TRINITY CHURCH

ANNUAL REPORT - 2020

A Message from Beth

Director of Children's Ministries

What an unusual year! Fall and winter of 2019, we were zipping along with vibrant programming and parish activities and then MARCH came! My computer skills became challenged as we quickly moved to live Zoom classes to finish out the Sunday School year! Andrew Davis, who plays piano for us in Children’s Hour, was meeting with me weekly to put out a pre-recorded segment for our children’s Facebook page. Since VBS needed to be cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, I began a summer project called “The Creation Project.” Materials were sent to each household to dovetail with our Sunday lesson and expanded upon on our Facebook page. During this hybrid time of offering outdoor Godly Play classes, we will continue with the live Zoom class and our Children’s Hour will continue on the Facebook page!

Programs for Children

Three Godly Play classrooms: Godly Play 1—(3 year olds-Pre-K), Godly Play 2 (K-2nd grade), Rite in the Middle (3rd-5th grades).

Everybody Upstairs Sundays: "Godly Play lessons “done large”—presented with children at 10:45 service—“Parable of the Sower,” “Jonah and the Whale,” “The Ark and the Flood."

Godly Play teacher gatherings: Trinity GP teachers meet for fellowship and spiritual support quarterly.

Godly Play Parent Pages incorporated this year with weekly parent emails (digital download) to support upcoming lessons.

Godly Play stories: movement and music from “All God’s Children Sing." Andrew Davis (certified in all needed areas) continues as pianist. Mary Grace Blake (certified in all needed areas) serves as young adult assistant.

Intergenerational Sunday School: Advent lesson in Tuton Hall using the Godly Play Advent series of lessons, followed by Advent wreath making.

Baptismal Preparation—participate with Scott and David with baptismal preparation class by leading families with our Godly Play story on “Holy Baptism."

Intergenerational Lent: Prayer Weaving—presentation of Godly Play Lenten series of lessons, called “The Faces of Easter.” Parishioner Wendy Brooks led families in an activity creating “prayer weaving” mats.

Safeguarding God’s Children: Godly Play teachers maintain certification in this program.

“Come to the Table”: lessons in Holy Communion led by Rev. David Henson for our GP2 and RIM classes, held for two Sundays with each classroom.

“Come Join the Circle”: Children’s Hour transitions to this program during the summer-opening the ages to 5th grade with a much more casual, active, outdoor program. We were able to hire Bailey Smith to cover for Mary Grace who was at Camp Henry for the summer.

CLUB 345 (Junior Youth Group): targets 3rd through 5th graders to gather once a month for fellowship and outreach type of activities. Activities have included Manna Food Bank, Fake Sleepover, Yoga with Kitties, Eliada Corn Maze, Flat Rock Playhouse, and volunteering at Steadfast House.

*We have not met since March due to Covid. Hopefully we can regather in some way in the fall-opportunities through Manna Food Bank, or making meals for the homeless as we did earlier.

Four for Families (Previously “Family Friday”): Ministry for families with elementary age children and younger with our mission to build connections between young families through various activities. This group will meet four times a year, once in every season. This past year: Winter-Snow Tubing, Spring-Picnic at the Salvage Station, Summer-Pool Party, and a Fall-Barn Dance and Dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fall 2019.

*Four for Families has not met formally since March due to Covid. We did coordinate with families to make sandwiches to provide bag lunches for the homeless being housed at the Red Roof Inn during COVID-19. (see below).

CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW

ADULTS

Trinity Children Provide for the Hungry

number of teachers

14 average sunday attendance

30 total enrollment

75

Vacation Bible School: Marketplace 29 AD - The last week in June is our scheduled time for VBS, a multi church venture.. Due to Covid 19, VBS was cancelled this summer, but we look forward to reconnecting next summer.

NURSERY

Three paid staff in the nursery with two new-hires: Katie Hanrahan and Meredith Broadway. Substitute: Kristen Wahlert Nursery Supervisor: Ingrid Sanders
All CPR /First Aid/AED certified-maintained regularly
“Safeguarding God’s Children”-maintained regularly
Average attendance- 4-6

*nursery has been closed since March 8

Children’s Choir: Beth assists with both children’s choirs on Wednesday evenings, emailing parents and other types of coordination. Alleluia Choir-5 members and Jubilate Choir-6 members.

*We have not met since March due to COVID-19.

club 345

OUR CHILDREN WENT ONLINE IN MARCH

The Creation Project

This was a three-part project for Sundays that included a packet of materials and guide book mailed to each family; Zoom lesson each Sunday that coordinated with home materials; supplemental video on THE Facebook page to coordinate with lesson for the week. Attachments were added for further exploration.

Behind the Scenes

one of the finished classes

After March, Andrew and I collaborated on recordings each week to be viewed on our Trinity Asheville Children’s Ministries Facebook Page. We included stories, songs and movement. We planned our presentation to follow the progression of the lessons for “The Creation Project."
Starting Sept. 13th, Andrew and I began providing “Children’s Hour” on Facebook in the same format that we used on Sundays in-person. Click above to watch one of these videos.

CHILDREN’S HOUR

Approximately 15-25 children participate in this worship service for ages 3 through 2nd grade
GP stories, movement and music from “All God’s Children Sing”
Andrew Davis (certified in all needed areas) continues as pianist
Mary Grace Blake-new hire as of Sept 2018 (certified in all needed areas) serves as young adult assistant
“Come Join the Circle” Children’s Hour transitions to this program during the summer-opening the ages to 5th grade with a much more casual, active, outdoor program.

summer 2020 - flat jesus project

Each family received their own paper cutout of Jesus. They took Him with them, usually on their summer adventures, but for our purposes, taking Him with them as they go through this unusual time of quarantine. They were encouraged to take photos of their Jesus as He walks with them—helping them keep Jesus at the forefront of their minds. Even some adults requested to have Flat Jesus with them!

Jesus is with you all the time-doing virtual school work, playing with siblings, cooking dinner and sitting down for dinner with the family, alone in your room wondering what to do next, Zoom meetings with other family members, outdoor play, and more.

Click Photo to Enlarge and see the full Gallery

On September 13, Godly Play began in-person outdoor classes dividing Godly Play into two groups instead of three. The thinking is that once we are able to be in the building, the GP1 room is too small to allow for social distancing.

Godly Play A will be three year olds through 1st grade. Godly Play B will be 2nd through 5th grades. For Sept.-Oct. we plan to meet under tents in the new courtyard, following a typical Godly Play classroom order and lessons. We will Zoom the GPB class for children wishing to stay home.

If live Zoom becomes too problematic, I will pre-record lessons to be available online. When weather becomes too cold, we will move downstairs using the former Rite in the Middle and GP2 classrooms-providing separate entrances for children. Sign up will be needed to control numbers in the classroom.

outdoor godly play

An Introduction to Outdoor Godly Play

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS

CLUB 345 CHANGED TO CLUB GPB

Just for COVID-19 times, we have changed Rite in the Middle to Godly Play B or GPB and now include grades 2-5. This is because our GP1 room is too small to allow for social distancing, so we combined our three Godly Play classes to two.

CLUB GPB!

We will be just like Club 345, gathering mostly on Sunday afternoons for social and outreach activities, except we will be following protocols for COVID-19 and trying to select activities with social distancing in mind. Of course, it will be up to parents to decide on their comfort level with our activities.

our FIRST EVENT was on

SUNDAY, 27 1-3pm

Organizing meals for the especially vulnerable homeless housed at the Red Roof Inn in West Asheville.

This is the same thing we did this summer when families made PB&J’s except our club will be making the sandwiches and bagging the meals that day. I will be sending out a list of items needed and will ask those families to drop those items off on that Sunday. We will do this outdoors under the tents in the new courtyard with masks and gloves! If we have extra time we’ll do an outdoor scavenger hunt. Pickup at Trinity at 3 pm.

CHILDREN MINISTRIES

SAINT O’LANTERN WALK!

SUNDAY NOV. 1ST-ALL SAINTS DAY

FROM 6-8 PM

Join us for the Saint O’Lantern Walk, a new family event at Trinity for All Saints Day, designed especially for these times of social distancing.

We’re going to fill our new courtyard with pumpkins made into Saint O’Lanterns with one or more people from a Trinity family dressed as the saint featured in each pumpkin! Trinity parishioners will get to stroll through the courtyard, social distanced and masked, to visit the Saint and their Saint O’Lantern. Just imagine all those twinkly white lights, glowing pumpkins with the saints of God, goody bags, and a bit of fun, learning, and faith!

Families of children and youth will pick a saint from the list provided! Using either the traditional symbol for that Saint, or a symbol your family would rather use, carve that symbol into a large pumpkin!

advent in a box

advent wreath-making &

reverse advent calendar

Plans for this Advent include pick up of materials needed to make an Advent Wreath for families to take home and decorate.

A “Reverse Advent” Calendar will be included in the box, for families fill the box with one item for each day of Advent to be given to the Church of the Advocate for needed supplies.

and . . .

Andrew Davis continues as Children's Hour accompanist
Additional GP stories were purchased towards reaching the goal of having all three classrooms supplied with Core Stories.
Beth attended Well of Mercy- Spiritual direction as part of her continuing education
Beth will be attending the FORMA Conference in January to be held in Atlanta. FORMA is a ministry of Episcopal Christian Formation
Everybody Upstairs Sundays -Plan was for “Mystery of Lent” for next presentation (cancelled, as was the late May program).
Godly Play teacher gatherings-Trinity GP teachers meet for fellowship and spiritual support quarterly
Teachers met with me via Zoom to keep updated and connected
Easter Services and Egg Hunt- Two Children’s services, resurrecting Alleluia banner, flowering of the cross, egg hunt
*In-person Easter services and egg hunt were cancelled due to COVID-19. We did have a live Zoom on Easter Sunday that was well attended.
Women’s Dessert and Decorate- women of Trinity along with women from Church of the Advocate came together to decorate the Undercroft for the Advent/Christmas season.
Christmas pageant and rehearsals: in planning stages for how this might be done safely, possibly by video.
Bishop of Myra Sunday-John Hall as Bishop of Myra most likely will be done during Livestream service

Feast of Lights liturgy -Children and youth lead this portion of the service for Epiphany
"Palm Sunday Walk” with Church Street churches-families from the three churches on Church St shared in a worship time and “walk” to Pritchard Park -cancelled due to COVID-19.
Shrove Tuesday events-mask making, pancake races, piñata
Intergenerational Lent - Lenten Candle Cross in a bag- Families met for an intergenerational lesson on how to use the Lenten candle cross (much like the Advent wreath), then gathered provided supplies in a bag to take home. Included was a devotional guide on what to do and say as each candle was lit during each Sunday in Lent.
Safeguarding God’s Children- Godly Play teachers maintain certification in this program
New banners to be used in processional for Children’s Hour
Godly Play Parent Pages incorporated this year with weekly parent emails (digital download) to support upcoming lesson. Parent Pages were sent home to correlate with lesson on Zoom.
Trinity Episcopal continues to participate as a “Godly Play Congregation” by joining the Godly Play Foundation Membership-membership allows discounts on purchases, workshops for certification, etc.

Children’s Formation Ministry committee: Beth Chestnut, Page McCorkle, Anna Whisnant, Bonnie Scothorn, Terry Hasty and Nancy McCorkle, Wendy Brooks (meets quarterly)

OUTDOOR WORSHIP