Trinity Episcopal Church

e-newsletter
Advent 2010

An Advent Message from Carrol...

Calendar:
On the first day of Advent, November 28th, we will
have just 9.6 hours of daylight. We will have grown ! November 19 - 20 ~ 171st Diocesan Conven-
accustomed to cold days and long nights, and we tion meets in St. Charles. Trinityʼs lay delegates
know that the days will grow colder and the nights are Talie Alexander and Julia DeLancey, and
longer as we move closer to winter. The flowers we our clergy delegate is Carrol Davenport.
enjoyed in summer and fall have been lost to frosty
nights. As we move ever closer to winter it can feel ! Sunday, November 21 ~ Commitment Sunday
more like an ending rather than a beginning. Begin- for Annual Giving Campaign. You may place
nings are like that – always mixed up with saying your pledge cards in the offering plate or mail
goodbye. We leave old things behind in order to them to the church.
make room for new ones.
! Saturday, December 4, 9am ~ Come help
Our collect for the first Sunday in Advent bids us to spruce up the church for a celebratory Sunday!
“cast away the works of darkness and put on the ar-
mor of light.” It is a reminder that the season of Ad- ! Saturday, December 4, 2pm ~ Messiah Sing at
vent is a penitential season – a season that asks us First Christian Church.
to reflect on those places in our lives where we let the
darkness overtake us, and then to turn from those ! Sunday, December 5 ~ Bishop Smithʼs visit.
places and let the light of the new born Christ live and Rev. Johnnette Shaneʼs first Sunday at Trinity.
dwell there. Plate offering for the Bishopʼs Discretionary
Fund. Musical offerings from Handelʼs Messiah
I pray your Advent season will include some inten- by choir and strings.
tional time of reflection and preparation.
! Sunday, December 12 ~ Bishopʼs Committee
meeting.

Bishopʼs Wardenʼs Report ! Tuesday, December 14, 7pm ~ Service of Les-

by Krista Baker, Bishopʼs Warden sons and Carols.

As we near the end of the church year, I canʼt help but ! Tuesday, December 21, 5:30pm ~ Longest
reflect upon all that has happened this year. It has Night Service at First Presbyterian Church;
been a good year for us at Trinity. We were blessed sponsored by Hospice of Northeast Missouri.
to share the year with a wonderful interim vicar, the
Rev. Dr. Peter Van Horne. Now that we have called a ! Friday, December 24, time TBA ~ Christmas
new vicar, Peter has left us to move on to new adven- Eve Service.
tures in the Diocese. We grew in many ways during
his time with us, learning much about church history ! Sunday, January 16, 7pm ~ Taizé service with a
and about ourselves. We have completed a success- social justice theme to coincide with Martin Lu-
ful search process and will soon greet our new vicar, ther King, Jr. weekend.
the Rev. Johnnette Shane. In anticipation of her arri-
val, the vicarage is being updated. As the annual ! Sunday, January 23 (tentative) ~ Trinityʼs An-
(continued on page 2) nual Meeting following morning worship.
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter! Page 2! Advent 2010

(continued from page 1) Giving for Others

Bishopʼs visit happens to fall on the same date as by Krista Baker, Bishopʼs Warden
Rev. Shaneʼs first Sunday with us, we have much to
celebrate. Our Annual Giving Campaign will end just One of the responsibilities of a rector as stated in the
in time for the preparation of the new budget. Many canons is to apply open plate offerings from one
of you have participated in new ways this year, expe- Eucharist a month to charitable uses. Recognizing
riencing new opportunities to worship and grow as a the clergy and the Bishopʼs Committee as a partner-
community. I look forward to continued growth with ship, beginning in April 2010, the Bishopʼs Committee
our new vicar. together with Rev. Van Horne planned the first Sun-
day of the month plate offerings to be directed to spe-
cific charitable organizations. Following is the results
Junior Wardenʼs Report of those offerings:
by Maria Evans, Junior Warden
Month! Amount! Donation Recipient"
On October 30, we had several talented and ener- April" $256.00" Hospice" of Northeast Missouri"
May" $332.00" Victims Support Services
getic workers for fall work day.  Lola, Wynne, Sally June" $156.00" Habitat for Humanity
and Mike Stewart all worked on various tasks inside July" $23.00" Open plate offering; later identified
the church, and Peter, Marcy and I tackled a few " " for Missouri Veterans Cemetery
tasks outside the church and around the Vicarage August" $139.00" Episcopal Relief & Development:
steps.  Much dusting, mopping, vacuuming, raking, " " Nets for Life
September" $105.00" Parish Discretionary Fund
and weed/small limb removal ensued.  The end result October" $301.00" Foster Families of Adair County
was a much tidier Trinity and vicarage.  Many thanks November" $106.00" United Thank Offering
to all who participated.
With the addition of the Mardi Gras fundraiser in Feb-
On Saturday, December 4, around 9 a.m., if you are ruary for the relief efforts in Haiti and other miscella-
available, we do need to have a "Hey, straighten up neous donations, there has been a total of $3,511
this place — the Bishop is coming!" morning.  We donated for charitable purposes this year. Thank you
don't need to do much, but we do probably need to for your donations for all of these efforts both locally
dust and vacuum and clean downstairs just a tad.  Or, and globally.
if you think you can do any of these things after work
in the preceding week, drop me an e-mail at
[email protected]. Holiday Outreach
by Diane Johnson
Thanks again for all you do in keeping Trinity an at-
tractive place all the time.  Something I have noticed Orders for Uncle Al's nuts will be taken through No-
is in our special services, like Taizé, visitors often vember 28.  The price shown in the brochure (in the
leave their bulletins in the pews upon leaving.  I am undercroft) includes the $2 per package that we "tax"
always impressed how members of Trinity over- ourselves to give to a charity at the holidays. Nuts
whelmingly pick up after ourselves and save our Altar should be delivered to you at church no later than
Guild a lot of extra work.  It shows in each of you that Sunday, December 12.  Payment is due at delivery. 
you consciously do the little things that make it easier  
to keep our building clean and neat.  Pat yourselves The traditional Trinity mitten tree will be put up in the
on the back! church after the service on December 5.  We'll collect
mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves to give to the Sal-
vation Army to distribute to needy people in our area.
Be sure to bring your contributions by December 19,
Many Thanks the day we take the tree down and get things ready to
take to the Salvation Army headquarters.
To Trinity Church, thank you so very much for
your kindness and your unexpected gift of appre- Food bank donations are welcome anytime; items
ciation. It has been a joy to be among all of you may be placed in the basket located just inside the
this year. sanctuary door.

Krista Baker, Bishopʼs Warden Thank you for reaching out to our community this
holiday season!
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter! Page 3! Advent 2010

Longest Night Service

by Carrol Davenport Take Note:
 
For those who have recently lost a loved one, the ! Donations for Christmas flowers are
holidays can hold much sadness. For those who welcome.  The gift should be clearly designated
have lost a job or a relationship or who live alone or as such and placed in the offering plate, or
with ill health, holidays can be especially lonely or given to Jessie or Julia.  Donations can be
painful. Financial burdens can be more acute at the made in memory of, in thanksgiving for, or in
holidays. As the days grow shorter and we spend celebration of someone.  If you would like this
more time in darkness than light, we sometimes find it information to appear in the bulletin, please
harder to do the normal tasks before us. give the information to Jessie or Julia.

Hospice of Northeast Missouri wants to allow space ! Maria Evans and Laura Gruber form this yearʼs
and time to acknowledge the sadness that can ac- nominating committee and are seeking indi-
company the holiday season. Hospice will sponsor a viduals to serve on the Bishopʼs Committee
Longest Night service (sometimes called Blue beginning January 2011.
Christmas) on December 21st at 5:30 PM. The serv-
ice will be held at the First Presbyterian Church. ! Sunday school meets Sunday mornings at
9:00am; please check the schedule posted on
If you know the holidays will hold sadness for you, Trinityʼs website. Volunteer teachers are
come and join us, or if you know someone who is needed; please contact Nancy Miller if you are
struggling this holiday season, come and sit with interested in helping out.
them.
! Canterbury Club meets Sunday evenings.
Please contact Mike Ashcraft, Campus Ministry
Adair County Jail Ministry Coordinator, if youʼd like to provide an evening
by Maria Evans meal for the students.

"...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was

thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
have had abusive relationships with spouses and sig-
stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and
nificant others.  Many are simultaneously in recovery
you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care
of me, I was in prison and you visited me." from one or more addictions.  These factors foster a
(Matthew 25:35-36) life of poor choices.  Many are repeat offenders and
have a great deal of difficulty making better choices
One of the ministries available to the churches in about their lives because they simply don't know any-
Kirksville Interchurch Ministry is a men's and women's thing else, and cannot even begin to imagine what a
Bible study at the Adair County Jail.  I recently got an "normal" life is.  In the incarcerated setting, they at
opportunity to be involved in the women's ministry least have time to begin to think about their choice-
there, and found it to be a rewarding experience, for making skills and their recovery from addiction.  Being
three reasons: separated from their children carries a great burden in
their hearts for a variety of reasons.
1.  First of all, these women are simply glad to have
visitors.  Incarceration is a lonely experience.  The 3.  Finally, to be quite honest, many of these women
contrast between "inside" and "outside" is very real.  have heard about a God who is much more judg-
Family and friends may have reasons to not want to mental and punitive than the God I began to relate to
visit their relative in jail.  The broken world that affects since I've been coming to Trinity.  They have a real
us all is very up close and personal and to simply longing to simply hear about a God who loves them,
have a stranger show up and show hospitality and and a Jesus whose story is of incarnation and uncon-
share a message of hope through the stories in the ditional love rather than a Jesus whose suffering and
Gospel can help them feel less isolated. death "paid" for anything.  Sometimes, for them, God
is just another entity who has abused them.
2.  Many of these women have had a life on the "out- (continued on page 4)
side" that is full of pain and violence.  Many grew up
in abusive homes, or in frank neglect.  They often
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter! Page 4! Advent 2010

(continued from page 3)

But simply sharing a Gospel reading with them Prayers
through a devotional, with reflective study questions, Please remember in your prayers: Agnes
can allow them to open up and discuss their pain, (Laura), Ann (Pete and Julia), Kirstin (Maria),
their fears, their anger, and their sorrow.  It can give a John, Andrew (Diane), Rocky (Jean), Betty
(Sally’s mother), the Family and Friends of Da-
tiny glimmer of hope in a situation of hopelessness.  It
maris (Talie), John (Jessie’s husband), Rex
is an opportunity to invite them to meet God where (Cynthia’s father), Elias, Lorraine (Ian), Larry
they are, and it is an opportunity for us on the "out- (Karen), the Treese Family (Delaney), Suzie
side" to meet God where these prisoners are.  Being (Jessie), Diane, Bob (Diane), Brian (Diane),
introduced to this ministry has been an interesting Sarah.
experience for me.  So many of our outreach efforts
have a "likability factor" to the people we serve.  I'll be A prayer for the parish: “Almighty and everliv-
up front — there's a lot not to like about people in jail.  ing God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth,
But in listening to the raw feelings of the incarcerated, hear our prayers for this parish family.
we begin to realize that there is still much in the hu- Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and
man existence that is universal.  Humans simply de- restore the penitent. Grant us all things neces-
sary for our common life, and bring us all to be of
sire unconditional love and a desire to belong to
one heart and mind within your holy church;
something bigger than they are.  I am discovering that through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (BCP
in jail ministry, we can still share the commonality of p.817)
experiencing the Good News of Christ.

I would be happy to tell you about the beginnings of

my discovery of this ministry after church or in coffee
hour sometime.  Feel free to strike up a conversation
with me if you are interested, or simply curious!

Many Forms of Worship at Trinity

Candle lighting illuminates our

prayers during Taizé services.
Dogs, cats, fish and their owners gathered in
Trinityʼs garden for a Blessing of Animals on
October 3. Along with a blessing, animals re-
ceived a St. Francis of Assisi medal and a treat.

On Reformation Sunday, clergy

and participants donned period
garb to worship from the 1662
Book of Common Prayer.
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter! Page 5! Advent 2010

Dear Trinity Family,

At the request of the Bishop, I stepped forward in the fall of 2009 to provide for pastoral ministry at Trinity until
we had an interim priest in place. At the request of the Bishopʼs Committee, I agreed to continue providing a
fuller role during the interim.

It has been a joy to be able to serve Trinity in this way during our interim time together. Because of the level
of involvement Iʼve had over the past 14 months, it is important that I take a step back for a brief time to let
you develop a strong pastoral relationship with our new vicar. I have not made this decision independently. I
have had conversation with our Bishop, our new Vicar and have the blessing of each of them in this decision.

I will be present in worship on December 5th to celebrate the Rev. Johnnette Shaneʼs first Sunday with us as
well as the Bishopʼs visit. After that I will take 6-8 weeks away from Trinity. During these weeks I will be avail-
able to Johnnette, and we will spend some time getting to know each other. Together we will make some
decisions about my future role at Trinity. I will likely visit some other places of worship, and I have already
committed to supply for First Presbyterian Church. I will also take some time to rest!

Already I have had several conversations with Johnnette and am excited about serving alongside her.

Thank you for allowing me to serve Trinity in a fuller capacity during these last months.

Gratefully,
The Rev. Carrol K. Davenport

Clergy Worship Services

Rev. Carrol K. Davenport, Associate Priest Holy Eucharist
Sundays ~ 10:00 a.m.

Bishop’s Committee Morning Prayer

Krista Baker, Bishop’s Warden (2012) Wednesdays ~ 7:30 a.m.
Maria Evans, Junior Warden (2011)
Wynne Wilbur, Clerk (2013)
Jessie Cragg (2012)
Laura Gruber (2011) Trinity Episcopal Church
Pete Kelly (2013) 124 N. Mulanix
Kyle Miller, Student Representative (2011) Kirksville, MO 63501
660-665-6155
www.trinitykirksville.org

Thanks to all who contributed, and to Julie Seidler an Carrol Davenport for the photographs!
Please send all newsletter contributions, corrections, and suggestions to Nancy Miller at
[email protected]. Items for the Lent newsletter are due by February 21.