Dear Trinity, I have had a lot of trouble writing my letter this month. It has been hard as the world seems to be filled with uncertainty. There is uncertainty in my family as we prepare to move, on top of the normal issues of everyday life. There is uncertainty as I look to a new appointment but also wish to finish strong. Hovering over all of these issues has been the Special General Conference. As I write this letter, the final worship is happening as the Special General Conference comes to a close. The delegates voted by a small majority (54 votes—or 6% of the vote) to accept an amended version of the Traditional Plan that strengthens the churches stance against homosexuality. But what this vote will amount to is yet to be seen. This is because this plan was deemed unconstitutional by the Judicial Council (the UMC’s Supreme Court) before amendments, and it is unsure whether any of the plan or its changes will stand. No matter what your beliefs or hopes on these i...
Dear Trinity Family, As I write this letter, I am in the final stages of preparing for our mission trip to Guatemala. I find myself reflecting on the last year that has brought us to this point and anxious to see how this journey ends. We all walk through many journeys in our lifetime and 6 years ago, Jim and I started our unexpected journey with Trinity. At the time, our hearts had been searching for where God wanted to use us, and he used a sound board issue to bring us to Trinity. Since we first met at Taylor University, God brought our hearts for ministry through music and discipleship together. With Jim’s degree in Christian Education and mine in Music/Business, He has used our gifts and talents in many different places, for which we are grateful. We, like your pastors, know that whenever we land somewhere, it is for a season. We are there to do what God is asking of us. Six years ago, He brought us to Trinity and 5 yea...
Once upon a time, there was a Trinity Church Sunday School class named “Faith in Action.” Faith in Action reached out time and again to people in need in our community. They took on their first big project in about 1991 in which they organized the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign at Walmart in Kendallville. They raised $5,000, adding that to the $7,500 from United Way and then rolling in their Trinity Love Fund and went to work reaching out into the community. Their actions became so well known that very soon their pastor, Rev. Dr. Dale Mendenhall became inundated with people coming to the church doors for help. Not far away, at First Christian Church, Rev. George Bloomquist was experiencing the same level of needs at his church doors as the result of the “Fish” group in his congregation who were also involved in community outreach. As these two pastors began to compare notes, they realized they were “helping” the same people! In fact, they wer...