Trinity Life Magazine: Winter 2017

issue 7 winter 2017

TRINITY LIFE

welcome to trinity life This edition is filled with encouragement and inspiration as we head into 2017. I am so grateful to Rev. Dr. Heather Wright for her insights around stress and the opportunity for God to grow and transform us before we become distressed. Heather points us to the gift of one another in community; that authentic and growing connection with others can be, she writes, “a real game changer.”

Certainly, being part of the Trinity family, or any faith community, can feel like a huge risk because eventually we have to take the gamble and find out if God can really love us through other people! A beautiful collection of testimonies from within the Trinity family would all say that God is faithful in taking this leap! Katie Evans sums it up well in her heartfelt article on the meaning of faith, writing, “We take a step and then another, and then another, because each time we find that He is trustworthy. He is faithful. He is capable of our faith.” I love the way that Patty Snow’s experience upon arriving at Trinity about a year ago describes this exactly. Patty writes, “I see now how God got me here, all the amazing things that brought me to this place. Once I really knocked at His door it was flung wide open for me and I see Jesus not only working in my life but in the life of my son.”

As I have read and enjoyed this edition of Trinity Life I see God’s invitation held out in its pages through the stories and pictures gathered. It is His invitation to all of us, wherever we are in our faith, to grow deeper and wider in His love.

In His great love, DREW WILLIAMS Senior Pastor

Standing at the Gate of the New Year 2-4

What Is Faith?

8-9

Is There Anything Sacred about Stress?

10-12

How Can I Believe in a Good God in a World Full of Suffering?

15-17

Finding Home 18-21

Meet Laura Sider 22-23

contents

STANDING AT THE GATE It is entirely reasonable that the prospect of a brand new year can leave us feeling a little apprehensive. Life can be unpredictable. This time last year I had an unexpected “enforced retreat” when some surgery did not go quite according to “my” plan. Mercifully, I am back to full health but it was a season that taught me (and is still teaching me) a lot about myself as well as a great deal more about the love and faithfulness of God. I would like to share with you some of things that were made very real for me in that season and that I shall carry with me into this new year.

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The Holy Spirit strengthens us through God’s Word. David wrote, “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me [Lord] according to your Word!” (Psalm 119:28). I knew this to be true before I got sick and there is a well-worn chair and a battered-looking Bible that speaks to this experience.

But I learned afresh how powerful and life-giving God’s Word is. This was not at all some kind of dry ritual or duty. In my season of sickness, I was brought back into conversation, the back and forth with the Lord that always ensues through His Word. There is the intriguing way that the same verse cascades through the day from a variety of sources. And then there is the discovery in God’s Word of everything that is revealed about God’s heart toward me. All of this strengthened my spirit. I would strongly encourage you to enter that dialogue for yourself through a daily habit of Bible reading. I have used several different approaches over the years, and I am currently using the “Bible in One Year” app. I have also found it useful to go to the same spot in the house, at the same time, with my Bible and prayer journal ready to reach for. Whatever habit you find works for you, Richard Sibbes (1577–1635) would encourage us to “store up [God’s Word] in our hearts, and refresh [our hearts] often...” And in this way, David wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105). In this season of sickness, I sensed the Lord say very quietly, “Drew, talking to me is inextricably linked with trusting me.” I have found this to be very true!

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The Holy Spirit strengthens us through each other—constantly! Koinonia, the Greek word used for “fellowship,” is almost untranslatable. This is the word that John uses of our relationship with God and it also describes our relationship with one another. It expresses a relationship of great intimacy and depth. I came to understand afresh what a gift it is to be in fellowship with all of you, my Trinity extended family, and what it means to be part of such a loving, supportive family.

Solomon, speaking with Holy Spirit wisdom, reminds us, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25). To be “cheered up” can sound a little trivial, and yet the Holy Spirit understood that there were times when I very much needed to be cheered up by hearing an audible voice or feeling a physical hand on my shoulder. There were also times when I had nothing to say to God. I literally ran out of prayer. To know that my church family was praying for me, that I could borrow from their faith when my own faith felt so thin—this was a lifeline. We were not designed to do life on our own. As wonderful as the gift of the nuclear family is, it really does take a whole community to bring the fullness of God’s love to each other.

made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

(Colossians 2:15). In exactly this way, God delights to show His love and power to redeem, restore, and heal—even in the midst of apparent setback and defeat. Richard Sibbes wrote, “A seed sits in the ground in wintertime, but comes up stronger the harder the winter… We learn to stand by falling and gather strength by weakness discovered. [Therefore] when we are foiled, let us believe we shall overcome; when we have fallen let us believe we shall rise again.” I came to see afresh that we have a Savior whose desire is to restore us in His strength in exchange for all our weakness.

OF THE NEW YEAR I would encourage us in this new year to allow God to take you deeper into His heart through the gift of “one another.” Someone once told me that the best friends I would ever make would be the ones whom God chose for me. I find this to be very true. Personally, I am grateful that the Lord led us across an ocean in the fulfillment of this truth.

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The Holy Spirit’s work in us may often go backward so it can move forward. We see this illustrated so clearly in the God who comes to us as a child. That God should give up His Glory and take on our frail flesh and be born into straw poverty has to be acknowledged as something of a reversal of fortunes—but a strategic reversal taken in order to gain the greater victory [Philippians 2:6-8]. As Paul wrote, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” What appears to be the ultimate divine setback of Good Friday is actually a prelude to the victory of Easter Sunday. Here we begin to see that in His death and resurrection, Jesus, “…disarmed the powers and authorities, He

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Drew Williams

Don’t underestimate what the Holy Spirit is doing secretly in your life.

As we put up our sails and embark upon the new year, I have learned that I need to be careful not to disparage the faithful—but often secret—work of God’s Spirit within me. John Bunyan has something to teach us here. His classic novel The Pilgrim’s Progress, first published in 1678, is an allegory that tells the story of a man called Christian on a journey from his hometown to heaven. On the way, he faces many difficulties, challenges, and obstacles, many of which occurred in Bunyan’s own life. At the instigation of other members

“We are not designed to do life on our own”

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of his church congregation, Bunyan was encouraged to preach, both in the church and to groups of people in the surrounding countryside.

On several occasions this got him

arrested and thrown into jail. In fact, The Pilgrim’s Progress was penned from his prison cell. Like many of us, he found himself asking the question “Will life’s inevitable challenges extinguish my faith?” I have always been moved by Bunyan’s integrity in asking this question and the manner in which he felt led to illustrate the answer. He describes how Christian sees water being poured onto a fire that is burning against a wall. Christian’s fear is that the power of God’s grace is being extinguished by the devil. “But,” we are told, “[Christian’s] wonder grew when he saw how the flames burned higher and hotter. He was then shown the other side of the wall where he saw a man with a vessel of oil in his hand of which he did continually cast, but secretly, into the fire.

This, it was explained to him, is Jesus who continually with the oil of His grace maintains the work already begun in the heart.” Sibbes put it this way: “We must remember that grace sometimes is so little as to be indiscernible to us. The Spirit sometimes has secret operations in us which we know not for the present, but Christ knows.”

Minnie Haskins famously wrote, “And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.” As we tread “gladly” into the new year, the author of the letter to the Hebrews would also offer us a kind of script—a promise and a prayer that we might take to heart as the curtain goes up on 2017 and every day within it: Directions: You and God are center stage... God speaks first.

GOD: Never will I leave you...

YOU: (silent… your face, however, expresses gratitude washed with a little misgiving as to the reliability of His promise) GOD: (with emphasis) Never will I forsake you.

YOU: (with God quietly joining with you as you build in volume and confidence) The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

As we stand together at the gate of the new year, may you know the fullness of His blessing and walk in His great love.

DREW WILLIAMS is Senior Pastor of Trinity Church. Drew’s ministry has been directed toward helping people find and deepen an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Prior to ordination in the Anglican Church in 2000, he practiced as a litigation attorney. Drew and his wife Elena came to the U.S. in 2009 to lead and serve Trinity.

YOUNG ADULTS RETREAT

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MARCH 25-26

save the date

MONTEREY, MASS.

Brainstorming together about our new ministry center at a kick-off event for The Beacon Project on Oct. 15, 2016 5 River Road

THE BEACON PROJECT INCLUDES: 1

The Ministry Center at 5 River Road in Cos Cob

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Multisite Church Locations

Writing prayers on the unfinished walls of 5 River Road at the Would you like to stay in the loop on how the renovations are coming along at 5 River Road?

To receive a periodic email with building updates, subscribe at http://eepurl.com/cqFp0X

“Laying the Foundations” event on Nov. 19, 2016

If you are interested in the development of Trinity congregations in other locations and would like to receive periodic emails related to multisite, subscribe at http://eepurl.com/cpl8y9 Learn more about The Beacon Project at http://trinitychurch.life/beaconproject Bringing our crosses and pledge/prayer cards forward on Celebration Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016

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2016

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WHAT IS

FAITH?

We place our faith in things all day, every day; faith in things we can’t see or control. I have faith that the air I breathe will be the exact combination of nitrogen and oxygen my body needs. I have faith that when I fall asleep, I will wake up again. I have faith that someday my 16-month-old son will sleep through the night. I have faith that when I get on a plane, it will stay in the air.

We can so easily place our faith in these unseen things. So when we talk about faith in a spiritual sense, I wonder why we need to see proof? We want to hold concrete examples of God’s existence in our hands, turning them over and over again, making sure they’re real.

We want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is who He says He is before we trust Him. But that’s the thing with faith and with God. It can feel slippery at times. Just when you think you have a hold of something, it can feel as though it slips through your fingers. Sometimes we must take a step forward without having the proof. That’s the faith part. We take a step in the direction of God because there is a part of us that trusts He’s there, even if we can’t explain it.

Sometimes though, it’s the experience of God that gives us the bridge we need to reach faith.

As we experience His grace, His forgiveness, His love that pursues us, we find ourselves ready to place our faith and trust in Him. We take a step,

and then another, and then another, because each time we find that He is trustworthy.

He is faithful. He is capable of our faith. We can place our confidence in Him.

Katie Evans

We take a step, and then another, and then another, because each time we find that He is trustworthy. He is faithful.

He is capable of our faith.

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It’s a conviction, a certainty about things we have not seen but hope are true. Paul told the church at Rome that, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16). The beauty of this is that the Holy Spirit will give us the assurance we need to place our trust in God—almost as though He gives us the boost we need to get to the point of faith. Faith is never something we conjure up on our own.

Faith is

declaring that God is good, despite struggling with depression.

Faith is trusting that God hears every prayer we pray for our families, even if we haven’t yet seen the change we have been watching for.

Faith is trusting God with the first ten percent of our finances, even if it means living in a smaller home than our peers.

Faith is trusting that God is at work in the circumstances of our lives, even in the midst of a job change.

Faith is

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sharing our experience of God’s love

with a friend because we believe that if God can change our life, He can do it for him or her too.

KATIE EVANS, Connections Pastor, loves helping people find their place in the family of God. She is passionate about seeing people find (and create!) meaningful Christian community and discover ways to live on mission with God. When not at Trinity, she can be found trying to keep up with her toddler, Luke, and spending time with her husband, Mason. No matter the season, they love walking as a family at Cove Island Park in Stamford and enjoying the beach.

What keeps you from faith? Are you waiting for concrete proof? Do you need to experience His love? God can handle your questions. He is big enough. He is patient enough. His mercy is deep enough.

It’s my prayer that you would have enough faith to ask God for a bit more, and that as you place your trust in Him, you would be given “the assurance of things hoped for, and a conviction of things yet unseen.”

alpha Alpha is an opportunity to explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity in a friendly, informal environment over ten weeks and a day retreat. Each session includes good food, a short talk designed to encourage conversation, and time to share thoughts and ideas on the topic in a small group. Alpha is just an open and honest space to discuss questions together.

Alpha is a worldwide phenomenon. You’ll find courses running in 169 countries and in all 50 U.S. states, in 112 languages, and across denominational lines… meeting in churches, homes, prisons, coffee shops, and even bars.

More than 29 million people have taken the Alpha course. Might it be your turn?

For more info or to register for this free course, go to http://trinitychurch.life/alpha Is there more to life than this?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

Who is Jesus?

Why and how should I tell others?

Why did Jesus die?

How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

How can we have faith?

Why and how should I read the Bible?

Why and how do I pray?

How does God guide us?

Does God heal today?

How can I resist evil?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

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Is There Anything Sacred about Stress?

Heather P. Wright Not only do I work full-time, but I am also a wife, mom, stepmom, dog owner, daughter, sister, and friend. I am a non-profit director, therapist, minister, and chaplain. Someday I hope to learn to cook better. I have a stack of books by my bed to read, and when life gets too full, I struggle with sleeplessness. All this is to say, I know stress, live it, and breathe it. It is the water I swim in day in and day out. What about you?

Is there anything sacred about stress? This is a question that my therapist colleague at Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal, George Faller, and I set about to answer. George is a retired Lieutenant in the New York Fire Department who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11 and also counseled grieving families, and survivors with their spouses. If anyone knows about learning how to live through and cope with traumatic events and stressful times, it is George. With my background as a chaplain for six years working in different long-term care settings and hospitals, along with 19 years of counseling experience, we started a

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conversation about how might we help others cope with the universal reality of stress.

A publisher was looking for an author to write on the topic, accepted our proposal, and Sacred Stress: A Radically Different Approach to Using Life’s Challenges for Positive Change came out in April 2016. In tackling the question “Is there anything sacred about stress?,” we researched scientific, psychological, and theological findings, along with our clinical and personal experiences. Our conclusion was that stress is an opportunity.

Before it becomes distress, there are ways to address stress that allow for growth, change, and transformation. We do not escape having to face the realities in our lives and our emotional responses to them. But, there is more than just feeling the weight of whatever challenge, loss, struggle, or difficulty we encounter. We can reframe (meaning come to a new way of perceiving our situation), be honest, embrace, and learn from whatever we are feeling in order to deal with what we are facing differently. As so many of us know, challenges can be opportunities to grow deeper in our relationship with God and to have our faith become even more vibrant despite our circumstances.

don’t feel strong, competent, and in control, we have the opportunity to be cared for, comforted, and loved. We can find true and deep encouragement and connection that can be a game changer for people suffering from stressful, or even traumatic, events. We can share them with each other and with God. Encountering new experiences with an openness to be changed is at the heart of the Christian experience. Being transformed

by God surprises us and takes us out of our comfort zones, and also gives us an expanded view of ourselves and our faith story. God redeems trauma and suffering as possible sources of positive change. Into the darkness, God brings His marvelous light.

Our conclusion was that stress is an opportunity.

A year ago, when my husband had a stroke, our book’s message was tested. I had to see personally if what we were writing could really stand up to a tremendous life stressor.

I discovered the words were worthy of the task. Our findings gave me great support and resources to respond differently than in past stressful events.

So often stressful circumstances isolate us not only from each other but even from ourselves.

We lose the ability to pay attention to what is happening even on the most basic level, inside our bodies. To start to reconnect with what is going on internally can open up channels within to reach out to others. If we are willing to share those vulnerable places in us that

As you look back on your own walk of faith, can you see the hand of God at work? Joseph’s words at the end of the Old Testament book of Genesis so often ring true, as he spoke of his brothers’ earlier betrayal and God’s redemption, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20, NLT). God has something else in store with the storyline of our lives. The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard put it this way, “We live our lives forward, but we only understand them backwards.” If we know this to be true, then we can see the “sacred” in the events that bring us distress.

When faced with circumstances that make us unsettled, anxious, or fearful, our body releases the oxytocin (or cuddle) hormone. God is so artful in designing us humans. He is showing us, even in our physiology, that when we experience distress, we need others and our bodies are drawn to seek them out. Reaching out is a vital solution to our struggle. Each day, we are all called to nourish our relationships with God, family, friends, and neighbors so that we have those resources to call upon when the tough times come.

There are seasons when the challenges feel too great and we need additional support. This is often hard for us high-achieving and strong-

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performing people to admit. I speak as one of those people. However, in my life, when I have been through challenges, speaking not only with my clergy, but therapists, and spiritual directors, has helped me tremendously to heal and grow. My life and faith have been enhanced and expanded. I have found God more profoundly in my story through the wisdom and insight those professionals have brought to me over the years. I have heard similar stories from clients who have worked with our team of 10 therapists at Greenwich Center for Hope and Renewal. They leave with

renewed hope, deepened marriages, and freedom from what has held them captive.

When we move out of our comfort zone, we encounter God in a new way. If we allow ourselves to work through what is hard, we can have richer connections with others as well because of what we have endured. Although all of us may build our lives of comfort to keep us buffered and safe, our growth edge is found when we are under stress. Do you think it might be possible to perceive stress as sacred in your life?

REV. DR. HEATHER P. WRIGHT is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Presbyterian minister (PCUSA), Board-Certified Chaplain, and works as the Executive Director for the Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal. In addition to Sacred Stress, she is the author of Redeeming Eve: Finding Hope beyond the Struggles of Life (Baker), and Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction (Zondervan). To download a free chapter (“Redeeming Loss�) from Sacred Stress, go http://sacredstress.com.

GREENWICH CENTER FOR HOPE & RENEWAL (GCHR) and

Trinity Church has a strong relationship with

we often refer people to the very capable counselors there.

Established in 2007, GCHR is a faith-based professional counseling center that serves individuals, couples, and families, and a resource center for counselors and the community. It has incredible and experienced licensed professionals who help people and come alongside them when they are going through a difficult period in their lives, whether it involves marriage, family relationships, depression, anxiety, grief, suicide prevention, addictions, eating disorders, or transitional issues for youth and young adults. GCHR provides a private, confidential setting for four key areas of service: counseling, renewal groups, educational seminars and workshops, and professional training and supervision.

Learn more at http://hopeandrenewal.org

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care at trinity

Come to me, all you who are wear y and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

I F S O M E O N E I S G O I N G T H R O U G H A C H A L L E N G E , W H AT A R E W A Y S T H AT T H E T R I N I T Y F A M I L Y C A N C O M E A L O N G S I D E H I M O R H E R ?

The first question I always ask is: “May this go out to the prayer chain?” The prayer chain is an amazing group of confidential intercessors within our church family who when they receive an email about a prayer request will immediately begin covering that person, family, and/or situation in prayer.

What God does through those prayers is extraordinary.

Please email the exact wording of your prayer request to PrayerChain@trinitychurch.life Depending on the situation, I, or a Care Team member, will offer from a whole range of ministries, including immediate visits from the Care Team (prayer ministers whom we’ve trained in visitation), a prayer appointment with a healing prayer team (two trained prayer ministers), meals delivered to one’s home through Trinity’s Loving Spoonfuls Ministry, a prayer blanket, and the opportunity to join a Grief Share group (if he/she has lost a loved one), Divorce Care group (if he/she is going through separation or divorce), or the Networking group (if he/she has lost his/her job).

We also offer a Stephen Minister to anyone going through a long-term struggle such as grief, prolonged illness, divorce, or job loss. A Stephen Minister is a lay person with 50 hours of training who will spend an hour a week with the care-receiver, listening and coming alongside him or her in a confidential and encouraging way through whatever challenge that person is experiencing.

If you have a specific need or any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Whatever the struggles we face in life, the wonderful thing about being part of a church family is that we don’t have to go through them alone.

Beth Bull, Care & Community Pastor beth.bull@trinitychurch.life 13 http://trinitychurch.life/care

We are designed to do life together and we have found community to be strongest when based around shared interest or calling.

6:8 seeks to put into practice the command

Loving Spoonfuls

in Micah 6:8 to live a life of justice, mercy, and humility. We feel especially called to respond to the issue of human trafficking, both locally and globally, and we are supporting the ongoing partnership between Trinity Church and International Justice Mission (IJM).

is committed to caring for individuals and families when any hardship (or joy!) has made the worry of food preparation too much to think about. We prepare or purchase meals and deliver them to those in need.

Mom and Tot is an informal group

Chester Addison wants to grow

in which to navigate motherhood and days with our babies and toddlers.

awareness of Chester Addison Community Center’s after-school programs in Stamford and develop a passionate community of concern at Trinity around literacy.

Moms in Prayer is for moms of

children of all ages (grandmothers and aunties too) to lift up all the Fairfield County schools in prayer and to pray for our children.

Christian Yoga is about

spending time with God through movement, music, Scripture, meditation, and silence. In the relaxed and open space created by the yoga movements, we seek to be truly present to the Holy Spirit.

Trinity Men’s Bible Study is for

men to gather, enjoy one another’s company, and weekly study the Word of God.

Trinity Networking Group welcomes

Dining Around is a

all who are currently unemployed, underemployed, facing job uncertainties, or looking to make a career change.

We focus our efforts through faith and desire to strengthen one another in community. The group is also open to those seeking to serve and to assist those in our community.

great way to meet and get to know other members of the Trinity community through small, casual dinners at a host’s home for six or more guests.

Faith and Active is a group

for mid-life singles who are seeking fellowship with others on a similar life journey. Some of the activities are social justice oriented, and all are in an informal setting in which to have fun, build community with one another, deepen our relationship with God, and invite new friends along.

Women’s Bible Study is open to all

women who would like to learn how to study God’s Word together, apply it to their lives, and share it with others.

Young Adults seeks to provide

opportunities for those in their 20s and 30s to connect with others and grow in their faith.

Loaves and Fishes aims to feed

Young Families is a community

the hungry in our area, including the working poor and immigrants, through hospitality and building relationships. In particular, we cook and serve dinner to the guests at a local soup kitchen once a month.

for those with newborns to elementary schoolaged children. Our desire is to raise children and live life in a community that has God’s love at the center of it.

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Learn more at http://trinitychurch.life/groups

How can I believe in a good God in a world full of suffering?

Ruth May

I led a team of Trinity people to Uganda in May 2016 and at the end of a particularly tough day I had a conversation with one team member who was feeling completely drained. We had been serving among people who were living with so much pain and suffering, and she found herself overwhelmed with grief.

As we spoke, it was clear that she was trying to fight off her feelings, as if she thought that her

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response of grief was a mark of weakness. To me, however, her response was exactly right. Her brokenhearted compassion for everyone she saw echoed the compassion found in the very heart of God. She was expressing the heart of a theology of suffering.

When we see suffering in the world around us, something inside us responds in righteous anger and declares that “this is not okay.” That is exactly right. The story of creation affirms that suffering does not belong in God’s world and the place in us that is angered by pain is a reflection of the image of God within us.

We read in the book of Genesis that God created the earth and all that is in it, and He declared that it was good.

In the Garden of Eden, God communed with Adam and Eve, walking together in the cool of the evening. Through an act of disobedience on the part of Adam and Eve that is referred to as “the fall,” sin, evil, and death entered into creation.

The reason that this story is important is that an understanding of the truth of creation shows us that evil, suffering, and death do not belong in God’s creation. God did not build suffering into the world; sin and death are a consequence of the fall. The theologian N.T. Wright put it this way, “Sin [and all that sin brought—suffering, turmoil

and pain] was an intruder, not a native inhabitant of God’s good world.” And so although suffering is now part of the story of humanity, it was not part of the set-up and it was not God’s intention.

While this might be a comforting truth, it is far more than just that. This truth becomes a foundation, a cornerstone on which can be built not just a theology of suffering, but also a theology of lament—an empathetic and empowered response to the pain in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Growing up as a young Christian, I struggled to find an authentic faith, and instead often ended up with a good-looking front—so long as it looked like I had it all together, I thought I was doing okay. But on the inside, my faith was shallow, having no space for the reality of pain and suffering. Of course, this sort of theology can only last so long, and eventually the wheels came off when I was

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confronted with some very real, undeniable pain.

Scripture is filled with people bringing their raw, unedited emotion before God. And, perhaps more importantly, it is filled with a loving God who invites us into a relationship with Him that is real and raw, and has space for all the grief that we feel. As I allowed myself to feel grief and sadness, something seemed to emerge that was inexplicably perhaps even “more true” than my pain and confusion, making it possible for me to hold in my hands the truth that God is good, at the same time recognizing the pain and suffering of the world around me.

I find the word “lament” really helpful here. It has somewhat

Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.” Henri Nouwen

victory over death on the cross will be revealed. Our ultimate hope is founded in the truth of the final victory of Jesus Christ and the end of all pain and suffering.

fallen out of fashion, but it is such a perfect word for what we’re talking about.

Lamenting is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow; a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching acknowledgment of the pain that we feel, sitting in the place of the depths of our feelings, and laying them at the feet of Jesus.

Lamenting, perhaps counterintuitively, draws us closer to God. As we bring all we are to Him, we let His light shine in the midst of our darkness and we are drawn deeper into the mystery of His love.

From this place, we then find within ourselves space to

develop a theology of hope.

This is a hope based not on the world we see around us, but grounded on the God we worship. More than some vague concept, this is a hope built on the reality of Emmanuel—God with us, Word made flesh, one who wept and lamented, who shared the same depths of anguish and despair that we know, and then rose again to conquer death.

The theologian, and one of my heroes, Walter Brueggemann wrote that “the riddle and insight of biblical faith is the awareness that only anguish leads to life, only grieving leads to joy, and only embraced endings permit new beginnings.”

An understanding of the fall as the root of suffering also gives us a mandate to fight the pain and suffering in this world. The world is not as it is supposed to be, but it has also not reached its final destination; Jesus will return and establish the fullness of His kingdom on earth, and the full manifestation of His

RUTH MAY is the Mission and Mobilization Pastor at Trinity Church. She holds a Masters in International Peace and Security, and has worked for a number of years for development NGOs in Uganda and in the UK. Ruth is passionate about seeing the church fulfill its mandate to partner with God in His redemptive mission in the world.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

-Revelation 21:3-5 In the meantime, we live between those amazing moments when we experience the “now” of that inbreaking kingdom and the agonizing “not yet” of the kingdom to come in all its fullness.

We live in a once perfect world made deeply imperfect through the introduction of sin and evil. We live in a world fashioned in the image of God, but beset by pain and suffering.

We live as agents of freedom, agents of the kingdom of heaven, lamenting and grieving over pain, but also living in the hope of the victory of Jesus. And we are citizens of that kingdom to come.

finding home

As we embarked on The Beacon Project in 2016, we reached out to people to hear how they came to Trinity and what being part of the Trinity family has meant to them. While their paths have been unique, each has found a home here. Here are a few of their stories.

The Wills family In the fall of 2011 I [Molly] moved to Greenwich with my brother, Connor. We were rather apprehensive about diving into a church community, as our past experiences were rather unauthentic. My mother has a knack for identifying amazing churches and then ceaselessly encouraging visits.

She hounded us about Trinity and so we decided to visit. After the first Sunday, Connor and I both felt at home, supported and connected to the Greenwich community in a supernatural way. It grounded our work instantly. It somehow confirmed, without a doubt, that God’s will was for us to be living in Greenwich.

In the summer of 2013 my sister Grace and I joined Trinity Church and Redeemer Presbyterian Church on their joint missions trip to South Africa, an invitation that was sent from the Holy Spirit to both of us, cementing our passion for the Trinity community and finding a purpose in spreading His love and light with brothers and sisters internationally; a dream of ours and an answer to prayer.

That fall our brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As my brother, roommate, and best friend fell sick, and for the first time, we realized how vital community was. Part of God’s blessing and silver lining in the midst of suffering are those He surrounds you with. They elevate you through the work of His spirit and they breathe hope and life in ways that are supernatural and unexplainable. Trinity Church has provided us with this support and so much more.

Now Mom, Dad, Connor, Grace, and I attend Trinity Church. The Lord moved our parents here this past spring.

He wanted all five of us at Trinity—that’s how we see it. This town, our work, and our family has a purpose, made clear through the difference Trinity has made in our lives and in the lives of this entire community. We feel extraordinarily blessed to be connected to a church that truly reflects the love of Jesus Christ. As a family, our identity is Jesus and in turn, Trinity Church, which we will continue to support and stand behind in the quest of building His eternal kingdom!

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Patty Snow I was without a church home for roughly 10 years after moving to the East Coast with my son. Church has always been a part of my life; yet I never felt that I really dug into faith.

Becky Lockhart After 30 years on the West Coast, a transfer east was quite a jolt so finding the security of a spiritual home base was very important to me. I was searching for a “home” that focused on the Bible, Jesus, the Spirit, and service missions… along with demonstrating a sense of energy, enthusiasm, and love for God and each other.

Arrogantly, I had set the bar pretty high so I was finding it a bit of a challenge to locate just the right home. However, I kept remembering something I had heard Stuart Briscoe say: “If you find the perfect church, don’t join because YOU’LL mess it up.” Well, after that first Sunday morning at Trinity, I knew I had found the place that I wanted to settle and hoped that they would allow me to “mess up” and still hold fast.

Trinity has been so much more than I could ever have imagined—an enthusiastic place to worship, grow, serve, and share with loving, caring people.

One of the struggles of my spiritual life that really needed work... and I knew it... was grasping and integrating the power of prayer.

While I have had some rough years (but who hasn’t?), I have never felt distant from God and His power… but I have struggled with skepticism about the direct communication power of prayer. Fortunately for me, Trinity’s focal message is wrapped in the power of prayer. That direction has been an overriding guide in helping me understand how prayer offers a window of light that can bring me closer to my Father and sense His presence in all of life’s swirling currents. And for this breakthrough message, conveyed through Trinity Church’s teachings and illustrated by its leaders, I am very grateful.

Several years ago when I was invited to Trinity’s Christmas Eve service, I knew immediately that this was THE place I was looking for. Once I started attending Sunday services, I’ve been embraced and welcomed by so many that suddenly “the something” I felt I was lacking was quickly turning into something so much more!

Once I took the first step with Alpha, everything else just opened up for me! I was welcomed to an amazing women’s Bible study group, I went to the Women’s Retreat and then Encounter (a Trinity worship night by and for women), I joined the “Encountering God” series, and I got involved with Faith & Active group. Next I was happily recruited to be a greeter as part of the Sunday morning Connection Team and then the Prayer Blanket Ministry. Not only am I making truly enriching, lifelong friendships, each person I’m encountering really is bringing me closer to my relationship with Jesus, closer to faith.

I’ve only been at Trinity a little more than a year now, and I see how God has worked to get me here, all the amazing things that brought me to this place. Once I really “knocked” on His door, it has flung wide open to me and I see Jesus not only working in my life but the life of my son as well (perhaps it’s because he sees the positive effect Jesus and faith is having on my life)! I was blessed to have my baptism promises reaffirmed this past June by Katie Evans whom I can thank for bringing me into the Trinity fold and whom I’m so blessed to call a friend. I am so blessed to be part of the Trinity community, the Trinity family; I thank God each and every day for guiding me to Greenwich and Trinity Church, and back to His loving arms!

BAPTISM Months later, at the end of the summer, the same neighbor reminded me about Trinity. This time she told me that her 12-year-old daughter had just come back from Trinity’s one-week summer camp for youth and had just decided to get baptized! For me that was an amazing testimony, and, just like that, I decided to give Trinity a try.

We felt instantly at home, right from our first visit. I had a sense of belonging. It was if

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JOIN A GROUP

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SERVE

+ We heard about Trinity from a neighbor. She said to me “My sister goes to this church in Connecticut and I think you would love it.”

At first I was reluctant. I felt like driving 20 minutes to get to church was too much, too far, and honestly, I was praying for a local church!

So I thanked her and continued on my “church shopping” with no luck.

ALPHA

Trinity was God’s answer for several seasons of prayers. After many years, our family had reached a decision of changing from our Brazilian church mainly because of the lack of a dedicated youth ministry. Our boys are getting older, and we felt the need to partner with a church that had a strong and live youth ministry, not only to help our kids grow, but also to strengthen their faith, trust and love for God.

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The Sucena family

We have hardly missed a service since that Sunday. Our older boys have been a part of three SummerQuests and many retreats, and are always looking forward to Sunday night youth group! Our little ones have enjoyed two Sky Camps and Zachary is excited to go to his first retreat this year! I love seeing my boys hang out with their Trinity friends. They have a great relationship with their leaders and we cannot ask for more.

Life is busy with the kids, school work, sports, Girl Scouts and PTA meetings.

Sometimes I do wish we were a little closer – to feel more like a community, to be part of all things that Trinity has to offer during the week – but somehow I always get reminded that God has a plan for us, and that plan started when He led us to Trinity a little over three years ago. He is faithful and will fulfill His plans for Trinity, for us, for Westchester. He will make all things possible at His right time and for His own glory.

Trinity has been such an amazing part of our lives, and we cannot wait for everything else the Lord has planned for us in this congregation.

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WELCOME TO TRINITY BREAKFAST

We felt instantly at home, right from our first visit.

I had a sense of belonging.

God was telling me to stop looking, stop shopping, that this was the church He had been planning for our family.

Our kids loved Trinity Kids and middle school. They all connected right away, and everything after that was history.

what’s your story?

Whether you have just arrived at Trinity or have been with us for a while, there is a place for you in the family. We want to help you find that place and take your next step in your journey of faith.

If you have any questions on how you can connect and grow here at Trinity, write to Katie Evans, Connections Pastor, at katie.evans@ trinitychurch. life or fill out a Connection Card at a Sunday worship service.

Would you like to explore ways you can get involved through serving?

At Trinity, we serve as a response to God’s grace in our own lives and to share the transforming

power of His love. There are opportunities to serve on Sundays or through one of our groups. We cook and serve dinner at New Covenant Center, a soup kitchen in Stamford, once a month and have projects with other local outreach partners throughout the year. There are also ways to be involved with international initiatives through Trinity partner organizations. Please be in touch with Ruth May, Mission & Mobilization Pastor, to learn more and check out trinitychurch.life/serve

NEW SERMON SERIES from the Gospel of John

Life’s Big Questions JAN. 08 JAN. 15 JAN. 22 JAN. 29

WHAT’S THE MEANING OF LIFE? HOW CAN I BE TRULY SATISFIED? DOES IT MATTER WHAT I’VE DONE? IS GOD REALLY21WITH ME?

D I R E C T O R

O F

C H I L D R E N

&

F A M I L Y

M I N I S T R I E S

M E E T

L aura

SIDER

Tell us a bit about your faith journey.

I was raised in a Christian home with church as a very large part of my family growing up. When I was 8 years old I remember praying at a missionary conference to receive Christ. In retrospect, that decision was as much about wanting to be included than it was understanding what it really meant to follow Jesus.

Early in my teen years I attended a youth camp where the speaker talked about putting Christ first in our life—ahead of family, friends, and the world. I remember that day clearly as the day that I made a decision to follow Jesus! From that moment on my desire has been to serve Christ. Over the years, I think the word that I would use to describe my faith journey would be

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“faithful.” My desire is to be a faithful follower of Jesus and respond affirmatively to wherever He asks me to go and whatever He asks me to do. Jesus has been faithful to me throughout my life, always leading and guiding me, including bringing me here to Trinity Church. ​

What were you doing before coming to Trinity?

My journey in ministry started when my husband, Craig, and I were asked to church plant in Oakville, Ontario, a suburban town along Lake Ontario and about 25 miles outside of Toronto. (Yes, we’re both Canadians.) When we first started the church, we did not have a lot of volunteers so I became responsible for the children’s

ministry. This seemed natural since my degree is in “Child Studies and Psychology” and I taught in a Child Development Center for two years prior to that. A few years into our time there, I attended a children’s ministry conference and clearly felt God’s call to devote my life to children’s ministry. It was at that conference that I realized the great opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life for Christ. I served as the Children’s Ministry Director in Oakville for 10 years, and then, following our family move to Pennsylvania, I served in three different churches as the Children’s Ministry Director over a period of 13 years. At that point in my ministry, I was asked to develop an internship program for college students within our denomination. During that time, I was coaching and developing future leaders for children, youth, and adult ministries, as well as doing training for churches in the area of Child Protection Policies. About two years ago, Craig accepted the role of president of The New York City Leadership Center and we moved to New Jersey. I was involved in our local church as a volunteer in children’s ministry until moving here to Greenwich.

Christ early in his or her life, then he or she is more likely to keep that relationship as an adult.

I see my role as someone who partners with parents and families in providing tools, programs, and opportunities to clearly present the love of Christ to their children. My prayer for our children at Trinity is that they will wholeheartedly seek after Christ and know His great love for them. I know God led me to this role and I am so thankful for His clear call.

At the time of this interview, you’ve been with us for a month. In that short time, how do you see God at work in Trinity’s children?

I have been so encouraged to see how some of our kids relate to Christ. This is evident in conversations I’ve had with children as they talk about their families, and their experiences at school and at church. As well, a real highlight for me two weeks after I joined the staff was going on the 2nd-5th Grade Fall Retreat as a small group leader for the 2nd & 3rd grade girls. This group of girls really demonstrated a heart of love for Christ, compassion for those in need, and a desire to pray.

Not only do you bring a wealth of ministry experience but you also bring a parent’s heart and perspective. Tell us about your family.

Craig and I have three children, between the ages of 24 and 30, as well as a young granddaughter. Over the years, as our family grew, we discovered that we enjoyed both watching and playing sports, especially volleyball and basketball. We also love traveling to new places and when we are all together, you will often find us playing board games or watching movies. Early in our marriage Craig and I made a commitment that Christ would be at the center of our family and this is still our desire today.

What excites you the most for the future of our Children & Family Ministries?

Building on what is already here, I am looking forward to developing a strong program such that people in the community know Trinity is a safe place for children to come and learn about, and experience, Christ’s love. The foundation of all of our ministries at Trinity is worship and prayer. When I think of the future for our children I am excited about the potential and the opportunity to have a thriving children and family ministry around worship and prayer. Overall, my goals are that we will be known for our wholehearted love for Jesus, our devotion to worship and prayer, and a heart to serve the marginalized people in our communities.

What is your role here?

As Children and Family Ministries Director, I am responsible for the development of the children’s program both Sunday morning and mid-week, as well as thinking about how to develop a program for families. If a child develops a strong relationship with

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S AV E T H E DAT E S

http://skycampgreenwich.org

sky camp

trinity kids

SKY CAMP June 27-30

more info: trinitychurch.life/events

student ministries presents

SUMMERQUEST 2017 July 31 - August 5

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S TA F F D I R E C TO RY Office: 1 River Road, Cos Cob, CT 06807 Trinity House: 15 Sherwood Place, Greenwich, CT 06830

203-618-0808 info@trinitychurch.life Staff email addresses: firstname.lastname@trinitychurch.life

DREW WILLIAMS Senior Pastor

K AT H Y N E L S O N Volunteer Staff Assistant

JOSH BARTON Student Ministry Pastor

MEG NEWTON Operations Assistant

HILLARY BERCOVICI Senior Fellow – Trinity Institute

KRISTEN OLSEN Middle School Coordinator

DYLAN BERRY 4th & 5th Grade and Middle School Coordinator

ANN PARK Admin Assistant LAURA SIDER Director of Children & Family Ministries

JOE BISCOCHO High School Coordinator

K AT I E S TA L L A R D Administration & Communications Director

BETH BULL Care & Community Pastor

KARA THOMPSON Finance Admin / Bookkeeper

DAVE EDWARDS Worship & Arts Director

ANNE VALENTINE High School Coordinator

K AT I E E VA N S Connections Pastor

BEN VALENTINE Associate Pastor

ANDY HAYBALL Executive Pastor

EVELYN VIANA Volunteer Admin Assistant

MIKE IODICE CFO

ELENA WILLIAMS Prayer Ministry Director

JULIEN JARRY Creative Director KELLY JARRY Graphic Designer BETSY KEARNS Early Childhood Coordinator KELLY LALLY Admin Assistant

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FACEBOOK: Trinity Church - Greenwich, CT Trinity Kids CT Trinity Church: Student Ministries Trinity Church Women’s Ministry - Greenwich, CT Men of Trinity Church - Greenwich, CT

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T W I T T E R, I N S TAG R A M: @TrinityChurchCT

RUTH MAY Mission & Mobilization Pastor

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WEBSITE http://trinitychurch.life

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