I don’t know about you, but the beginning of the school year was always one of my favorite times of year – the new totebag, the new books, the new pencils, the new pencil erasers, the new box to put them in, new teachers, new desk, new notebooks full of blank paper, multicolored folders (Trapper Keepers, anyone?)…
And it’s that time of year again. I’m not sure Trapper Keepers are around anymore, and school supplies now involve technology, charging cords and wifi.
At Trinity, we’re starting the school year as well. I was just walking through the lower level classrooms this afternoon where our Godly Play teachers, Crystal Fiechtl and Krissy Jordan, were organizing their room – sorting Crayons and new books, tracking down the Baby Moses, creating a space that will invite in our littlest students this Sunday to learn the stories of the Bible, not just hearing them, but seeing them and talking about them in the language of wonder and imagination.
Every month when our Youth and Children’s Ministry (YCM) committee meets, and every time I stop in our Sunday morning classes or hear our teachers reflect on them, I’m grateful and amazed by their creativity and dedication to inspiring our young people. Our teachers write curricula, find and incorporate artistic projects, incorporate recommendations from child development research, plan and volunteer for seasonal events, put together the busy bags in the church’s children’s corner. Many of them are parents, and teachers outside of Trinity – preschool, elementary, high school and university.
We invite you to come learn about our classes and with our classes this Sunday morning, which is an Open House while classes are in session. We have every-Sunday-morning classes for kids from preschool and pre-reading all the way through high school, where they’re learning our traditions, holy scripture, and how faith relates to their lives in the world here and now.
GODLY PLAY: Montessori-inspired curriculum for preschool through early elementary (pre-reading).
CRAFTING FAITH: Curriculum developed by our teachers that explores each week’s lectionary readings through conversation and creative activities. For middle and upper elementary students.
TRINITEENS: Our middle and high schoolers are exploring their faith in curricula grounded in the Episcopal and United Methodist churches – Connecting Faith and Justice on Sunday mornings, and Echo the Story on Sunday afternoons once a month.
Our adult formation has continued over the summer on Sunday mornings, and we’re launching several new classes this coming week. Here’s the rundown:
SUNDAYS
Adult formation, 9:15 a.m., two tracks:
1. Faith for our World: Classes explore our Christian life through the sacraments, the liturgical calendar, music and other topics throughout the year.
2. Fostering Faithful Families: A new Sunday morning group, at 9:15 am most Sundays, for anyone invested in family life, from parents of young kids to grandparents and godparents, aunts and uncles, or those who may like to have children one day. Led by Fr. AJ and Shannon Riley, we’ll brainstorm ways to navigate the hard parts of family life and find simple ways to talk about God and faith with our families.
(Both tracks meet together once a month for Between the Collars.)
TUESDAYS
Rector’s Book Group: Meeting 5:00-6:00 in the Foster Room, this group focuses on books that address the intersections of faith and public life; the first reading this year is “The God Who Sees” by Karen Gonzalez
Writing our Faith: You don’t have to be an experienced writer to join this time of conversation and writing together, 4:30-6:00 – we read the work of a wide mix of poets and use their words and other inspirations to prompt our own. A retreat and a journal are in the plans for 2026-2027.
WEDNESDAYS
Men’s Bible Study: This meets at 7:30 every Wednesday, digging deep into scripture and led by its members.
Yoga in the Sanctuary: Wednesdays at 10 a.m., taught by Stephanie Otteni and designed for yoga practitioners from beginners to experienced – a time for peace and relaxation in the historic sanctuary of Trinity.
Women of Faith: Our Wednesday morning group continues meeting at 11:00 a.m., and is joined by a new group, Women of Faith, Evening Edition, at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings! Both groups will follow the same readings, a mix of lectionary lectio divina, books, seasonal devotions and more.
Education for Ministry (EfM): This group meets online for this four-year course designed by the seminary at Sewanee, studying Old and New Testaments, Christian history and cross-faith spirituality through reading, conversation, theological reflection and spiritual autobiographies. Our fall group is full, but there is a possibility of a second cohort starting mid-year. An EfM alumni group meets once a month at Trinity.
Peace,
Rev. Cara
