Recap: Building Brainstorm Night
Dear Trinity, If you weren't able to make it to our Building Brainstorm Bash, it was an amazing night! We had 65+ people (plus more watching online) who - against all expectations or even hopes - came up with a unified sense of where we would love this building project to go. And we had fun! Lots of laughter, tons of participation, high energy, total engagement, and joy. We broke up into a dozen groups of 5 persons (remember the playground days of being numbered off? 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 ...), who all poured over building plans and dreamed. Then each group reported back to the whole and this is where the flow and laughter began. The evening closed with every single person saying in a word or phrase what most struck them from the night. And then Kirsty (Alex the Architect's wife) closed us in prayer. It was awesome. Here’s some emergent hopes that became running themes: - intuitive entrance - better functionality (light / sound / flow) - usable / versatile spaces for the community - outdoor / indoor flow - restored sanctuary (and a unified aesthetic) - a place for prayer and a sense of the sacred Highlights (some hilarious): - one couple said their marriage was summed up in their two closing comments. He said, "bathrooms." She said, "contemplative garden." - another person mentioned bathrooms (hearing a theme yet?) and the next person said, "a natural flow." Laughter erupted. ("Natural flow" was also a theme of shared frustration for all of us who get lost in the labyrinth of this church!) - a few children stood up and said, "more drinking fountains" and "more trees!" - one enterprising congregant suggested espresso machines; another thought the building would look more dignified if the vestry members walked around smoking pipes; and yet another is hoping for pickleball courts in the parking lot for the community; and of course, there was a call to see if we can unearth the old shuffleboard painted on the original floor in the basement - as part of a youth area. As you can see, we had fun! The bottom line is that this is not Matt's pet project, Carson's project, or the Vestry's. You the congregation are the living stones - you are vital to it. We (staff and vestry) commit to pray over these brainstormed plans, meet together with architects, not go too fast, keep everyone informed, and wait on the Lord. In Methlick, Matt and I learned that as the newcomers in a long line of pastors stretching back to the 400s (that's when the church was first planted), we were simply stewarding a congregation and building that would be there for centuries long after us. It wasn't about us. Even though the building does need some changes, we are primarily here as part of Jesus' presence in our parish, and the Spirit's mission to draw people here. May this always be front and center to all we do, and as the WBBC have done before us. So we are grateful. Grateful to be doing this with you. Grateful for the parish in which we have been planted. Grateful for the Lord to help us be his hands and feet to this place (and perhaps people might even be able to find the door to the building!)
Julie
P.S. - two Advent / Winter requests…
1. Does anyone have… artificial tree(s) they can donate to the church? Pinecones? Artificial garlands? Burlap or burlap ribbon? If so, please contact Julie Canlis at (206) 953-4128.
2. Also… As we approach winter, does anyone have any connections to people who can plow our parking lot? Preference is volunteer, to continue the long tradition from WBBC, but we’ll also take paid recommendations. Contact Mike Andreini at MAndreini@msn.com.
Coming Up...
- Advent starts on Nov 27th. Devotionals and Advent at-a-glance booklets to be passed out this Sunday. - Mark your calendars! Our next Baptism (indoors at church) is planned for Sunday, February 19th.
Parking Notice
Last week, many of you couldn’t find parking for our later service because the lot was full! If this happens to you in the future, please feel free to park at Colonial Vista. We have permission from them to use their parking lot as overflow.
That being said, it would be even BETTER (to play off a Hebrews theme) if you choose to park at Colonial Vista in the first place! Why? Because we’d love to do a better job at making room for our elderly, for first-time visitors, and for the Brethren Baptists who often don’t have spots to park. So if you’ve been coming to Trinity for over 6 months, please help us in serving others, as you’re able, by parking across the street at Colonial Vista. And let’s try to keep those spots designated “WBBC” (closest to the building and the grey church bus) open for them to park… Thanks!
AXIS Resource for Families with Teens (Free!)
Hey Trinity! Let’s learn how to better understand and connect with the teenagers in our church. To help us, Trinity has purchased a membership to Axis.org. Every family in our church will get their own free membership to this excellent site full of research-based resources created with the intent of “building lifelong faith in young people by helping parents and caring adults talk with their kids about things they otherwise wouldn’t, one conversation at a time.” Sign up by clicking the button below, and start learning how to better be face-to-face with the young people in your lives.
Volunteer Notice from Susannah
Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas are quickly approaching and that means people are traveling a lot. I am running into some problems getting some volunteer positions filled and would love your help! Would you be willing to step in and serve for a week or two during the holiday season? The biggest need is for people to help cleanup after communion - washing cups and getting things ready to go for the next week. Please reach out to me either by replying to this email or by phone (509-710-5071) and we'll get you plugged in.
Key Info for Church this Fall
Our services are at 8:30am and 9:45am.
- Live stream our 9:45am services HERE - Watch past services on YouTube - Listen to Sermon audio
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