Trinity Life Magazine: Spring/Summer 2016

ephesians 2:10a

For we are GOD'S

MASTERPIECE

He has created us ANEW

IN

CHRIST

JESUS

T R I N I T Y L I F E spring | summer 2016 issue 5 60

W E L C O M E Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2016 issue of Trinity Life magazine!

I am so glad you have found your way to these pages. Trinity Life is a snapshot of life in our community, and will hopefully give you a flavor of how you can connect, grow and serve as part of the Trinity family.

(If you are new, be sure to check out page 24 for more information!)

This particular edition is focused around “Faith and the Arts.” I wonder if we might be tempted to think of this subject as something of a luxury? Laurel Gasque, who teaches Christianity and the Visual Arts at Regent College, would strongly refute this. She points to the vast quantity of artistic endeavor amongst the poorest peoples of the world as evidence of the “…irresistible need of believers… to create.” She concludes, “…art [is] a necessity for our humanity and an expression that human beings are made in the image of God, who is Creator and Ultimate Artist.” Our hope is that you will be inspired to encounter Jesus afresh as we explore ways we can meet with God through various forms of art and hear the perspectives of several artists in our church family.

The musician and composer, Michael Card would remind us, “A hunger for beauty is at its heart a hunger for God.” Wherever you are in your faith journey, our prayer is that you would see a glimpse of the beauty of our faithful God reflected through this magazine.

In His love, Drew Williams, Senior Pastor 61

This Sunrise of Wonder

2

Meet Dave Edwards

8

Artist’s Perspective: Grace Agro

10

Praying the Psalms

12

Artist’s Perspective: Julien Jarry

13

Does God Go to the Movies?

14

Artist’s Perspective: Jorge Zamacona

18

Artist’s Perspective: Karene Madden

19

Looking to Connect?

24

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Trinity Life Team: Andy Hayball, Ruth May, Katie Stallard (content); Julien Jarry (Photography), Kelly Teufel (Graphic Design)

G A L L E R Y

T H I S

S U N R I S E

O F

W O N D E R R U T H

M AY

AT THE BACK OF OUR BRAINS, SO TO SPEAK, THERE IS A FORGOTTEN BLAZE OR BURST OF ASTONISHMENT AT OUR OWN EXISTENCE. THE OBJECT OF THE ARTISTIC AND SPIRITUAL LIFE IS TO DIG FOR THIS SUNRISE OF WONDER. - G. K. CHESTERTON

I love nature, and I love being outside.

Whether lounging in a garden, hiking up a mountain, or watching a sunset, I find it easy to feel at peace in nature and I find it easy to meet with God through His creation. I also love music. I love “wasting” an hour listening to sacred choral music.

I love to dance round my apartment to some contemporary pop song, lose myself in Handel’s Messiah, or weep through an Indie folk track. I find my soul easily stirred by different forms of music. And, perhaps more than anything, I love the beauty of words. Whether a soaring piece of poetry, an arresting piece of descriptive prose, a complex legal sentence, or an intimate 2

note of affection, there are few things that move me more than a perfectly constructed sentence!

Despite these moments of connection and joy, the reality of life is that we are confronted with inexplicable pain, suffering, anguish and loss on a daily basis. Perhaps the oldest question of the human heart is “Why, God?”. Why is there pain, why is there suffering, why do my prayers go seemingly unanswered? Why, God, why? Philosophers lecture us on free will, and theologians point us to the Fall, but those “answers” simply fail to explain God’s apparent inaction.

Although we cannot expect to ever fully understand the answer to these questions, paradoxically, the very act of crying out calls us into a deeper relationship with God. This seeming impasse in our faith journey ends up shaping the character of our spiritual discipleship. If we choose to stay and not walk away from God, our relationship becomes more about developing an intimacy with Jesus Christ than finding answers. We still grapple with the pain of these questions, but now it’s about finding and nourishing a faith robust enough to trust God’s heart for us in spite of the storms. As we begin to sense those first hints of hope, whether conveyed to us in nature or music or poetry or words, we sense the presence of an eternal redemption that is infinitely more beautiful,

more majestic, and more glorious than anything we could ask or imagine.

This edition of Trinity Life is all about “Faith and the Arts,” a reflection on how God speaks through the created and creative world, and how, through different forms of art, we can be drawn into the heart of God and so experience more of the truth of who He is. There is something mysterious, yet utterly true, that even in the depths of our unanswerable questions, we can encounter transcendent moments of beauty, lifting us out of our current reality and connecting us with God. It seems to me there is an experience of spirituality, when, in the midst of uncertainty, standing in the face of the

THERE IS SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS, YET UTTERLY TRUE, THAT EVEN IN THE DEPTHS OF OUR UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS, WE CAN ENCOUNTER TRANSCENDENT MOMENTS OF BEAUTY, LIFTING US OUT OF OUR CURRENT REALITY, AND CONNECTING US WITH GOD. 3 photo cred. Julien Jarry

“ ART AND BEAUTY, WHETHER IN THE CREATED WORLD OF NATURE, OR THE CREATIVE WORLD OF MUSIC AND PAINTING, POETRY OR DANCE, CAN SERVE AS WINDOWS INTO THE HEAVENLY REALM...”

storm, we hear the gentle voice of our Savior say, “I love you, and I am with you.” It is in those moments that something of the imago dei within us connects with something beyond our current reality, into something wholly, and holy, different.

Art and beauty, whether in the created world of nature, or the creative world of music and painting, poetry or dance, can serve as windows into the heavenly realm, enabling us to see a dimension of the divine we might otherwise miss.

The Arts can help us see the world around us differently. Through the Arts, we can sense an invitation to enter a sacred space, a place where we can meet with God. This was the experience of Dave Edwards, our Worship & Arts Director at Trinity, whom I asked to share a little about his heart for connecting faith with the arts: “I have a passion, I guess you could say it is a calling, to help create a sacred space, a place where people can meet with God…I see music as a vehicle driven by the Holy Spirit, and whether people are listening or singing, and regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey, music can gather us together in community and in the worship of Jesus.”

George Steiner put it this way, “…music puts our being as men and women in touch with that which transcends the sayable and which outstrips the analyzable.”

Within all people there is an in-built longing to connect with God. As St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and

our heart is restless until it rests in you.” The Arts, and maybe most readily music, can act as a portal, providing a sacred space, a sacred moment, an encounter with beauty, that opens us to recognize something of the divine.

Hans Küng has written on the “traces of transcendence” we find in the music of Mozart. Küng speaks of the “ineffable mystery” that is in the midst of music, adding that for him it is Mozart’s music more than any other that reveals how thin is the boundary between the human and the divine.

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Lewis connects this sense of longing that exists within each of us as that which draws us to “the real thing”— the bit of eternity that lives within every heart that yearns for Heaven and connects us with the heart of the Father through Jesus (“God has put eternity into man’s heart” - Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Michael Mayne, in his book This Sunrise of Wonder, connects our longing with an experience of artistic beauty: There is a similar sense of transcendent mystery and longing running through the writings of C.S. Lewis.

In The Weight of Glory, Lewis argues that we all experience a similar sense of longing for our true Father. You can sense this theme running throughout his children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia. Here the four Pevensie children find themselves in a place more vivid and radiant than any they had seen before: “It still seemed to be early and the morning freshness was in the air. They kept on stopping to look round and to look behind them, partly because it was so beautiful but partly also because there was something

about it which they could not understand.

“Peter,” said Lucy, “where is this, do you suppose?”

“I don’t know,” said the High King. “It reminds me of somewhere but I can’t give it a name. Could it be somewhere we once stayed for a holiday when we were very, very small?”

“It would have to have been a jolly good holiday,” said Eustace. “I bet there isn’t a country like this anywhere in our world. Look at the colors. You couldn’t get a blue like the blue on those mountains in our world. . . .”

Lucy said, “They’re different. They have more colors on them and they look further away than I remembered and they’re more … more … oh, I don’t know.…”

“More like the real thing,” said the Lord Digory softly.

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“It seems to be part of the gut-feeling of being human to experience a sense of yearning, even of loss, a restless, seeking spirit which can feel like a kind of homesickness. There are times when we ache for that which will fulfill and complete us; a longing, it may be, for the lost state of innocence, the Eden of our childhood, or for a future when all questions are answered and we are home at last. This sense of a lost freedom ‘hammers at the far threshold of the human psyche’ (Steiner again). ‘We are creatures at once vexed and consoled by the summons of a freedom just out of reach.’

“ ART CAN MAKE ME FEEL I AM NOT ALONE AND THAT THE LONGINGS I FEEL HAVE VALUE AND ARE WORTH HOPING FOR.”

well as photography, graphic design, the movies (see Drew Williams’ article on page 14) and even in the soaring melodies of contemporary worship music.

Dave again, “The thing about Art is that it doesn’t always have a purpose but it speaks to us of a sense of wonder. It can connect us with the creative handiwork of God, and so connect us with the heart of God.” Mark Batterson, pastor of The Theater Church in Washington D.C., believes firmly that as the Body of Christ, the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet.

He speaks of reaching into our heritage to produce all forms of art that will speak to our world of the truth of the Gospel, and invite people into an encounter with the heart of God. Dave would concur, “For me, Art is a transcendent experience.

It acts as a bridge between us and the divine.”

Certainly in the presence of beauty we may have a sense both of delight and longing.

Christianity has a long history of engagement with the Arts. Whether in St. Augustine’s poetic reflections, Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, or Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” the church has always expressed its faith in God through the creative arts as a spiritual place of meeting. In contemporary culture we see these same elements in traditional art forms, music, painting, poetry, as 6

G. K. Chesterton unites the artist with those searching for Jesus, as both seek to connect with “this sunrise of wonder” that exists within every human. As Dave says, “The Arts can connect transcendent beauty, future hope, to my current reality, a reality that is often not beautiful and doesn’t always feel worth expressing or sharing.

Art can make me feel I am not alone and that the longings I feel have value and are worth hoping for.”

This past summer, Ruth May, Mission and Mobilization Pastor, checked off the longest-standing item on her bucket list, spending a week hiking, canoeing and horseback riding in Glacier National Park in Montana. Having lived in a number of different countries, she loves exploring new places and is enjoying the chance to explore North America!

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND

One of my earliest musical memories is of sitting on the floor of my room as a five–year–old, listening to classical music records. I started piano lessons just before I turned seven and added the violin later that year.

From 5th through 8th grade, I sang, toured and recorded as one of 30 boys from around the country in the American Boychoir. While a student at the American Boychoir School, I intensively studied voice, piano, violin, theory, conducting, and arranging. For fun, I picked up guitar and drums in high school. I had to practice piano and violin, but all the fruit of that labor and discipline was sort of expressed in a free way with these other instruments.

I started college at Indiana University as a classical piano performance major. Though I was on track to become a professional pianist, inside I knew that I preferred group participation to a solo career. I ended up finishing my musical education in the world-renowned jazz program at William Paterson University, concentrating on upright bass.

HOW DID YOU COME TO FAITH?

MEET

D AV E E D WA R D S 8

My mom was a church organist and choir director and my grandmother was a church organist so I grew up around church and felt very at home in the space. Still, I never heard the Gospel. I knew that music would be my way forward in life, but I would not have guessed in my teens, playing in the school orchestra by day and garage bands by night, that I would become a third– generation music minister.

I left college in my second year because I had a real problem with alcohol; it had become an escape, and I started missing lessons and classes. I found work as a bass player with a cruise line in Hawaii. It was

When I returned to New Jersey to finish school, I found a local church and started volunteering. Over the next ten years in that community, I had various roles, eventually becoming a worship leader. My wife, Julie, and I met while we were part of the worship band. [Note: Dave and Julie have a daughter, Zoe, who is musically gifted like her parents. If you were with us on Christmas Eve, it was Zoe who led us in “All Is Well.”]

W H AT W E R E Y O U DOING BEFORE YOU CAME TO TRINITY?

I was the worship pastor at a different church in New

Jersey when Rob Mathes contacted me about the opening at Trinity in 2010.

A few years earlier, I had reached out to Rob to learn how he bridged so well all these different musical worlds – classical, rock, jazz – that I love too. On the side, I was also playing electric bass in a band that traveled around the country performing at private events.

worship and tech needs. I have a heart to identify and raise up musicians and worship leaders from within the church family. In particular, I want to engage our younger musicians.

WHAT IS Y OUR ROLE HERE?

As Worship & Arts Director, I see my role as creating a sacred place for people to connect with God, leading the worship team in “setting the table” for a meeting between God and His people. In addition to being intentional about the worship environment, whether it’s on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings with the youth, at SPTC or Alpha, or for weekday Morning Worship & Prayer with the church staff and guests, I also work on the nitty-gritty tasks such as budgets and schedules for

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE WORSHIP SONGS FOR A S U N D AY S E R V I C E ?

I meet with members of the pastoral staff to plan the elements for each service.

We’ll consider the theme of the teaching as well as where we sense God is moving, specifically or in a general way.

I’ll consider what is in our extensive Trinity repertoire (in 2014, we used more than 120 songs). Plus, I’m always evaluating what’s currently being heard in Christian music. Will it work across the generations in our church family? Is it theologically understandable? How accessible is it to sing? Does it fit our culture? Ultimately, I want to make it as easy as possible on a Sunday morning for someone to step into worship, whether he or she is new in faith or has spent many years walking with God.

To learn even more about Dave, including the music that has inspired him and the change from being “Dave, the multiinstrumentalist” to “Dave, the beloved child of God,” read the expanded version of this interview at trinitychurch.life/blog

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Check out Dave’s music on iTunes or Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/daveedwardsmusic

there that a bandleader friend took me with him to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on June 23, 1992.

Back in my cruise ship cabin, I got on my knees and said, “God, I want you in my life and I want you to take over.” Getting sober is when my faith became personal.

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GRACE AGRO

ARTIST

When I was drawing this I interpreted the quote as not so much people only having joy as a child but keeping a mindset of a child. So I drew an elderly couple, thinking about how youthful my grandparents were. My grandparents inspired me to take advantage of my youth, not only physically but mentally as well.

Many people simply don’t know how

beautiful the world is and how much

splendor is revealed

in the smallest things, in a common flower,

in a stone, in the bark of a tree or the leaf of a birch. Grownup people, who

have occupations and cares and

worry themselves

about mere trifles, gradually lose the

eye for these riches, while children, if

they are observant and good, quickly

notice and love with their whole heart.

- Rainer Maria Rilke (poet and novelist, 1875-1926)

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P R AY I N G

THE

PSALMS

God speaks powerfully to us through His Word, and the poetry and imagery of the Psalms are a great window to help us connect with the truth of who God is.

A fun thing to do is to take a section of Scripture with you to a place where you can appreciate the beauty of God’s creation while internalizing the beauty of His Word.

So what might this look like using Psalm 121? Whether you’re going for a run at the beach, walking the High Line in Manhattan, hiking on a trail in a forest, or meandering around the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, find a spot to pause and read the Psalm. Speaking it aloud (or maybe even shouting it aloud, especially if you are at Tod’s Point in the early hours of the morning and no one else is around!) can be a great way to connect with the passion of the verses.

Take one sentence, or even one word, that especially stood out to you and repeat it over and over again while you continue on your way. Try to time it with your breathing and your footsteps, letting the truth of His Word sink in, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Pray through the verses, putting yourself into the Psalm, hearing the words as a promise over you.

You might even wish to write a poem, paint a picture, or in some other way capture your thoughts in response to God’s beauty and love.

PSALM

121

I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS. FROM WHERE DOES MY HELP COME?

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, W H O M A D E H E AV E N A N D E A R T H .

HE WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT BE MOVED; HE WHO KEEPS YOU WILL NOT SLUMBER. BEHOLD, HE WHO KEEPS ISRAEL W I L L N E I T H E R S L U M B E R N O R S L E E P. THE LORD IS YOUR KEEPER; THE LORD IS YOUR SHADE ON YOUR RIGHT HAND. T H E S U N S H A L L N O T S T R I K E Y O U B Y D AY, N O R T H E M O O N B Y N I G H T. THE LORD WILL KEEP YOU FROM ALL EVIL; HE WILL KEEP YOUR LIFE. THE LORD WILL KEEP YOUR GOING OUT AND YOUR COMING IN FROM THIS TIME FORTH AND FOREVERMORE.

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JULIEN JARRY

PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER

Do you find yourself noticing things that others may not—the way the clouds look in the sky, a stark outline of a winter tree in a far-off field, the way water and sky become perfectly still right before dusk? Do you appreciate how an artist or photographer puts certain subjects in his or her frame? I see God’s hand in all of these things. It’s hard not to praise Him when you’re hiking up a fresh trail with not a care in the world or when a sky can turn from storm to exploding purple sunset right before your eyes. Taking pictures and being out in nature has a way of bringing me closer to Him. I love making images and I know He does too.

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D O E S G O T H E

G O D T O

M O V I E S ?

Drew Williams

On the evening of Sunday, April 3, 1977, I was summoned to watch the first TV screening of Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth” —a British– Italian television mini–series.

Robert Powell played Jesus alongside an all–star cast of actors, including seven Academy Award winners.

Although we were not a church–going family at the time, I can vividly recall the hush that came over the room as we followed Jesus’ ministry, and my dad weeping during the scene that depicted Jesus’ crucifixion.

Years later, as a young clergyman in my first congregation, I was desperate to help my youth group make Biblical connections. One fateful night (having read rave reviews from the Christian press on Tom Hanks’ “The Green Mile”) I sat with my scrupulously–prepared Bible notes, ready for the post– film theological analysis.

Having not actually seen the

movie myself ahead of time, I grimaced for having exposed my youth group to some horrifying scenes. As I sat in the darkness, mentally writing my letter of resignation, one fifteen-year-old boy, who must have spotted my white knuckles, whispered in my ear, “It’s OK, Drew, I have seen way worse!” ...F O R M E ,

For all my mistakes, I have to say that there were moments of absolute glory when a piece of Scripture and some amazing moment of film transported a group of students directly into the presence of God. Since those days, of course, technological advances have followed at an escalating pace—from video stores (remember them?), to the advent of the DVD and BlueRay, and now the rise of live streaming. For a country where the phrase “I really don’t watch that much television” is so common, the average American over the age of two spends more than 34 hours a week watching live television, says a new Nielsen report, plus another three to six hours watching taped programs. The survey, taken during the first quarter of 2012, says average weekly viewing time hasn’t changed much over the last four years. The biggest changes are that our time watching shows from DVRs has doubled, and more of us—36 million, more or less—are watching video on smartphones.

THE MOVIES ...H E L P US U N DE R S TAND T H E H O P E S, DR E A M S , A S P I R AT I O NS A N D F E A RS O F A N O TH E R PERSON. T H E Y H E L P US I DE N T I F Y WI TH T H E P E O PLE W H O W E ARE S H A R I N G TH I S JOURNEY W I T H .”

-R O G E R E BE RT

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then, as followers of Jesus, we need to be part of that conversation.

Despite the flood of “reality” TV shows, movies still command a major segment of viewing time. Why? Roger Ebert, the late Pulitzer Prize–winning movie critic and unapologetic atheist, described it this way: “We all are born with a certain package; we are who we are, where we were born, who we were born as, how we were raised. We are kind of stuck inside that person and the purpose of civilization and growth is to be able to reach out and empathize with other people. And for me, the movies are like a machine

that generates empathy. They help us understand the hopes, dreams, aspirations and fears of another person. They help us identify with the people who we are sharing this journey with.”

Whether or not that is the only reason we are glued to our movies, we remain a movie culture. Without seeing and engaging contemporary films, we are in danger of losing our place in the moral, spiritual, and cultural conversations of today. Robert Johnston argues, “Movies function as a primary source of meaning for people throughout the world…they provide people stories through which they can understand their lives. Presenting aspects of their daily lives both intimate and profound, real or imagined, movies exercise our moral and religious imagination.” Clearly, 15

As I was coming to faith, I recall so clearly that I was beginning to watch movies through a new lens. Amidst the themes of violence, betrayal, and despair, there were shards of light, motifs of redemption, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love that shone in the darkness and permeated my spiritual imagination. The Christian friends who sat with me and shared their popcorn also listened to my fumbled attempt to articulate where I saw the hope of the Gospel and its application to real life in one film after another. I am so grateful for their willingness to be in dialogue with such a wide variety of worldviews.

The second reason for not ignoring Hollywood is that God certainly has not.

Movies are full of stories or “myths” not altogether foreign to the Gospel. C. S. Lewis wrote, “Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths:

i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call ‘real things’.” Lewis reminds us that, because the Gospel is a “true myth,” traces of God’s truth and light will inevitability be visible through men’s myths—even in a movie theater.

Before the advent of television, the influence of the Bible upon the theater was widespread. The best example would have to be the clear Biblical overtones in nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays. It was almost as if Shakespeare just could not help himself! Was Shakespeare a believer, or did he use Biblical themes, parables and stories to sell his own plays? The apostle Paul could care less. “It is true that some preach Christ out of goodwill… [others] preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely…But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because 16

of this I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18).

What is clear is that Shakespeare was enormously influenced by the Bible and that down the centuries his work continues to draw our attention to the Word of God. I am not suggesting that we can do away with Godly discernment in choosing our movies. There are many I would not watch.

At the same time, in order for the body of Christ to be agents of social and spiritual transformation, we need to pay attention to the thermals of the “zeitgeist,” the defining mood of the time. And these “moods” are so vividly illustrated in popular movies.

For example, have you noticed the glut of well–attended blockbuster movies that have explored vast and frightening apocalyptic

themes? “We live in angst–ridden times, and so the appeal of these movies is further amplified,” writes Jamsheed Akrami, professor of film at William Paterson University in New Jersey. “Most of us seem to seek mental relief by drowning ourselves in a sea of doom and gloom for a couple of hours. The experience can be some sort of catharsis.” How might the Gospel speak into those apocalyptic fears? What about the movies that take enormous liberties in telling Biblical stories? Some of us need to watch these so that we can at least graciously engage the moods and conversations of our day.

To this day, I cannot help watching a movie and looking for those shards of His light and truth. Perhaps this is not everyone’s

calling, but I have come to understand that it is how I am wired. At the end of an evening of family viewing, as the credits are rolling, if there has been just enough “light” in the celluloid, my family will watch me reach for my notebook and my Bible with the fabled words, “That one will preach!”

It is not uncommon for Drew Williams to illustrate a point in a sermon by using a film clip and several movies have formed the backdrop for past sermon series, including “Les Miserables,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “A Christmas Carol.” Prior to ordination in the Anglican Church, Drew was a litigation attorney in the U.K.

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JORGE ZAMACONA

SCREENWRITER

In the course of my career as a television writer and producer, I have found and lost my Heavenly Father several times. But regardless of the state of my sometimes fragile, sometimes unwavering faith, when I look back upon the body of my work, I see Him in the words I have written— and in the shows I have produced. I love flawed characters who struggle with temptation and sin, stories that find the embers of hope and faith after a very long struggle. And it has led me to believe that He is ever in my heart, whether I’m aware of it or not—and that He doesn’t let me stay lost for long...

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KARENE MADDEN

SINGER

I love singing, always have. For me, it is a means of expression and comfort. But singing praise is a whole thing unto itself. What I’ve found is that when music is applied to prayer, I have a heightened awareness of God’s presence. There is definitely something about singing to and for Him. In singing praise there is an honesty that I get to with God and with myself that I don’t always get to with praying alone. It’s where the rubber meets the road—where my weakness meets His strength. My experience is that when I come willingly, willing to reveal my brokenness, the truth of who I am, He shows up and reminds me who He is— a loving and gracious Father. I truly believe in St. Augustine’s words that with singing you pray twice…and knowing how often I miss the mark, that is definitely comforting. My path to God has always been winding to say the least, but singing continues to be the way that I find Him.

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TOPICS Is there more to life than this?

Who is Jesus?

Why did Jesus die?

How can we have faith?

Why and how do I pray?

Does God heal today?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Why and how should I read the Bible?

How does God guide us?

How can I resist evil?

Why and how should I tell others?

For more info or to register for this free course, go to

trinitychurch.life/alpha

VERSE

painting by Lori Leavelle

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV

N o w i t ’s y o u r t u r n t o b e a n a r t i s t .

U s i n g c r a y o n s , c o l o r e d p e n c i l s o r w a t e r c o l o r, bring the fish to life.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:20-21

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april 15-16

first Loved to Love weekend

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SERVE

The best way to stay updated with all that happens outside of our Sunday morning worship services is through our Trinity Happenings weekly email. Text TrinityNews to 44144 to join the weekly email list (or write to info@trinitychurch.life and provide your first and last name).

ALPHA

Serve on a ministry team at Trinity, join us in the local community as we seek to share the transformational love of God, or come with us on an overseas mission trip.

Sign up for our “Serve” email to find out about new and upcoming service opportunities.

WELCOME BREAKFAST Get connected with members of the church, learn more about Trinity, and discover ways to be involved. We invite you to join us for a casual Sunday morning Welcome to Trinity Breakfast. Go to trinitychurch.life/events to register for this free event.

M AY

Explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over 10 thought-provoking weekly sessions at Alpha. trinitychurch.life/alpha JOIN A GROUP Engage with others through Trinity’s array of short-term groups and MissionShaped Communities based around shared interest or calling. Discover which group might be right for you. trinitychurch.life/groups

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J U N E

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J U LY

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S E P T E M B E R

trinitychurch.life/serve

QUESTIONS? Write to Katie Evans, Connections Pastor, katie.evans@trinitychurch.life

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STAFF DIRECTORY Trinity House (office): 15 Sherwood Place Greenwich, CT 06830 203-618-0808

info@trinitychurch.life Staff email addresses: firstname.lastname@trinitychurch.life

KRISTEN OLSEN

DREW WILLIAMS

Senior Pastor

Middle School Coordinator

JOSH BARTON

A N N PA R K

Student Ministry Pastor

Admin Assistant

HILLARY BERCOVICI

JONNY SCOTT

Senior Fellow – Trinity Institute

Children & Family Ministries Director

DYLAN BERRY

KATIE STALLARD

4th & 5th Grade and Middle School Coordinator

Administration & Communications Director

JOE BISCOCHO

Graphic Designer

K E L LY T E U F E L

High School Coordinator

KARA THOMPSON

Finance Admin / Bookkeeper

BETH BULL

Care & Community Pastor

A N N E VA L E N T I N E

High School Coordinator

D AV E E D WA R D S

Worship & Arts Director

B E N VA L E N T I N E

Associate Pastor

K AT I E E VA N S

Connections Pastor

E V E LY N V I A N A

Volunteer Admin Assistant, Care & Community

A N D Y H AY B A L L

Executive Pastor

ELENA WILLIAMS

Prayer Ministry Director

MIKE IODICE

CFO

F I N D

JULIEN JARRY

Storyteller / Videographer BETSY KEARNS

Early Childhood Coordinator K E L LY L A L LY

U S

Admin Assistant R U T H M AY

Mission & Mobilization Pastor

WEBSITE

http://trinitychurch.life FACEBOOK:

Trinity Trinity Trinity Trinity

Church - Greenwich, CT Kids CT Church: Student Ministries Church Women’s Ministry - Greenwich, CT

TWITTER, INSTAGRAM:

@TrinityChurchCT MOBILE APP

KATHY NELSON

Trinity Church Life

Volunteer Staff Assistant

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