TRINITYADVANCE
6
Bringing in the
Harvest
Students grow in faith in Trinity’s new Brammer Chapel Written by Anne Reinisch, Graphic Designer
Near the small town of Lenore, Idaho, winter Wheat pokes up from rich soil, giving the impression that the fields are cloaked in soft green velvet. Pine trees line rugged hills above the Clearwater River. It’s a town where you know your neighbors, where church communities are close-knit, and where generations are linked back to the family farm. George and Jackie Brammer both grew up near Lenore. They raised their children just a few miles from Good Hope Lutheran, the small church they attend. Looking out over the fields of the family farm, George feels they are truly blessed. Reflecting on God’s faithful provision and desiring to make a difference in the world, George began looking for a way to give back. When old friend and former pastor Mark Samuelson told him about Trinity Lutheran College, George found a way to make that difference. His donation of part of his wheat crop last year funded the renovation of Trinity’s fifth floor into a beautiful central worship space with room to integrate visual art and music. The space was named for George’s parents, the late Otto and Goldia Brammer, who had encouraged his faith from the time he was a small boy. There is a prevailing sense of peace in the Brammer Chapel. Designed as a reflection of Trinity’s core values, the chapel worship area is at the center. A rounded wall guides worshipers into the space. The ceiling joists form a cross. The paint colors are inspired by the liturgical seasons. Looking beyond the chapel area, one can see directly through the glass walled classrooms and open corridors, out to the skyline of Everett and the Cascades Mountains beyond. “The ‘no front’ worship space of the Brammer Chapel is designed to allow incredible flexibility in curating worship gatherings—everything from rows of chairs facing front to chairs in a circle to station-based worship that utilizes the entire chapel space,” said the Rev. Erik Samuelson, Trinity’s Campus Pastor. “Imagine entering the chapel to the sounds of the choir while images of stained glass windows surround the worship space. Or hearing a missionary describe her work in Afghanistan literally surrounded by pictures of the people and places she is talking about. Or a small candle-lit evening service gathered in a circle around a cross where everyone is able to see the words to the
songs from wherever they are sitting,” Samuelson said. The Brammers’ $700,000 gift to Trinity equips students to carry out the college’s mission. The chapel is both a place of worship and a space where students discern their vocation, hone gifts and talents, and prepare to take Jackie and George Brammer their skills into the community and the larger world. And this is just as the Brammers hoped it would be. “George and Jackie Brammer have a real heart for the Church and to see the church extending out into the world,” said Trinity president John Reed. As our world grows increasingly visual and interactive, the church is asking questions about how it will continue proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. At Trinity, the Brammer Chapel is a space where students can work out answers to those questions. “Students get the opportunity to create and lead interactive worship that incorporates audio and video technology. Even further, our students get hands-on experience with the types of audio and video systems they will encounter in churches—or that churches will be looking to them to introduce. Our students leave Trinity equipped to bring new skills and perspectives to their vocations and for their lifelong service in the church and world,” Samuelson said. Many students spend time in the chapel, often perched on the thick windowsills overlooking the city or clustered in small groups around the tall desks. They like its modern feel, its light, and its mountain views. “The chapel space invites conversation and interaction with other students. As a visual communications student, it’s my playground,” said Kyna Moore, a double major in Communications and Visual Communications. “The chapel is my favorite spot on campus,” said Linda Kent, an LBI alumna and current Biblical Studies major. She sits in a leather chair near a western facing window with a hermeneutics text and notebook perched on her knees. “I love to get away and study here. It’s my quiet spot and I love the view,” Kent said.