TRINITY CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT - 2020
TRINITY FLOWER GUILD
Let’s start with prior to March 15, shall we?
The flowers for Christmas 2019 were stunning, thanks to the planning and guidance from Mary Bruce Woody. The centerpiece was white flowers pouring out of a hand-made wooden creche surrounding the altar cross. Thank you to Lang Horthal for working with Mary Bruce to make that happen.
”It is the Lord himself who urges us to “consider the lilies, how they grow” (Matthew 6:28).
In doing so, he directs us in an awesome encounter. The use of flowers in the church is an expression of joy and love to our Lord and gives our worship life.
Little did anyone know that two and a-half months after Christmas, our worshipping at Trinity and throughout the world was in for a major change. March 8th would be the last Sunday we would worship in-person. The altar was bare except for the traditional sticks for Lent.
The pandemic did not stop the Trinity Flower Guild. The decision was quickly made that flowers would continue to adorn the altar for our now “televised” services. For Palm Sunday, the Lenten sticks were replaced with palms. Palms everywhere that would be seen on-camera making sure they made their best appearance through the lens.
But what about Easter? Trinity has always been full of flowers in every place possible, and a beautiful design had been laid out by Jennine Hough. The Guild persisted! With some major changes to the design, Jennine along with Tina McGuire and Courtney Blossman carried out the decoration in full for the altar, pulpit, and paschal candle. It turned into one of the most beautiful of Easters. Since there would be no parishioners to share in taking the flowers home, the decision was made that the flowers would be taken to them.
On the Monday after Easter, Chris Dismukes, Frances Smyth, and Mary Howell met at the church, six feet apart and wearing masks, to make over 50 arrangements from the flowers which had one day before been on the altar. They were loaded into cars and taken out to the people of Trinity…especially those in need and those not able to get out as they once had. This was also the spark that ignited the Flower Delivery Ministry.
Flowers became an important part of the online streaming services and they are always mentioned in the online chat for their beauty and for the people they honored or memorialized. They seem to be enjoyed as much, if not more, than they were in person.]
I am proud of each member of the Guild and their willingness to continue to adorn the altar Sunday after Sunday, and especially during this time of pandemic. It is, indeed, a joyful ministry to decorate the church with flowers and greenery. We adorn the church in loving memory and in great thanksgiving to those who are loved and cherished, and to the glory of God.
This guild is now in its twelfth year of organization. The Guild is organized into the sub-groups of Vice Chair (Erwin Gunnells), Supply Sacristants (Chris Dismukes & Jan Cantrell), New Member and Orientation (Barbara Fotinos), and Scheduling (Catherine Metzger). The Chair serves for two years, followed by the Vice Chair becoming the Chair.
The Guild is made up of 26 regular members. Please consider joining us! Anyone and everyone is welcome into this ministry. All that is required is a love for God’s beauty. We have arrangers of all ages and all stages of mastery. There is definitely NOT a prerequisite of any knowledge of flower arranging – we will guide and mentor the novice to where he/she feels comfortable and truly enjoys this ministry.
It is such a joy to arrive (in person or online) on Sunday morning to see a gift of love on the altar.
Flower Festival Grace Episcopal Cathedral, charleston 2019
An arranger’s prayer: “Oh Lord, please don’t let my flowers wilt, my lilies stain the vestments, nor my vase leak. May we and the Altar Guild not fight. Let my arrangement neither fall nor catch fire. Amen."
Submitted by
Ken Wilson, Chair
Trinity Flower Guild