OUR MISSION AND VISION
During our interim journey together we’ve tried to discover how God is calling us to serve
our local community of Wyoming, Michigan, our diocese, and the greater Grand Rapids area. We’ve
also examined where we are and what we dream of being. A Mission and Vision Team met for
several months in prayer and discernment and created the following Mission and Vision statements.
These were presented to the congregation for their feedback, which was minimal.
Our mission is our reason for being here. We believe this is the work God has given
us to do:
Our Mission
- – Warmly recognize and welcome Christ in all persons
- – Generously feed the hungry
- – Graciously comfort those in need
- – Faithfully provide worship, programs and ministries that fulfill the
spiritual and educational
- needs of all ages.
- – Enthusiastically be a center of hospitality for our diocese and the
community-at-large.
Our vision is that to which we aspire. We know that we’re not fully there yet;
however, by fulfilling our mission every day we get closer to what might be:
Our Vision
With God's help we will...
- – Seek Christ in all persons
- – Serve others
- – Strive to be a vibrant, growing and visible Episcopal community of faith
-
GOALS
The vestry examined the mission and vision statements in detail, and identified
four specific goals that we hope to accomplish in the next year:
- Open the church to the community, such as looking for ways to bring in
support groups, the homeless, provide meals, etc.
- Be welcoming to all persons (especially Hispanic, minorities, gays, etc.)
- Teach our parishioners what it means to be an Episcopalian.
- Get broader support and enthusiasm for the ministries of the church, such as outreach
WHO WE ARE
We’re a relatively small, family-sized, congregation. We have 120 communicants in about
76 families. Some of our members are from those founding families of 1957. Others have
come much more recently. We’re a pretty homogeneous bunch, mostly Anglos, although we do
have a few representatives of Latin, African-American and Asian cultures. There is a
newborn, a few toddlers, and quite a few young boys in the small-fry crowd, but not as
many little girls. There are only a half-dozen or so high-school age young people. The
average age in the congregation is 57.
Most people who drop in to visit remark about the friendliness of the people. We’re
good at hospitality, welcoming people who show up and making them feel at home, but we’re
not as dedicated as we need to be in inviting people to come visit us. We know we’re
going to have to work on reaching out more if we hope to grow the size of the congregation
in the months and years ahead.
In general, people in our congregation like one another. We’re certainly not all of the
same mind about some of the “hot-button” issues in the church. Our recent parish survey
revealed that a number of people are opposed to the consecration of The Rt. Rev. Gene
Robinson and to the idea of blessing same-gender unions. The rest are neutral or approve.
Fewer are opposed to the idea of a woman as presiding bishop, with most people approving of
The Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori’s election. There are some who oppose calling a
rector who is gay/lesbian, even if that person is the strongest candidate, and the remainder
report they are neutral or support the idea.
We’ve had some tense times about our differing perspectives in the past. There was a
time when there was a lot of tension in the congregation. Some people felt they had not
been heard and others felt stung by hurtful words. After Bishop Robinson’s election, some
of our members left the church for awhile and worshipped elsewhere. Quite a few of them
have returned in the time since then. We believe we have healed a lot during our period
with our interim rector, Fr. Larry Bradford. We are learning to live with our differences
and to respect the beliefs of those with whom we differ on these matters. We will have to
continue in openness and dialogue as we go forward.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Fifty years ago, on a spring day in May, 1957, thirteen families gathered for worship in
a small cement block building that had at one time been home to an unknown number of chickens.
Yes, our church began in a chicken coop! The old coop is still standing, a bit worse for the
wear after 50 years.
We were established as Holy Trinity Mission by Bishop McNeil. It wasn’t long before the
mission called its first priest, The Rev. Everett F. Ellis. Two years later, in 1959, with
more families in the congregation, the mission bought ten acres of land in Wyoming, Michigan
where the church sits today.
The original church building was built in 1961 and on March 4, 1962, Bishop Bennison
consecrated it for God’s use. Two months later, Holy Trinity became a parish of the Diocese
of Western Michigan and Fr. Ellis served as its first rector.
As the church grew, more space was needed. On October 22, 1989, ground was broken for an
addition to the church to provide a new sanctuary, sacristy, additional seating, a new rector’s
office, an elevator, handicapped-accessible restroom, nursery, meeting areas, storage, new
kitchen and increased space in the dining hall. The church was rededicated and consecrated
on June 9, 1990.
Today, Holy Trinity is an oasis in the city. We are surrounded by commercial development on
all sides of our ten acres. We have an excellent rectory which has nearly seven acres of woods
for its backyard. A beautiful labyrinth was constructed two years ago, providing a place of
peace and tranquility to anyone who wishes to enter. Deer and other smaller creatures and
birds are often seen in our woods.
STEWARDSHIP
We define stewardship as taking good care of what God has given us. For a small church,
we are blessed to have many individuals who generously contribute time and talent, as well as
financial contributions especially for special needs.
We have a new stewardship chairperson and committee who are resolved to increasing the
awareness of stewardship year-round. We have been working to increase awareness of our
biblical obligation to tithe and have encouraged our congregation to pursue a program of
percentage giving toward achieving that goal.
At the same time, we have made significant strides forward in our own support of our
diocese, increasing contributions from less than 3%, to 8% over the last three years.
WORSHIP
Liturgically speaking, we are somewhat eclectic. We like traditional Anglican hymns, but
use a fair amount of contemporary songs, too. There are several talented musicians and singers
in our church family who enrich our music and worship. We have a small but talented choir.
Currently there is one Sunday Eucharist at 9:30 A.M. and a Wednesday Eucharist at 9:30 A.M.
followed by Bible study.
The people have said they like a sung Eucharist and we’ve just begun learning how to chant
the Psalms. We follow traditional Episcopal practices and use the Revised Common Lectionary.
In the past two years we’ve had an outdoor “Mass on the Grass” when our new Labyrinth was
dedicated, Taize services, a Blessing of the Animals, and, for the first time, a Tenebrae
service during Holy Week.
We have a dedicated altar guild, acolyte corps, greeters and lectors groups. Several of our
members are Licensed Eucharistic Ministers.
EDUCATION
As noted earlier, there are several younger children in the Sunday School and we are blessed
with an excellent volunteer director. However, we have very limited offerings for pre-teen and
high-school age young folks. Some of them participate in youth programs at other churches.
This is an area that needs development.
Adult education in the past two years has been primarily the Wednesday morning Bible study,
“Bibles and Bagels” and a weekly series of reflections during Lent, following a potluck supper.
There is an opportunity to enrich and expand adult education in the church.
Most of our members have graduated from high school and quite a few have earned college
and/or professional degrees and certifications.
EVANGELISM
Although visitors to Holy Trinity find us warm and welcoming, evangelism is an area of
weakness for us. We have struggled to find ways to invite newcomers to our church. We utilize
Yellow Pages, newspaper ads, portable signage, and have received local newspaper coverage for
events at our church.
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral care is one of the most important and best-appreciated ministries at Holy Trinity.
Pastoral care is provided by Lay Eucharistic Ministers, other laypersons, and the rector who
serves as leader in:
- – taking communion to shut-ins
- – hospital visitations
- – home visits as requested
-
We anticipate that successful rector candidates would demonstrate experience in this
important ministry, especially if they have had success in encouraging lay participation.
SOCIAL ACTION/OUTREACH
Outreach supports many organizations in the Wyoming and Grand Rapids area, with a main
focus to "Family Network of Wyoming”. We give our support with financial assistance and with
monthly food donations to food pantries. We also support the youth of Holy Trinity by helping
out with camp fees so they can attend Youth Camp.
Every month we receive calls from individuals in need of assistance with rent or utilities
and sometimes food. We are usually able to assist them.
In 2006, Outreach received $5,273.38 from Holy Trinity. January–May 2007, we have
received $2,714.35.
Outreach has dedicated people and we have good support from the parishioners, but there is
a great need for new people and growth.
FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship is an important aspect of life at Holy Trinity, involving:
- – coffee hour after services
- – “Holy Chow” (rotational monthly dinners of small groups)
- – Sunday school parties
-
- – Picnics
- – ECW-sponsored events
- – Tuesday morning breakfast group
- – Easter breakfast
- – Lenten soup suppers
- – Shrove Tuesday pancake supper
DESIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES IN THE NEXT RECTOR
The vestry also compiled a list of “desired skills and abilities of the next rector.”
Some of these skills mirror the results of the parish survey. They are listed here with
no particular priority attached:
|
Skill
|
Subset Skills/Preferences
|
|
Preaching
|
Scripture-based sermons that are related to real-life issues.
|
|
Teaching
|
Adaptive to different learning styles.
|
|
Leader/Unifier/Counselor
|
We need a “take-charge” person who will partner with the vestry. Experience in outreach
is a plus.
|
|
Musically “aware”
|
Experience with contemporary music is a plus.
|
|
Sense of humor
|
Warm, approachable, enjoys people.
|
|
Loves kids
|
Must be willing to incorporate children in worship.
|
OUR RECTORY AND HOLY TRINITY WOODS
We have a very nice rectory available on the church campus. The rectory was built in 1970
and has been carefully maintained. It has four bedrooms, two and one-half baths, a den/office,
kitchen, living room with fireplace, and separate dining and breakfast areas. There is a full
basement with a family room and extra storage, along with a two-car, attached garage. A large
deck overlooks the fenced backyard. Seven beautifully wooded acres are directly behind the
rectory. This is the location of our labyrinth. Future plans include Stations of the Cross
among the pine trees.
The use of the rectory for our new rector will be optional. We anticipate calling a
three-quarter-time rector, depending upon whether or not the candidate chooses to live in the
rectory.
OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION
Pledges and anticipated income for 2007 are not currently at a level that will fund a
full-time rector. Because of this, we anticipate calling a three-quarter-time rector,
depending upon whether or not the candidate chooses to live in the rectory. Another Episcopal
church in Grand Rapids has offered to partner with us and to use our new rector one-quarter-time
to help support their rector. Specific salary and other financial details will have to be worked
out with the successful candidate.
CONTACT US
If you would like to explore a possible future role as our rector, we encourage you to
contact the chairman of our search committee,
Kevin Murphy. You can also check out our web site at
www.HolyTrinityWyoming.org.
We pray the Holy Spirit will guide your discernment in considering Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church as a potential ministry.
