August 2019: "The Dog Days of August"

Greetings everyone!!

I hope your summer has been healthy, safe, and full of enjoyment in whatever activity/ies you’ve been taking part in. And now there is change on the horizon, as college students are returning to school / campus (good luck and best wishes to those college freshman who will be passing into a whole new chapter in their life journey), and younger kids are gearing up for another year at elementary or high school levels. And let’s not forget the teachers and other support staff involved in the educational process. To all, may the Lord bless you and guide you through the coming year as you face the various challenges that everyone will be faced with.

While summer typically sees a slower pace to our busy lives than during the rest of the year, there are activities at Holy Trinity that go on….. Dave Mercer and his Thursday Group continue getting together every week to take care of the many property maintenances that need to be kept up with, Church Council had their monthly meetings, a number of the congregation teams have been together for planning the coming fall/winter season, and the Alter Guild, choirs, musicians, and Pastor Tim work together to continue to insure we have opportunities to worship every week. Thanks be to God for those who provide for our worship services….. personally, for various reasons, I was unable to attend worship for a few consecutive weeks, and I sure missed it. I sometimes call it my weekly charge….. if I don’t get that weekly spiritual ‘fix’, things just don’t seem to be the same. So, thanks to everyone who keep our services going, especially during the summer months.

Probably the most visible event at Holy Trinity over the summer, beside worship service, was VBS. Several notes of thanks have been passed on to Heidi Morrison and her team of volunteers for organizing and staffing the recent VBS program, and I would like to add Congregational Council’s thanks and appreciation to all for such a great job. It was a joyful, enriching ROAR! for all, and everyone on Council greatly appreciates the efforts and work done by everyone.

Please make a note on your calendar that Holy Trinity’s return to the regular worship schedule of services will take place September 8th with Rally Day sandwiched between the 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM worship services. Looking a little further down the calendar, God’s Work Our Hands will be taking place October 6, when there will be a project between services and other projects for later in the day for anyone who would like to participate.

Lastly, as announced in an email blast yesterday from Pastor Tim, a Reconciling In Christ Team has been formed to openly enter into a process to determine whether Holy Trinity might become a Reconciled In Christ (RIC) congregation. The team has received Council’s support to carry out various steps centering around education and open conversation about the topic, to determine if the congregation should decide to declare we are a RIC congregation. The process outlined is not time-specific, and everyone will be encouraged to be part of this process, to learn and understand what it all involves.

So, as we enter the last days of hot humid August weather (I think it’s still referred to as “the dog days of August”?), stay cool, stay safe, and enjoy.

Peace and Understanding to all…. Dave Smith, Council President