Dear Friends,
Sunday, September 28, 2025, was another fine day at Trinity.
Great crowds gathered for worship with lots of energy, followed by an All-Parish Brunch attended by 150. The event began with a Ministry Fair representing Trinity’s many ministries for the coming year.
We heard inspiring talks from Stewardship Chairs Shaun, Foster, and Katherine Duncan, and distributed the To Bless the Space Between Us stewardship packets for 2026. What followed were lively table discussions among engaged members—a time that filled my heart.
We also heard an update from Senior Warden George Young on the status of the Rector search. One of the key indicators of Trinity’s readiness to begin that search is how faithfully the community embraces the 2026 Stewardship Campaign.
So: how do we prepare Trinity to attract rector candidates who best embody the faithful legacy of this place? I hope you will be praying about this.
In a recent sermon and follow-up letter, I shared what I called “some uncomfortable truths” I’ve been discovering.
Over the last several years, Trinity’s financial commitment has remained essentially flat—yet inflation has not.
As expenses have risen without matching increases in giving, we’ve had to reduce staff, defer facility maintenance, forgo new program opportunities, and slow our ability to serve the City—an essential part of Trinity’s legacy.
During this same period, average Sunday attendance has declined by 25%. These difficult realities are interconnected and must be addressed before we proceed with a new rector search.
Prospective candidates will want to know how Trinity supports its staff and maintains its facilities. Our community is blessed with talented and devoted staff who could earn more elsewhere, yet they choose to serve here. But recent budget constraints have led to departures, and many who remain have assumed extra responsibilities without added compensation. That’s not right.
Rising healthcare, insurance, utilities, and facility costs cannot be ignored. These obligations must be met if we are to keep the lights on—and keep the doors open. Simply put: church doesn’t happen without your generous support.
You may well be asking yourself, “What can I do?” Let me offer two words: Participation and Commitment.
First: participate. Show up. Be regular in your attendance at Sunday worship—I assure you, it will be good for your soul.
Deepen your prayer life. God is always speaking—are you listening? Engage with at least one of Trinity’s ministries. You’ll be responding to God’s call and also finding new friends along the way.
Then: commit. The deeper your commitment to Trinity’s ministries, the more your heart will open to receive the transforming grace and joy that the Holy Spirit brings. True commitment invites transformation.
We do well to remember that we own nothing; we are stewards of every good gift God gives—including our very lives. How then can we not joyfully return to God a portion of what already belongs to God?
The people of Israel demonstrated this through “first fruits” giving—offering back from the top, not from leftovers—a principle endorsed by Moses, Paul, and other biblical leaders.
Zonnie and I resolved early in life to pledge intentionally to our parish—Trinity. We started at 2%. Over time, we moved toward tithing 10% or more “off the top,” and have never looked back.
This year, we are pledging more than 10% of my Trinity salary to the work the Holy Spirit is doing here. This kind of giving grounds us in faith and joy.
I offer this by way of example. Whatever you prayerfully pledge in 2026 is between you and the Lord Jesus. I trust that your intentional, faithful gift will be just right for you. But know this: when we give generously from the heart to Kingdom work, we are transformed.
Participation and commitment are precisely the benchmarks rector candidates will watch as they discern whether God is calling them here. You have a vital role in preparing Trinity for the search.
When you receive your pledge card, set aside a quiet time and place to consider it. What does Trinity mean to you in this one life God has blessed you with?
Whatever you decide, let it be intentional. Let it be from the heart. Let it be a commitment.
May God abundantly bless you and all whom you love,
Lex
