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1 THE TRINITY A publication of Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth Spring 2013 Preparing Way for our ministries the
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The quarterly e-magazine of Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, Texas. www.fortworthtrinity.org
Transcript of The Trinity Episcopalian Spring 2013
1
T H E T R I N I T Y
A publication of Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth
S p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Preparing
Way for our ministries
the
2
The Trinity Episcopalian Spring 2013
A publication of Trinity Episcopal Church
www.fortworthtrinity.org
3401 Bellaire Drive South
Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817-926-4631
Editor & Communications Manager
Sarah Martinez, [email protected]
Clergy
The Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, Rector
The Rev. Andrew Benko, Associate
The Rev. Janet G. Nocher
Ministers
All the Members of Trinity Episcopal Church
Staff & Support Team
Christopher Thomas, Operations Manager
Jackie Robinson, Business Manager
Paula Gartman, Parish Administrator
Kimberly Cooper, Children’s Ministry Coordinator
Paul Morrissey, Sexton
Melissa Pannell, Director of Trinity Episcopal School
Debora Clark, Director of Music & Organist
Alan Buratto, Choirmaster
Bob Hunt, Folk Group Co-Director
Paul Warren, Folk Group Co-Director
Judy Cariker, Photographer
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is a welcoming, Christ-centered com-
munity of congregations committed to radical hospitality.
www.episcopaldiocesefortworth.org
Participatory by everyone—laity, bishop, priest and deacon.
Transparent in all we do.
Accountable to God, one another, and the wider church.
Serving, Accepting, Worshipping, Reaching Out
3
5 Mother Carlye’s Message
6 Youth, too?! A Q & A with Erin Arnim, youth
representative to the vestry
8 Opening Doors to Women in Need: A minis-
try profile
10 The gift of years: Update on the Abundant
Living conference
12 A place to play: Trinity Episcopal Church aco-
lyte Faith Bruton leads a campaign to build a
playground in Swaziland
14 Mind Meanderings by Belinda King
16 Calendar
17 Picture This
18 Archive Department
In This Issue:
8
12
10
4
Practicing Faith at Trinity
Education series starting soon!
Classes for adults seeking confirmation, reception into the Episcopal Church, or
reaffirmation of baptismal vows will meet on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. in April and May.
If you missed a class from a previous session you are welcome to attend
make-up sessions as needed. Dates and topics are:
April 14—The Bible and The Book of Common Prayer;
April 21—Worship and Mission;
May 5—Prayer and Spiritual Practice;
May 12 —The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Communion.
5
Mother Car lye ’s Message
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two,
into every town and place where he himself was about to come.”
Luke 10:1
From the earliest encounters with Jesus described in Holy Scripture,
there is one common response among those who follow Jesus—to go
out and share their knowledge and love of Jesus. Those first followers
took only their faith and Jesus’ instructions with them as they went out.
“Heal the sick and say to them, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near
you.’”
Those same instructions direct our formation of Ministry Groups to
continue our long history of following Jesus. What is a Ministry
Group? A community of parishioners united by a common call, inter-
est, task, or mission. The groups are guided by co-leaders, resourced
by staff, and in regular communication with a Vestry member. The groups have a two-fold pur-
pose: one to serve God through ministry, the other to develop deeper relationships with God and
other parishioners.
Through all of our ministries we are invited by Jesus into healing and the nearness of God’s King-
dom. This is an awesome opportunity and is very different from what we have come to think of as
committee work. While a committee is most successful as it focuses on tasks and accomplishing
a goal, Ministry Groups are most successful as its members practice faith and ministry together.
Before we can begin to effectively vision the kind of church God intends us to be and before we
can invite others to join us in ministry, we need spaces to discover our own gifts for ministry and
to welcome newcomers into ministry with us. The Ministry Groups will give us those kind of
spaces. Some of the groups are a re-tooling of existing groups, like the Newcomers Group. Oth-
ers are forming for the first time, like the Christian Education Group.
What does the road ahead look like for us? From my vantage point, it looks like a place where
we will meet Christ more often. Whether on the road to Emmaus, Damascus, to our church on
Bellaire Drive South, or to a mission site—it is in serving God’s people that we encounter Christ.
As we support each other in ministry we are bound to meet Christ along the way. So go and ex-
plore a ministry group, I looking forward to hearing all about your adventures on the road with
Jesus.
The Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, Rector
6
7
Q&A: Er in Arn im Youth, too?! Erin Arnim brings a young adult’s perspective
to vestry meetings
Q . As youth representative, what issues are near
and dear to your heart? What do you want the vestry
to know about the youth of Trinity?
A . The issues that are important to me mainly in-
volve students my age as well as young children. I
want them to feel that their questions about the ser-
vice are being answered and that they are comfortable
enough to ask Mother Carlye or other members of
the clergy or vestry. I’m hoping to gather information
as well as bring new and different opinions and ideas
to the vestry. The youth are a very lively and excited
bunch that feel church is a great way to learn and par-
ticipate in fellowship. We want to know more and
learn from people who are older and wiser than us—
and even our own parents!
Q . Can you give some examples of how our
church is meeting the needs of young adults? On the
flipside, are there areas where we’re lacking? Do you
see improvements underway?
A . EYC has been a great way for youth to get to-
gether and discuss ideas and opinions, but the down-
fall is it is simply youth talking to youth—so asking
questions and getting more involved outside that area
becomes more difficult. It is also hard for all youth to
meet on Sunday afternoons due to homework and
other obligations. Having the youth involved in pick-
ing Trinity’s associate rector is a wonderful opportuni-
ty for the youth to learn more about inner workings of
the church and a great way for them to get more in-
volved. Another avenue to explore is more youth par-
ticipation in services. As acolytes, of course, but pos-
sibly adding youth ushers or children as readers (with
simplified readings) would be great ways to increase
involvement.
Q . What’s the most surprising thing you’ve
learned since your appointment to the vestry?
A . What has surprised me most is how the church
is so much more than simply four services. There is
so much involved in maintaining a thriving and
healthy church, such as finances, bringing in new fam-
ilies, as well as the architecture and structure of the
church itself. It just never occurred to me how im-
portant those things truly are so that worship can be
conducted smoothly and prayerfully.
Q . Pretend the entire population of young adults
at Trinity are your captive audience. What message
would you like to share with them?
A . Don’t limit yourself! At Trinity we are all one,
which means that we shouldn’t limit our involvement
to select groups. Who’s to say that only youth can en-
joy EYC, only children can go to Sunday school, or
only adults can be involved in Stephen Ministry? It
would be wonderful if we could integrate older mem-
bers, young adults, and the youngest members of
Trinity—the children as one group speaking, giving an
opinion and doing it all together. It seems like the on-
ly time we are all together is during the service and
maybe creating another organization/class would be a
the way to bring us all together.
8
Outreach
Opening Doors for Women in Need Support from Trinity helps this ministry achieve its goals
Walking out the front gate of a prison as a free woman seems like
a monumental step. But it’s miniscule when you look at the long
road that lies ahead.
Sandra Stanley knows the path from incarceration to “real life” is
lengthy and riddled with potholes. Her ministry, Opening Doors
for Women in Need (ODWIN), helps the previously-
incarcerated navigate this tough terrain and create a new, stable
existence.
The moment these women leave jail or prison they encounter
three huge barriers, Sandra said. First, they often have no home
to return to. Then they discover that finding a job is going to be
extremely difficult. Finally comes the harsh realization that there
may be no safety net to cushion a fall. Convicted felons with drug
possession charges cannot get food stamps or government assis-
tance.
Sandra and ODWIN step up to fill the gaping void. The organi-
zation provides housing for clients for up to 12 months at one of
two homes in the Como neighborhood of Fort Worth. While
there, Sandra and her team help residents access education, train-
ing and job opportunities. The overall atmosphere is faith filled.
Residents gather each morning for devotionals and each evening
for Bible study and group meetings. Sandra also requires clients
to find a church home soon after entering the program.
“I’m really spirit led,” Sandra said. “This isn’t a business. It’s a
ministry.”
For more information: Opening Doors for Women in Need
www.opendoors4women.org :: 817-920-9326
“I’m really spirit led,” says Sandra Stanley, CEO
and founder of Opening Doors for Women in
Need (ODWIN).
9
Zetta’s story
Zetta started the ODWIN program in December
2012 after being incarcerated for a year. She is cur-
rently working on her GED, and proudly shares that
she has been clean and sober for well over a year.
She is now employed after a three-month job search.
Zetta loves the family environment at her current
residence and spending time with her ODWIN
“sisters.” “We’re all trying to lift each other up,” she
said. “This program is teaching me how to be strong.
God has blessed me. If I hadn’t come here I
would’ve slipped back into my old ways.”
Laura’s story
Laura came to Opening Doors for Women in Need
in August 2012, after serving 20 months in prison.
During her time in the program, she has received
her high school diploma and will start classes at Tar-
rant County College this summer. Her next step is to
continue her education at the Vet Tech Institute of
Houston. “This program has really blessed my life,”
Laura said. “It’s teaching me how to live a real life. If
it wasn’t for this spiritually based place, I wouldn’t
have made it. There are real angels here.”
How YOU can help
Continue to donate toiletries and paper goods (paper towels, bath tissue, etc.). Leave your contributions in
the donation bin located through the double-glass doors in the hallway leading to the offices and nursery.
Shop/donate/volunteer at A Foot in the Door Resale Shop, 3924 W. Vickery Blvd. This resale shop was re-
cently opened by ODWIN to provide continued funding for the group’s residential program.
Attend ODWIN’s 5th annual Mother’s Day Luncheon: May 11 at 11 a.m., Christ Chapel Bible Church,
3701 Birchman Ave., Fort Worth. ODWIN founder, Sandra Stanley, said they’re actively looking for groups
that are willing to do a table sponsorship. For more details, contact Whitney Harwell: har-
Contribute to the Trinity Christmas Giving Tree. Among the “angels” on each year’s tree are children of
ODWIN clients.
10
Conference Update
Trinity parishioner celebrates the gift of years 10th annual ‘Abundant Living Conference’ spurs thinking about resources, assistance
The Abundant Living Conference held March 4-6 at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, put the focus on seniors,
their family members and caregivers. Attendees explored aging as a spiritual journey while they learned from
geriatricians, enjoyed nature walks, attended seminars and much more.
Our own Deacon, Janet Nocher, and parishioner Jane Mossbarger were among the conference participants. Jane
spent a lot of time gathering information and compiling resources to pass along to Trinity’s seniors. Her research
and networking also got her thinking about ways Trinity can improve outreach to the senior community.
“We must try to make more visits to shut-ins,” Jane said. She hopes groups within the church will be able to mo-
bilize in the near future to share this task. Outreach to this group is critical, Jane said, as their feelings of isolation
can become debilitating.
Jane also envisions Trinity creating inter-generational “helper” teams. “I’m particularly concerned about families
dealing with both aging parents and teenagers,” Jane said. “The 40- to 50-year-olds in that situation are always
being pulled in two different directions—they are serving as caretakers to their parents and children. It has to be
hard on them. How can Trinity help these people cope?”
We invite you to weigh in on this important topic. Send your questions, comments and suggestions to the editor:
[email protected]. We’ll share your input in the next issue of the Trinity Episcopalian.
Trinity parishioner Jane Mossbarger (front row,
far right) and Deacon Janet Nocher (back row,
third from left), represented Trinity at the recent
Abundant Living Conference.
11
Learn more when Women of
Trinity meet April 22 at 7 p.m.
The Rev. Andrew Benko will pre-
sent: “What hath Rome to do
with Jerusalem? Empire-Critical
Interpretation of the New Testa-
ment.” Father Andrew will pre-
sent a short, thumbnail sketch of
the relatively new methodology.
Christians have tended to think of
the Roman Empire in the
"background" of Biblical inter-
pretation—when they have
thought of it at all! But for the
millions of people living around
the Mediterranean in the First
Century, Rome was anything but
background. It was a daily reality
to be navigated, as inescapable as
death and taxes. As Brite Divinity
School professor Warren Carter
puts it, “As a first century Pales-
tinian, you woke in the morning
and stubbed your toe on empire.”
What happens when we fore-
ground this reality in our reading
of the New Testament, rather
than relegating it to “scenery?”
We’ll look at some passages and
see what an Empire-critical eval-
uation reveals in some very fa-
miliar texts.
What hath Rome
to do with
Jerusalem?
12
Miss ion
A place to play Trinity Episcopal Church acolyte Faith Bruton leads a
campaign to build a playground in Swaziland
It’s recess at St. Joseph’s
School in Manzini, Swa-
ziland. Boys kick a soc-
cer ball across a dusty
field. Girls mill about
laughing, singing, run-
ning. A moment’s free-
dom and abundant fresh
air are being enjoyed by
all. But what’s missing
from this picture?
How about the squeals
of delight as a child rushes down a slide? The cries of
“Push me!” surrounding the swing set? The familiar
“thunk…thunk” as a see-saw touches the ground?
Trinity’s own Faith Bruton is determined that these
familiar sights and sounds will soon be a part of St.
Joseph’s School. After all, a unique school certainly
deserves a special place for its students to play.
Learning moment
Faith learned about St. Joseph’s School firsthand two
years ago. Her father—TCU professor Garry Bruton
—was in Manzini, Swaziland on business. The entire
family had come along, as was their custom. A volun-
teer opportunity took Faith and her mother just out-
side of Manzini’s city limits to St. Joseph’s School.
They would soon discover that St. Joseph’s was unlike
any other school in the country. Through its Zamba
program, St. Joseph’s offers schooling to learning dif-
ferentiated and physically disabled children. Instead
of being ostracized as is the norm in Swaziland, the
approximately 200 special-needs kids are embraced
and—where possible—integrated with the larger school
population of around 500 students.
Months after her visit, Faith found she was still think-
ing of the students at St. Joseph’s School. She had al-
so begun mulling over ideas to pursue for her Girl
Scout Gold Award. These thoughts converged, and
Faith realized that helping the students at St. Joseph’s
would lend itself to the Girl Scouts project. Faith con-
tacted the school to ask about its most pressing needs.
The top three items on the list were 1.plumbing, 2. a
playground and 3. clothing.
When asked why she chose to tackle the large (and
daunting) playground project, Faith reflected on the
time she spent with the students at St. Joseph’s. The
children loved having their photos taken with her digi-
tal camera, where they could immediately see their
likeness on the display. It was touching to see, Faith
said, and a moment that has stayed with her. How
could she best replicate this feeling of wonder and
curiosity among the students?
“I thought, if I give them a playground, it would truly
have a lasting impression on the school,” Faith said.
13
Building the team
Faith knew that this project would require a diverse and far-flung team of supporters. With her mother’s help,
Faith began rallying folks to the cause. Eric Strickland, founder of Grounds for Play—a playground design/build
company headquartered in Mansfield, Texas—signed on to help. Individuals in the woodworking shop at St. Jo-
seph’s School would spearhead the construction effort, assisted by a group of volunteers. Faith’s next stop was
Mother Carlye’s Hughes’ office, where they brainstormed ways to get the Trinity Episcopal Church involved.
A fun—and hopefully fruitful—plan emerged. Parishioners Shannon & Cherie Shipp, assisted by Amiso George
and Trinity’s “feastings” team, would help Faith host a benefit dinner featuring African cuisine on April 27. All
proceeds will go toward the playground project. A silent auction will round out the evening and provide another
avenue for funding the playground.
Faith and her family are currently shifting into high gear to pull off the dinner, finalize funds, and recruit volun-
teers before their July 22 departure date to Manzini. They know they’ll have the prayers and support of the en-
tire Trinity family as they embark on the journey.
But first, a feasting! And you’re invited…
Saturday, April 27
6:30 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
3401 Bellaire Drive South
Fort Worth, Texas 76109
Tickets: $20 for ages 12 and over
Tickets can be purchased in the
church office.
We’ll also be accepting donations for
the silent auction.
14
Fai th
What if ?... God will! Mind Meanderings by Belinda King
It was only a nanosecond glimpse, but years later I can
still see it clearly. Our 16-year-old daughter smiled
broadly and waved from her flashy silver car as she
backed out of the driveway. It had been less than a
month since she was bestowed her driver’s license and
“freedom” was the keyword in her vocabulary. Mean-
while, “fear” had become the prominent word in my
vocabulary. As I waved back, I saw them—an unusual
pair by anyone’s imagination. One was beautifully re-
gal and sat on the hood of the car with her white feath-
ery wings cascading down towards the windshield.
The other one looked like Bluto from the cartoon
strip “Popeye”—big, burly, bearded, definitely no
feathers or wings. He was grinning while holding onto
the spoiler on the back of her car. Instantly, I knew
they were angels. My first thought was, “Did I really
see that?” It was quickly followed by “Wow, God! She
certainly needs them!” Only days later did I realize
why they were in those strategic places and God’s be-
nevolence in allowing me to see the unseen.
She was a child covered with prayers not only from
her family but countless Christian friends. Yet I could
not stop the”‘What ifs?” streaming through my mind.
What if she took her eyes from the road for a split
second? What if some delusional person decided to
follow her? The “what ifs” just went on and on; all
based in fear never in faith. A few days later, in our
city’s busiest intersection a man raced through a red
light and crashed into her car. When the emergency
crews arrived, they were in disbelief that she walked
away without a scratch and the car had not gone into a
roll—her car was totaled. When I saw the mangled
steel, my knees buckled—only a few inches were left of
the driver’s seat. Several days afterward, she hesitantly
revealed, “I saw an angel and she lifted me to the oth-
er side.”
I had not told her my earlier ‘vision.’ That beautiful,
regal angel swept her snowy wings around my beloved
child and moved her to safety. I have no doubt Bluto
clamped down on the spoiler and there was no way it
was going into a roll! The events of that day would
continue to re-define my daughter’s spiritual develop-
ment for years to come and replace most of my fears.
Several months ago, I began to wonder why at times
my faith in a Faithful God seems so tenuous. It is as if
it doesn’t build upon itself—but I know the foundation
is firm and He has proven His faithfulness all through
my life. When I go through periods of trial, I seem to
forget the countless ways he has shown His compas-
sion towards me. One of my favorite authors, Ann
Voskamp, calls it “chronic soul amnesia.” A comfort-
ing thought, though disconcerting too. Finally, I came
to the conclusion that perhaps God made humans in
this specific manner so we would continually seek a
relationship with Him.
Voskamp went on to say as we age and reflect upon
past occurrences we recognize God was present in
those situations. She references the Biblical account
from Exodus in which God hides Moses behind a
rock until His glory passes by and Moses is allowed
to see God’s back. How many times through our lives
have we seen God’s back? Consequently, I realized it
is not an issue of faith but of trust. My faith in God is
firm but do I really trust Him? Proverbs 3:5 states,
15
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” How do I trust God with my
whole heart and my entire mind? The Holy Spirit quietly said, “You replace your ‘What if’s’ with ‘God will.’”
Do a quick mental exercise with me: What if a flood comes? God will seal me inside an ark. What if I face a gi-
ant with only a sling and 5 smooth stones? God will make my aim precise and the Philistine will perish. What if
the cup I am handed is bitter? God will turn it into the sweetest wine to bless others.
Then the question becomes how do I arrive at fully trusting ‘God will’? I think as humans we tend to be
“horizontally-vision-minded.” We look to the left or the right; in front or behind and make judgments according-
ly. God is vertical—His vision is limitless and eternal. So where does horizontal and vertical meet? At the cross—
where we surrender it all—heart and mind. And what if we trust God with our whole heart and mind? “He (God)
will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:6)
Trust the haunting sound of nails being hammered because it is the heartbeat of a God who loves you and will
faithfully guide you in His path of Mercy, Truth and Perfect Peace. For every ‘What if’ in our lives He will re-
place it with ‘God will.’ I know this to be true because I have seen God’s back and it is the fullness of Unfathom-
able Love and Immeasurable Grace.
Belinda King is a member of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Longview, Texas. Her “Mind Me-
anderings” columns appear in each issue of the church’s newsletter. Contact Belinda at [email protected].
16
Calendar
The Month Ahead at Trinity
April 2013
Sunday, April 14
Youth Sunday: Our youth will be preaching at the
9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. services. We’re looking
forward to their fresh insight!
Trinity Forum—Meet the Architects, 10:40 a.m.,
Parish Hall: Meet the architects who are helping
bring Trinity’s master plan to life! The team will
be here at 10:40 a.m. on April 14 to discuss what’s
in the works and answer your questions.
Practicing Faith at Trinity, 2 to 4 p.m., Library:
Our adult education series continues. (See callout
on page 4 of this magazine for more details.)
Saturday, April 20
Saturday Supper, 7 p.m.: Leigh & Judy Cariker
and Scott & Pam Millican will co-host this
month’s Saturday Supper at 3115 Avondale Ave-
nue, Fort Worth, 76109. Bring a dish to share
and your favorite beverage. Coffee and tea will be
provided.
Sunday, April 21
Trinity Forum—Ministry Update, 10:40 a.m., Par-
ish Hall: Mother Carlye and our treasurer, Leigh
Cariker will provide a progress report on new and
ongoing initiatives.
Practicing Faith at Trinity, 2 to 4 p.m., Library:
Our adult education series continues. (See callout
on page 4 of this magazine for more details.)
Monday, April 22
Women of Trinity, 7 p.m., Parish Hall: The Rev.
Andrew Benko will present “What Hath Rome to
do with Jerusalem?” (See callout on page 11 of
this magazine for more details.)
Saturday, April 27
Swaziland Playground Benefit Dinner, 6:30 p.m.,
Parish Hall. (See feature story and callout on page
12 of this magazine for more details.)
Sunday, April 28
Annual Parish Picnic, Overton Park, Fort Worth:
Parishioners will gather in nearby Overton Park
immediately following a combined 9:15 a.m. ser-
vice for fun, food and fellowship!
17
Picture This Looking back.
Looking ahead.
18
Archive Depar tment
In each issue of The Trinity Episcopalian we’ll delve into the Archive to explore the rich history of this
vibrant congregation. If you have further questions about information printed here, or if you have items
you’d like to donate to the Trinity Archive, please email [email protected]. Your archive team:
Karen Shepherd, Vicki Blanton, Lynne Stanley, Becky Roach.
A copy of the Trinity Parish treasurer’s report dated August 1915. (The rector was paid $1,800 that year.)
19
A photo of the church
prepared for its first
Christmas service. The
very first service at this
property was Dec. 5,
1948. The church had
moved from its fourth
location at Hemphill and
Myrtle streets. Take a
close look and count the
changes that have been
made to the sanctuary
since then!
A photo of the congregation circa
1950. (Note the hats on the ladies!)
During this time, the church build-
ing ended where the Good Shepherd
window currently stands.
20
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