourage anyone who doesn’t have a Sunday school home to join us for fellowship, discussion, and new insights into our faith. Furthermore, with our Zoom format for a little bit longer, the coffee will always be ‘just the way you like it’.

The Lectionary Class meets via Zoom at 9:30 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.

The Salt and Topical Discussion Classes meet via Zoom from 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

Resources

Contacting Pastor Chris

I want to be the best support I can for you. Here is how to get in touch:

The easiest way is by email: cmiller@trinityspringfieldpcusa.org
I am also available by phone or text at 816.805.2742
I am in the office most days, Monday through Thursday. I am currently holding personal meetings / counseling sessions outside under the covered Trinity entrance. Call or email to schedule a time for us to meet.
NOTE ABOUT FRIDAYS: I take Friday as my Sabbath day to focus on my family. I try to not reply to email, phone, or text. However, if there is an urgent pastoral issue, please contact Deacon Sharon Marsh at 417.880.5988/smarsh43@icloud.com or Deacon Greg Redfern at 417.225.2435/jredfern1313@gmail.com and they will make any necessary arrangements. If you have an immediate need to speak with a pastor and it is a Friday or Chris isn’t in town, you may call Rev. Bill Havens at 417.350.4507.

Prayer Concerns

If you or someone you love want to be included on the prayer list, please let the office know. (Always get permission before submitting information.) Also, when you want your name removed from the prayer list (or an update added), please let the office know at 417-450-2544 or office@trinityspringfieldpcusa.org.

David Anderson is out of the hospital and recovering from Covid at Meyer Center for Wellness and Rehab, 3545 S. National, 65807. Rm. 317. No calls please (he sleeps a lot). Cards are welcome and prayers appreciated.
Prayers for Bill and Hope Trotter on the death of Bill’s father, Yates, on Sunday, January 17. Please hold the family, and all those who love Yates, in your prayers.
For Jeanne, Mary Erin Miller's mother, as she continues treatment and evaluation for pancreatic cancer.
For Teresa Olsen's brother, Craig, who lives in a care facility and has been diagnosed with Covid-19.
For friends of David and Susan Hart who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Brenda Havens continues to face health challenges and appreciates your continued prayers.
For Lori Becker as she undergoes medical care.
For Chris Plate and his family, as he continues medical treatment.
For Charlotte Dugan, as she receives medical care.

QUICK NOTES

TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)

P.O. Box 3486, Springfield, MO 65808-3486 | 1900 E. Barataria Street | 417-450-2544 | office@trinityspringfieldpcusa.org

Brentwood Wi-Fi Information

WIFI password: (all lower case) bccccb1960

Learn more about Trinity Presbyterian Church at http://TrinitySpringfieldPCUSA.org

Be sure to follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trinitypcusaspmo/

Learn more about the denomination at http://www.pcusa.org