AmeriCorps Alumnus Highlight: Seth Farber

Do you you ever wonder what happened to those awesome AmeriCorps staff who dedicated a year (or more!) to Trinity's Outreach Programs? For the month of February, we will be highlighting a few of our past members, culminating in the release of a Trinity Outreach publication, highlighting the service of past AmeriCorps at Trinity's 2016 Annual Meeting.

Seth Farber served in AmeriCorps at the 7th Street Learning Center (now the Bobcat Learning Center) from 2003-2005. Currently, Seth lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is an occasional free lance writer and stay at home dad to his two children. Here are some of his thoughts on his time at Trinity.

My favorite memories of my time at Trinity are of the basketball court and the swimming pool, those brief moments when I got to see students I worked with on a daily basis truly relaxed and fully themselves.

During my time at Trinity, I learned how to be an outsider, how to contribute to a community whose life experience differed vastly from my own. I learned to speak less and listen more. I learned that earning trust (especially from middle schoolers!) is a humbling and time-consuming process. I learned that white churches need to tread lightly and not assume we know what's best for our neighbors. I learned that, in the grand scheme, I didn't know very much.

I'm not sure I put those lessons to good use during my AmeriCorps stint, at least not as much as I wish I had, but they have certainly shaped my life and work in the decade since. In my new home in North Carolina, I try to listen to my community more than I talk, to be patient and not overestimate my importance, and to stand in solidarity with friends and neighbors affected by racial injustice. In many ways, the lessons of those humbling and eye-opening Trinity years have enabled me to offer more meaningful support to friends and neighbors in the immigrant rights movement. For the past few years here in NC, I have found my niche as a writer, helping undocumented activists get their message out as they fight for their community's rights.

But in the grand scheme, of course, I still don't really know all that much.

Update:  Seth and his wife, Kristy, have recently moved to Bellevue, WA where Kristy has accepted a call to become Pastor of Mercer Island Presbyterian Church.

Trinity continues to utilize AmeriCorps members in our Education Programs through our partnership with the Northwest Leadership Foundation's Urban Leaders in Training Program.

Seth along with some Learning Center students at a Roller Skating Night circa 2003.

Men's Retreat

““Ecologists remind us that a tree planted in the clearing of an Old Forest will grow more successfully than when it is planted in isolation in an open field. The roots of the new planting will follow more easily and more deeply the hidden pathways of old root systems. Likewise, human beings thrive best in following the patterns of life already taken by others before them. None of us needs to reinvent the wheel or live as if no one has preceded us in the pathways of the wise.”
-James Houston, The Mentored Life”

This quote from James Houston is an apt reminder of the need that all humans have to be connected with one another - a truth that was definitely lived at the 2016 Trinity Men's Retreat. Our focus of "Our Story - God's Formation" based us in hearing from one another the stories of how God has met us and written our stories throughout our lives. We were blessed to hear from some longtime Trinity members, as well as from one another. 

Our Sunday morning reflection time on the retreat led one attendee to reflect, "A retreat like this makes Sunday mornings different." This is our hope of time spent away on retreat together. Our hope is that connection with one another helps us to notice what God is doing among us, and makes for greater connections and realities of community.

A few other thoughts of men who attended the Retreat: 

"Another thanks to everyone who went and thanks to the guys who shared in front of everyone. Also a special thank you to the guys who were new to Trinity and came anyway. It was great getting to know you all a little better!"

"Yeah, a really great time. Enjoyed getting to know many of you just a little bit better. Looking forward to next year. MOODY UP!"

"I wanted to say thanks to all ya'll for the weekend. I kept thinking of all the great guys around the circle or table (pool or food). What a gift. I also can't help but think about all the men who weren't there and wished they had been. Maybe next time. I think Miracle Ranch is a great place to have this event. I wouldn't change a thing."

"I am grateful for the group of guys who went to the retreat and for all of the men at Trinity. I don't know that I've ever experienced such a welcoming, open and honest group of men. And watch out for Matt Lambert."

The tentative dates for the 2017 Men's Retreat are January 20-22. Hope you will join us!

A Beloved Year

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”                                                                                                                                              Matthew 3:17

Our women’s small group has been studying this scripture for the better part of 2015.  Yes, the same Scripture for a whole year.  Each time we met, we shared with each other how God had revealed himself to us since the time we last met.  

Some questions we pondered were:

• What does being God’s Beloved mean?  

• When have you felt most/least Beloved in the past week and why?

• What are some times in the coming week you may need to be reminded of God’s love for you?

• Who has helped remind you that you are God’s Beloved?

• How have you been God’s Beloved or shared that love with others?  

• How has your identity as God’s Beloved shaped your other relationships or responsibilities? 

We really loved the simplicity of studying a single verse each week.  We didn’t have to read a chapter in a book or prepare for anything.  We just came together and talked about how God was at work through the awareness of scripture in our daily life.  Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved was a steady resource, as well as Pinterest boards, art, AwesomeSoxx and more.

As we journeyed through the year, each of us encountered God in different ways and at different paces.  It was beautiful to witness the the blooming of each bud in its own time.  Sometimes we heard stories of Beloved interactions.  Other times, we spoke words of Belovedness to each other as we shared in struggles.   Here are a few words from several of our sisters on the impact of our study in their lives…

For me, finding Beloved moments in the ordinary details of my daily routine gave me reason to pause and be grateful for everything and everyone God puts before me. Situations and people can be challenging, but we are all (including those who cause us pain) Beloved children of God. Reciting that word during moments of hardship put things in a more peaceful perspective.      ~Kari Ann Elling

 

Many of us come from religious traditions that value sacrifice and martyrdom over all. We focus on our sinfulness and our need for redemption. But what if we focus on our beloved-ness instead? What if we lived most fully in who God created us to be? This past year I released the mantra of "unworthiness" and embraced "beloved-ness" and it has made all the difference: a new career, renewed joy, and a new way of seeing others as beloved, too.        ~Deanna Neidlinger

With a single scripture weaving its way through our lives, I found myself craving the next time we met to hear how God was at work in each of us.  I watched and waited as others discovered their life as a Beloved child of God.  I wanted that too, but it took longer to discover for myself.   I realized we don’t suddenly arrive at our identity as God’s Beloved, but continue to discover it daily.  If I am still realizing God’s love for me when I am old and gray, praise be to God!        ~Annie Lambert

Here’s what I appreciated about this practice in our women’s group: it was simple, yet led to profound conversations.  It started as an inward experience of being Beloved, and turned outward, as a reminder that everyone else (even the prickly ones) are Beloved, too.  I think our conversations were full with stories about our lives and our moments of Belovedness, which was more rich and rewarding than the run-down of life happenings that often become the topic of conversation.  I think it also brought us closer together, and for that, I’m grateful!        ~Momo Pulliam

As our year comes full circle to the baptism of Jesus, we hear the Scripture again.  This time, with new perspective, depth and joy.  I pray each year when we visit this liturgy, we will be reminded of our “Beloved Year”, claiming even stronger our identity as God’s own.  And looking forward to how God will continue to reveal more of His love for us in the year ahead.  

                                                                                                                Amen.  Come Lord Jesus. 

Annie Lambert, the author of this reflection, and her family are part of a small group that has been meeting for seven years. In that time the group has seen marriages, children born, jobs changed, etc. The community group has adapted and keeps working. As a function of their larger community group, the women of the group get together and meet separately as a support group for one another.  

UNITE! 2015

What do you get when you combine 143 youth, 50 staff, and over 4' of snow?

You get UNITE 2015

December 27th-31st all these things compounded on Tall Timber Ranch for fun days and worshipful nights around the theme RESPOND. Participants explored the ways to listen for, engage in, and act upon God's call for their lives.

The 20 Trinity Youth and leaders.

This remarkably diverse retreat included a mosaic of people, from our own Trinity teens, to students involved in White Center's Union Gospel Mission, to youth from the tiny town of Plain, Washington. This allowed for a remarkable new dimension in small group discussions.  Particularly poignant, each student shared details of where they were from, offering unique insights into the varied lives of the youth from these nine churches in our region.

When not engage in active ministry, we were just active! Snow fort competitions, cross-country skiing, Foosball, and a group games saw the whole camp running, dancing, and gesticulating in all sorts of ways. 

Between late nights, beautiful worship, delicious camp food, powerful messages, and hilarious skits, UNITE 2015 will go down in the books as another excellent retreat.

Waiting in-between

Below is the poem Tom Llewellyn wrote and shared as part of our Christmas Eve worship

Waiting in-between

by Tom Llewellyn

Jesus came once already without

any nonsense. He came the way babies

always come, with labor pains

and amniotic fluid and um-

bilical cords, to teach us the clearest

of lessons: that miracles sound like crying

babies.

 

But still we wait for God to come back

at the fifty yard line of the Super

Bowl. We long for hubbub, for fanfare,

for a little nonsense. No crying babies,

thank you very much. A king, if you please.

And while we wait for angels to block out

the stars with their spread wings, we forget

to tilt our heads back and see the stars

themselves. Orion is up there right now,

twinkling behind the clouds. We wait

for God to speak His secrets out loud

instead of listening to the sound

the Nisqually River makes when the spring

sun melts the glacier ice. We wait

for wise men to tell us the how and the why

while a brown-haired five-year-old is sliding

down the entryway stairs on a cardboard

box. We fall and skin a knee.

Two weeks later, new skin grows back

all on its own, while we wait for the lame

beggar to walk again, because

then we would believe.

 

Miracles would make the waiting easier.

Would it help if food grew on trees?

Would it help if broken bones

stitched themselves back together?

Would it help if we could harness

the power of lightning with the flick of a switch?

 

The miracles somehow cease to amaze us

when they occur every Tuesday,

when apples fill our bellies, When

the filaments glow inside a Sylvania light bulb.

 

We wait.

We wait for God to come in glory

while dew covers a spider web

and shines like diamonds.

Joy in Sadness

Coping with Grief and the Holidays

For those of us who have lost family or friends in the past year, the arrival of the holidays can be especially overwhelming. In the midst of sadness, celebration is painful.

We may feel ambivalent about long-standing traditions - memories have become bittersweet. Below are some suggestions for holiday survival, collected over the years.

*  Have a family discussion about which customs to keep, suspend, and new traditions to begin. Children are especially rich resources - be sure to includce them.

*  Consider giving to someone else.  Volunteering at a shelter or nursing home can provide a feeling of togetherness when you feel alone. Do something in memory of the person who died like plant a tree, give a toy to a needy child, or donate food for a family in need.

* Have a different kind of tree, or decorate it in a differernt way.

* Find comfort in small ceremonies, such as decorating the grave with holly or branches from the Christmas tree, or writing a note to buy, burn of float away at the beach.

* Throughout the holiday sesason, light candles in memory of the person who died.

*  Hang their stocking and fill it with notes from family members. Read the notes aloud. Or, fill with stocking with candy to share.

* Celebrate on Christmas Eve rather than Christmsa Day.

*  Attend a different church or temple for a service that is new.

*  If you find you're feeling happy, allow it!

The holidays, like annniversaries and other signifant dates, seem insurmountable at first. Painful as they may be, though, they serve a function - they reinforce that death is permanent and no amount of wishing will bring our family back.

Once we survive the holidays, we often emerge with an incrased understanding of the reality of our loss, which may well be the beginning of the road to healing. We do survive, and weith some smalll grace, we not only survive, but we create new meaning and hope in our lives.

                                                                                                                             - Beverly Hatter, LICSW

Reprinted by permission of "Cross Currents" the newsletter of Bridges, a Center for Grieving Children in Tacoma.

Ancient and New at Trinity

In 2016, a new ministry starts at Trinity, that actually isn’t “new” at all. It’s the role of ordained Deacons. Deacons are women and men who are called to a special ministry of compassion, witness and service within and beyond the church. Rooted in Scripture,(Acts 6, 1Tim.3, Rom.12:8), "deacon" comes from the Greek meaning “to serve.”

While Trinity hasn't ordained Deacons since the mid-1990's, the focus of this ministry, care and service, is one of the hallmarks of the Trinity community. Our Presbyterian Book of Order states that a Deacon is “to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith.” The Trinity Session voted last month to re-initiate the role of Deacon and set aside three people who are empowered and blessed by the community to lead in this important work. At Trinity, we imagine Deacons being involved in a ministry of presence and compassion with home and hospital visits, helping to organize resources as needs arise, and caring for the poor and vulnerable in our midst.

The Nominating Team desires to have discerning conversations with potential candidates for this office of service and compassion. If you know of a Trinity member who would be a good fit for this ministry, please contact a Nominating Team member, either Kim Hunter, Mike Smith, Aya Clark, or myself. I’m excited to see how God will use this ancient, and yet new, ministry in the life of our church.

Grace and Peace, 
Pastor Matt

Advent Moments

The 2015 Trinity Advent Devotional is available!

As we begin the business of the Christmas season, we invite you to draw on the scriptures and questions provided to remember Advent. We hope that this devotional would serve as a steady foundation during a time of disconnected festivities, performances, gifts, and parties.

Use these verses and questions as an opportunity for solitary reflection and journaling, or engage your family in conversation, to cultivate a culture of waiting in this season of Advent.

Download the devotional here.

Trinity Outreach Programs 2012-15 Strategic Plan Review

They say a Strategic Plan is only as good as the amount of time it spends off the shelf and in your hands. Luckily, our recently-completed 2012-15 Trinity Outreach Programs Strategic Plan spent a lot of time being put to use. The Trinity Transformational Presence Team spent many hours of hard work on this plan, and we are grateful for all the incredible, life-changing work that has taken place over the past three years. 

Below are some of the highlights of what was achieved through the 2012-15 Trinity Outreach Strategic Plan:

• 30% growth in number of program volunteers.
• 30% growth in funding.
• 46 students served through TAP.
• 445 students served at the Learning Center.  (TAP & Learning Center numbers do not count the hundreds of students served by our staff through in-class assistance.)
• A brand new Learning Center program model at Jason Lee through partnership with the Peace Community Center and Jason Lee middle school.
• Over 5,000 kids and adults served through Pat's Closet & Tony's Kitchen.
• $35,000 raised through the Trinity Outreach Auction.
• 2 Focus Groups conducted on Christmas House and Tony’s Kitchen. 
• Transformational Presence month of October has become a mainstay at Trinity.
• Our stated partnerships (Northwest Leadership Foundation, Peace Community Center, Tacoma Public Schools) are healthy and growing.
• We have undertaken the process of completing our next Strategic Plan, aligning our process with the future vision of Trinity Presbyterian Church and our ongoing mission of Transformational Presence here in the Bryant Neighborhood.

We are extremely grateful for the many faithful volunteers, staff, and community partners who have made this work possible. Here's to what has been, and to what is to come!  

THANK YOU!

Bryant Late Start at Trinity

As a partner with Bryant Montessori Elementary School, we are offering childcare for students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade on the "Late Start Days" in the 2015-16 school year.  Trinity will offer supervision at the church (within walking distance of the school - 1615 Sixth Ave) from 9 AM until 12 noon, when Trinity caregivers will walk your child(ren) to school. A snack of fruit, cereal bar and juice is provided. Only 25 spots are available for the Late Start program, so register now.  Cost is $10.00 per first child and $5.00 for each additional child in a family.  

Trinity Presbyterian Church has been a partner with Bryant Montessori for the past 25 years and offers TAP, a daily afterschool literacy program to 1st and 2nd grade students. The teachers of Bryant must refer you to the TAP program.   

The Bryant Late Start dates for the 2015 - 16 school year are:  

September 16th
October 14th
November 18th
December 9th
January 13rd
February 10th
March 9th
April 13th
May 11th
June 8th
 

For more information contact Rachel Boisen at rachel@tpctacoma.org or call 253.272.8819, ext 105.

August: Hands on Worship

Over the last few years, we have taken the month of August to welcome our younger worshipers into the worship service (ages Kindergarten and above). This both familiarizes our children into the shared worship life of Trinity and gives our Sunday School teachers a much needed break! We've attempted to make worship more "family friendly" and engage people of many different ages through the years. This year, we are going to engage with some of Jesus’ parables in a unique way.

For the first three Sundays in August (Aug 2,9 and 16), there will be several "worship stations" set up around the sanctuary to aid you in meeting God. This change will help us to move from sitting more passively in the pew to a posture of hands-on engagement with God's Word. One station might offer a commentary to read, another might give you space to pray, or a third might invite you to create in response to God's voice in the parable. It will be a different way to engage scripture compared to a sermon, but it will be a great way for us to worship together.

So come try it out. Enter as a child into a new way to worship. You might be surprised to find that you really like it!

The worship service begins each Sunday at 10 AM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1615 6th Avenue, Tacoma

2015 Youth Summer Servant Adventure: A Review

Fourteen members of Trinity's Youth Group with their four adult leaders spent an amazing week on their Servant Adventure in Northern Idaho.

The seven high schoolers lived at a former forest service fire fighting training camp near the small community of Prichard, ID. They spent the first part of their day in work teams, serving alongisde youth and adults from other churches in Washington and Colorado, helping local elderly residents with yard work, home repairs, and chopping/stacking firewood. The afternoon were spent in Bible study, leadership training, worship and various outdoor activities.

What did the high schoolers think about their experience?  

“I loved worship and deep meaningful conversations we had with each other. We got to share what was really on our hearts.”

“One of my most meaningful moments . . . was when we got to comfort our new friends from Colorado after they found out about the tragic passing of a friend back home.”

"Before each Bible study .  . . we were asked to be silent for a moment. These moments of silence in the beautiful outdoors made me feel close to God.”

“I really enjoyed meeting new people, especially getting to know some amazing Christian adults.”

“I felt so peaceful being out in nature! God’s creation is so beautiful!”

“I felt so loved by Richard, the elderly man, whom we helped this week. He had a lot of back pain, so he really appreciated our service. He came out of the house, talked to us, and gave us all hugs.”

“I will never forget this servant adventure because of the work we did. It made it so much more meaningful than any other Christian camp.”

“I loved spending time with the residents of the nursing home in Wallace. I think I want to look into possibly doing that in Tacoma too.”

The middle school group spent the week on Lake Coeur D’Alene as a part of a multiage Christian camp program with “champ campers”: kids with disabilities. By the end of the week, the middle school youth had gotten a chance to go on an overnight canoe trip, build a golf course for the camp, lead worship, and work on establishing regular personal time with God.

What did the middle schoolers think about their experience? 

 “One of my most meaningful moments at camp was spending time with the “champ campers”, who had different levels of disabilities. It helped me realize how much they are just like us.”

“One of my favorite parts of camp was trying something new each day: swimming, or archery, or going on a canoe trip.”

“It was great spending time with my cabin mates. We met new people and got so much closer to each other!”

 “One very memorable moment was when our cabin witnessed one of the champ campers have a seizure, and we prayed for her together. It was so great to see her well again.”

“One night during worship, we prayed together as a cabin. It was a very special moment that brought us so close together and to God! We even walked back to our place all holding hands!”

 ”A really cool moment at camp was when, during the Prayer Around the Cross, our counselor prayed for each one of us, and then John suggested that we all pray for our camp counselor, and we did.”

The youth and their leaders would like to express their deep gratitude to their Trinity family for supporting them as they grew closer to God, to each other, and learned to be servant leaders in the community!

2015 Catechumenate Sunday

What a rich and full day Sunday, April 26th was. Catechumenate Sunday was the expression of six of our youth's faith pilgrimage.  Catechumenate is an old word that goes back to the earliest days of the church. It describes how new Christians were welcomed into the church and taught the faith (often using "catechisms").

Trinity has reinvigorated this tradition.  The Youth Catechumenate is a 9 month process calling young people to examine their faith with mentors who journey with them. This pilgrimage of examination is preparing the young people to profess their faith in Jesus Christ, receive baptism (if they haven't already) and be welcomed as active members of the church. It's similar to confirmation, and invites young people (or our "catechumens") to accept responsibility for their own faith. 

This year our catechumens from the youth group were:  Lena, Poey, Malia, Zach, Max and Daniel. Friends and family joined us for the worship service where these young people professed their faith. Members of the community were invited to write down things learned from their own faith journey to share with these young people.  All these words were incorporated in a booklet given to the young people the next week.  

The worship service then moved outside to where Poey and Max were baptized (in chilly water) with a great group of witnesses surrounding them.    

Those already baptized were anointed with call to remind them of their own baptism. After the service a luncheon was given in honor of the catechumens where their families, mentors and teachers were able to attend.   

Pastor Matt Robbins-Ghormley reflection on the spirit of the luncheon. 

Surrounded . . .

There was a lunch gathering of about 50 of us Trinity people after church this past Sunday to celebrate the six young people who had just made their profession of faith - family members, mentors, youth leaders. It wouldn't have been feasible, but I wish the whole congregation could have been there to witness what was happening. One after the other, these youth got up and as Julia invited us, the community spoke words of blessing and affirmation to them. People stood up and called out the gifts that they saw in each youth - gifts of hospitality and evangelism and truth-telling and kindness. And then we prayed.
 

In many ways, this is the culmination of what we had hoped for several years ago when we conceived of our version of a confirmation program here at Trinity. We wanted young people to be given a genuine opportunity to explore their faith and to say their own “yes” to Jesus - not to just check a box. We wanted to have them surrounded by the Trinity community, and given a rite of passage as they become members of the church. As I held my 4 year old on my lap, I was praying that one day my own kids would get to be a part of something as meaningful as this.

Many thanks to Julia Corbett for architecting this great program and investing so much time, energy and love into this process. I am also grateful for the many people who were mentors and teachers for these youth, and who shared their personal stories of faith along the way. What a incredible way this Trinity community surrounds one another as we all continue to grow up in Christ.

Middle School Retreat

On March 24 - 26th, the middle schoolers at Trinity had a great opportunity to enjoy some paintballing and zip lining at the beautiful SoundView Camp while getting together to learn more about "# Not Alone." Special thanks to Stephen Coates-White who was the "adult chaperone" on the retreat.   

"What is Needed for Learning to Take Place?"

“Significant learning cannot happen without a significant relationship.”

"When I think about the impact I have made at Jason Lee Middle Mchool, I refer back to the relationships I have formed with the middle school students. The Bobcat Learning Center, Jason Lee’s after school program, definitely has its challenges.  If I were volunteering at the middle school three years ago, my 19-year old self would see a lot of chaos. I would see students unwilling to engage in enrichment activities, volunteers goading students to start their homework, and staff members reprimanding students for their behavior. At the end of the day, my 19-year old self would question his purpose as a tutor, whereas my present-day self would feel a sense of satisfaction.

"In order for students to be successful at the Learning Center, the goal for our program is to provide a safe space for students to receive emotional and academic support. More importantly, the success stories come from the connections we form with the students we serve.  “Tamara,” (her name has been changed to protect confidentiality) a seventh grader at Jason Lee Middle School, is a student who prefers to watch YouTube videos and hang out with her friends at the Learning Center. Tamara has attended my leadership enrichment class since the start of the school year. Although she loves to participate and encourage others to participate in class activities, her main challenge with school is her ability to process information. She often feels discouraged with homework when she puts in the effort, yet does not receive the grade she feels she deserves. When I tutor Tamara one-on-one, I am aware of her need to socialize. For Tamara, practicing math problems for an entire hour can lead to frustration, so I make sure I give her time to take breaks and to chat with friends. After a 5-10 minute break, we are back to school work and she is refreshed and focused. At the end of the day, I am really proud of Tamara. Without the Learning Center, Tamara would not have the space, nor the academic and emotional support she needs to maintain an above average GPA.

"All in all, the best part about my year has been the relationships I have formed with the students at Jason Lee Middle School and biggest lesson I have learned working at Trinity Presbyterian Church and Jason Lee Middle School is that significant learning cannot happen without a significant relationship. 

- Kyle Lee is in his first year as AmeriCorps at Trinity through our partnership with the Urban Leaders in Training program at the Northwest Leadership Foundation.

2015 Outreach Auction

Friday, April 17th at Trinity was the date of the 3rd Annual Outreach Programs Auction. Thanks to all the donations of wonderful items and the support of the community, Trinity was able to raise over $14,000 to support Outreach programs such as the TAP Literacy Tutoring for 1st & 2nd Graders from Bryant Montessori,the Learning Center for After-school enrichment at Jason Lee Middle School, Pat's Clothing Closet and Tony's Soup Kitchen.  The evening was a great success and we appreciate your participation in making it a success!

Thanks to all who made this evening such a wonderful success, especially the volunteers who decorated and cleaned up afterwards. You ROCK!

City of Destiny Award

Dr. Sandra Lindsay-Brown, Principal of Bryant Montessori Elementary School graciously nominated Trinity Outreach Programs for a 2015 City of Destiny Award.

Results are out and Trinity's Outreach Program has won the award. Congratulations to all who have particpated in and supported the TAP Program, Learning Center, Pat's Closet, Tony's Kitchen, Neighborhood Health Clinic, Christmas House, etc.  

Since 1987, the City of Tacoma has honored outstanding local volunteers through its City of Destiny Awards program, which is spearheaded by a City Council appointee. 

The award will be presented on June 3rd at the City of Desitny Award Ceremony.

New T.A.P. Assistant

Welcome Sophie Kautz to the Trinity Staff

We are pleased to announce that Sophie Kautz has agreed to serve as the TAP Assistant for the remainder of the school year.  Sophie will serve as asstant to Rachel Boisen, Coordinator of Trinity's Afterschool Program for 1st - 2nd graders. Sophie will join Rachel in working with our TAP students on literacy each day after school. 

Thanks to Sophie for stepping in to give much needed support as we close out our 28th consecutive year of TAP.  

30 Hour Famine

Child labor and trafficking, child marriage, domestic child poverty, worldwide child poverty and malnutrition, and gender inequality are just some of the issue that were presented during the 30 Hour Famine this year with Trinity's Youth on March 7-8, 2015.  In preparation for the 30 Hour Famine, the teenagers heard from four Trinity members of their international work:  Emily Coates spoke of her mission work in Haiti; Matthew Rollosson told of his work as a public health nurse in Sierra Leone during the Ebola epidemic; Julia Corbett  shared of life growing up in Russia; and Julie Quesada told of her family's adventures in working in a Honduran orphanage.  

When naming some of the most "impactful moments" in their Famine weekend, the Youth mentioned:

Trinity's Youth assemble food packs for the ministry at St. Leo's.

Writing notes to put in food packets.

• Assembling food packs and writing notes for children who live in poverty in Tacoma
• Candlelight prayer vigil honoring children who die every 10 seconds from hunger related causes
• TRIBE games that educated us about life in rural Ethiopia
• Poverty Simulation – a problem solving game that allowed us to enter the experience of a poor family in Bangladesh
• The movie, Girl Rising
• Small group reflection and journaling

Struggling for Food druing the TRIBE games.

Team Ethiopia was the winner of the TRIBE games of searching for food. 

“During the Famine, I learned that the hunger crisis is a lot bigger than I had thought, and it’s in our community. About 750 kids in Tacoma worry about what they will eat over the weekend. “

“I saw God working through the Famine, as He opened my eyes to the suffering of so many people around the world. “

“ The one word I would use to describe the famine this year is INSPIRING. After everything I learned, I felt inspired to do something to solve these problems.”  

“The most overwhelming part of the Famine for me was during Tribe games, when I felt so hungry and tired and wished that I could just rest, but I had to keep going anyway.”  

“The 30 Hour Famine taught me that there are so many people out there who have a lot harder life than us, and we need to be more generous with them.”

Thanks so much to everyone who have supported our teens in their experience! Special thanks to Andrea Krook who came in during the Famine and gave a presentation on World Vision's Child Sponsorship Program.  So far, three Trinity families have sponsored a child through World Vision.  To learn more about child sponsorships, click here.  

If you haven’t had a chance to support our youth in their 30 Hour Famine fundraising, please, click here to donate. 

Thanks so much to everyone who have supported our teens in their experience! Special thanks to Andrea Krook who came in during the Famine and gave a presentation on World Vision's Child Sponsorship Program.  So far, three Trinity families have sponsored a child through World Vision.  To learn more about child sponsorships, click here.  

If you haven’t had a chance to support our youth in their 30 Hour Famine fundraising, please, click here to donate. 

Trinity Hosts Weekly Youth For Christ Meeting

It is our pleasure to serve as the host for Youth For Christ's Tuesday night Sozo Middle School meetings. Sozo Middle School is a weekly meeting of middle schoolers living in the Hilltop. Sozo is a place that feels like family, where kids and leaders eat dinner together, play games, and listen to a message from the Bible. The goal of Sozo is to build authentic, caring relationships with the kids and to continue to walk with them long-term into high school (with Sozo High School) and into adulthood. Trinity is proud to be a part of the work that YFC is doing here in the Hilltop area.   

“It’s a place where kids can be real, where they have a voice, and they can grow in relationship with Christ,” says Doug Jonson, the City Director for YFC-Tacoma.”