“Growing in love and service through relationships with God and community” is Trinity’s Vision statement.  Pastor Tracey used Trinity’s Vision Statement as the foundation for her Lilly clergy renewal grant.  Pastor Tracey’s various sabbatical activities are designed to deepen relationships with:

• God – through intensive times of silent retreat
• Religious communities – Retreats at Benedict Inn (south of Indianapolis), Great Vow Zen Buddhist Monastery in Oregon, Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, and a Bruderhof Community in East Sussex, UK.
• Friends and family – through trips to visit family in Pennsylvania, time with friends in Indy and Cincinnati, a trip to Portland with Britt, and a Route 66 vacation with my sister, Vicki.

While Pastor Tracey is living out our vision, Trinity will be diving deep into our vision as well.  Among other activities, May 17-18, Rev. Dr. John Whitaker, from Shiloh United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio will facilitate a retreat for our congregation.  This retreat is open to everyone who is a part of Trinity.  It is not limited to leadership.  It is not limited to “official” members.  If you engage with Trinity, you are welcomed and encouraged to participate!

The title of the retreat is The Choice for Community.  The retreat will feature learning and discussion around such things as:

• Definitions of community, obstacles to community, community strengths and weaknesses, foundations of community and inclusive community
• How our cultural values (such as individualism, equality, independence and freedom) impact our understanding and experience of community
• How our personal understanding of Jesus and our interpretation of scripture impact our understanding of Christian community
• Spiritual practices that sustain and strengthen community, such as gratitude, commitment, truthfulness, and hospitality 

The retreat will begin at 5:30 on Friday evening, May 17, in the Great Room with dinner prepared by Julieann Davis, and will conclude at 8:30.  It will resume Saturday morning at 9 a.m. (pastries, fruit and coffee will be available) and conclude at noon.

Rev. Whitaker is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and a certified spiritual director.  He completed his Doctorate in Ministry at United Theological Seminary. Understanding and constructing healthy Christian community within American culture was the topic of Rev. Whitaker’s doctoral dissertation.  Rev. Whitaker and Pastor Tracey served on staff together for four years at Church of the Cross United Methodist in Dayton, Ohio.  You will find that Rev. Whitaker’s teaching is well-aligned with our congregational vision and values. Rev. Whitaker will also bring the morning message on Sunday morning, May 19.
 

In July, 2019, Morris DuBose began a grant-funded position as Trinity’s Narrative Consultant.  Trinity has built our discipleship and outreach around narrative and story.  Trinity Fusion (our Monday evening gathering) fuses together sacred story and our personal stories and experiences.  Last summer we hosted Unfinished, monthly gatherings for story telling.  Previously, Morris led a small group of church members who came together to share their life stories and experiences with one another.
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What makes our stories so important?  Why have we chosen narrative as the primary format for our discipleship and outreach?  Because, as Irene Nowell writes:  “telling our stories leads us to understand who we are… If our stories are not told, the depth of our souls will not be known.”

As we continue to explore new and exciting ways to engage the community both within and external to Trinity we are fine tuning our approach to our storytelling and narrative. We are pivoting from our original Storytelling Group model, that featured designated storytellers with hour and a half presentations, to the Unfinished Circle.

The Unfinished Circle will meet on Wednesdays beginning on April 3rd, continuing weekly at 5:30pm in Trinity’s Great Room. We will create a space for small scale storytelling that will center around specific themes. People are invited to share, listen, or of course do both. Come to as few or as many evenings as you want. If a specific topic inspires a particularly compelling story, contact Morris DuBose at motres+story@gmail.com or leave a message at the church office.

• Week One: Introductions
• Week Two: Laughter
• Week Three: Food
• Week Four: Siblings
• Week Five: Goodbyes
• Week Six: Pain
• Week Seven: Family
• Week Eight: Love

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Story you can’t wait to share? Contact Morris DuBose at motres+story@gmail.com

Pastor Tracey’s sabbatical will begin on April 25. There are some special congregational gatherings related to the
sabbatical.  Read below and mark these dates on your calendar!
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Leave-taking Reception on April 7
April 7, following morning worship will be a “leave-taking” reception for Pastor Tracey.  Join us in the Great Room for a time of snacks and fellowship.

Congregational Retreat May 17-19
The weekend of May 17-19, Rev. Dr. John Whitaker, a United Methodist pastor serving in the West Ohio Conference, will lead a retreat and preach for Sunday morning worship.  Rev. Whitaker serves as Senior Pastor at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Cincinnati.  He is trained in spiritual formation and has a D.Min. from United Seminary focused on the topic of Christian Community.

Pastor John will lead a retreat Friday evening and Saturday morning entitled The Choice for Community.  The retreat will take place in the Great Room and will begin with a light dinner on Friday evening, May 17, at 5:30 p.m. and conclude around 8:30.  It will resume at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning and conclude at noon.  The retreat will focus on topics such as: 
· Definitions of community,
· obstacles to community,
· community strengths and weaknesses,
· spiritual practices that strengthen community,
· inclusive community, and
· foundations of community.
This retreat is for the entire church.  It is not limited to formal church leadership.  Lily clergy sabbaticals encourage events for the congregation to grow during the pastor’s absence.  This retreat will be a wonderful opportunity for learning and growth.

Rev. Whitaker and Pastor Tracey served together at Church of the Cross United Methodist in Kettering, Ohio in the late 90’s and have remained good friends.  You will certainly be blessed by Pastor John’s leadership and teaching.

June Story Suppers
During the month of June, the congregation will have two opportunities to craft our “congregational narrative” as Morris DuBose, our narrative consultant, facilitates two story suppers.  The entire congregation is encouraged to participate; but you only need to attend one of the two story suppers.  The first will include a light lunch and will take place following worship on Sunday, June 2.  The second will include a light dinner and will take place on Wednesday, June 19, at 6 p.m.  Morris and table facilitators will lead us in celebrating and “cataloguing” memories of such things as: past pastors, our music program over the years, our missions and community outreach, how our surrounding neighborhood has evolved, memorable holiday traditions, etc.  This will be an enjoyable, interactive experience and will allow us to craft our congregation’s narrative in preparation of celebrating our 200th anniversary in 2027.

Communication during Sabbatical
Keep in mind that Lilly sabbatical expectations are for there to be no contact between the pastor and congregation during the sabbatical period in order for clergy to completely “unplug” and rest and renew.  Pastor Tracey’s church email will be forwarded and will be responded to by either Melissa or Rev. Jack Hartman.  Many of you have Pastor Tracey’s cell phone number but calls and texts to the cell phone number will also not be responded to during the sabbatical time. 

Pastor Linda will be in town and you are welcome to contact her with any pastoral emergencies as well.  A full listing of how clergy duties will be divided will be available on April 7 at the leave-taking reception to assist you in determining who can best field specific questions or concerns.

Pastor Tracey’s sabbatical will include multiple opportunities with religious communities.  As mentioned in a prior newsletter, there will be time with a Bruderhof community in the UK.  A week will also be spent at
Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky.  Thomas Merton is this monastery’s most famous monk.  Trappist monks are cloistered Benedictines, meaning that they are strictly focused on prayer and work.  Each day they observe the seven prayer times – Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.  The abbey is in a remote setting, very quiet and includes many trails through the forest.
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In May, Britt and I will spend a few days in Portland, Oregon seeing the sites.  It will be my first time in the
Pacific Northwest.  Then, Britt will return home and Tracey will drive to Great Vow Zen Buddhist monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon.  This monastery also follows a strict communal schedule with three one-hour meditation times each day.  Like Gethsemani, it is in a beautiful setting surrounded by walking trails.  At both
monasteries, nearly all of the day will be spent in silence.

Please join us for an after-worship “leave-taking” reception on Sunday, April 7, at 11:30.  Although Pastor Tracey’s sabbatical does not officially begin until April 25, the reception is being planned earlier in the month so as not to conflict with Holy Week and Easter.

While Tracey is gone, Trinity will have the opportunity to celebrate life together in community through two Story Suppers.  These will be led by Morris DuBose, our narrative consultant.  Through the story suppers, under Morris’ leadership, Trinity members and constituents will craft the story of Trinity through the decades from the 1950’s until now.  This congregational narrative will be shared and celebrated with Pastor Tracey when she returns from her sabbatical and will also become a resource for Trinity’s 200th anniversary celebration of our faith community in 2027.  The first story supper will be held on Sunday, June 2, immediately following worship and will include a light lunch.  The second will be held on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. and will include a light meal.  Select the date most convenient for you.  Whether you joined Trinity in the 1970’s or 2010’s, please come to share your perspective and experiences on our church family through the decades.  Please RSVP to the church office (info@trinitylafayette.org). Direct any questions to Morris DuBose (motres+story@gmail.com).