A Hope Filled Annual Meeting

On January 9th we gathered to take stock, to celebrate, to look ahead. Reports were provided by the School Breakfast crew, the Altar Guild, our Wardens and our Rector. A financial report for 2010 and the Vestry's Budget for 2011 were presented and endorsed. As we met, and drank coffee and shared nibblets, a slide show of the Saints of Trinity played in the background: a joyful wedding, the junior warden and his wife in their cow costumes, Hands of Friendship welcoming Jacinta, the trees lit up for Jazz on a hot August night, children and children, and Blessed pets.

Last year we invested in an engineering study of our building which showed that 150 years of steady good care leaves us with a beautiful wooden structure that is sound, and in reasonably good repair. He has studied the potential savings of moving winter worship from the Sanctuary to the parish hall. Due to the upgrades in the heating system, it costs us $65 per month to worship in the Church - well worth the modest expense. Junior Warden Geoff Shepherd was commended for standing in a long line of faithful caretakers. Doreen Jevons gave thanks for generous gifts that allowed for the purchase of oil candles for the altar and for new linens.

We have served 841 breakfasts during the fall season and look forward to continuing our breakfast ministry. On several occasions children have felt safe enough to tell us they have had no supper and were then sent off to school with extra snacks. We have Additional volunteers are needed, especially on Tuesday mornings.

the Rev Susan Langle presented a graphic - the Parish Life Cycle - illustrating that the life of our parish is not just worship, not just our ministry of breakfast, but is also our ministry of presence to the community by sharing our space, and our koinonia or fellowship and our commitment to deepen our faith through book groups and bible study. To grow, to be fully alive and full of the joy God intends for us we need to be anchored in this life cycle in more than one place. All Trinity folk are challenged, nudged, invited and tapped on the shoulder to consider where they might grow in love and participation in the coming year.

Jan Cochrane, our Senior Warden offered this Prayer for the upcoming year:

Almighty and ever living God, ruler of all things in heaven and on earth, hear our prayer for this parish family: strengthen the faithful among us, arouse the careless among us and restore the penitent among us. Grant us all things necessary for our common life. Grant us wisdom as we look to future years, receive our thanks for years past on which we have built our present and bring us all be of one heart and mind within our holy church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.