Trinity Together | August 2017

session summary

At our regular meeting on the 13th we took some routine actions approving minutes and so forth. Of particular interest, Elder Bill Porter spoke briefly about a report from a committee of the General Assembly. The committee is doing important work on women serving in ministry within the PCA. You can access their report here.

We approved the recommendation of the Diaconate to grant Deacon Emeritus status to Bob Fleischman and John Owen. We are enormously grateful for the faithful service of these brothers. Please remember to thank them when you see them.

We heard reports from the Ruling Elder Oversight Committee and from Jessica Wey Robinson on recent Chapter activity. We will be selecting an elder to replace Louis Nelson as a Session-designated member of the Pastor Search Committee. Louis requested he be replaced because of the press of other responsibilities.

Director of Worship Arts Isaac Wardell and Elder Jim Avery brought us a draft of “A Roadmap for Pastoral Prayer in a Time of Civic Strife.” We were asked to give them comments on the draft. A revised document then will be discussed in our August meeting before we take action.

Louis Nelson, speaking for the Pastor Search Committee, brought us the good news that Walter Kim had accepted their offer to serve as Trinity’s Pastor for Executive Leadership, subject to the congregation’s calling him. As most of you probably know, in the meeting held July 30, the congregation overwhelmingly approved Walter’s nomination (by a 281 to 11 margin) and called him to serve in this position. Walter will be examined by our Presbytery this week. Please remember him in your prayers. Exciting times ahead!

Have a question about our Session? Email session@trinitycville.org.

Donations to Trinity on Target

As of the end of July, our 2017 YTD contributions were $1,174,997, which tracks above the prior year's giving by $78,713. As you may recall, our giving target for 2017 is $2.6 million—an increase of $100,000 over 2016. We need that increase to fully fund our budget for 2017 and to move toward paying the full costs of employing two additional pastors for the entire year in 2018. 

Trinity is heathy financially. We have a significant balance in the bank because of your generous giving in December of 2016. We are gradually spending that balance down as our monthly expenses exceed monthly income each month. We are monitoring spending in each of the ministry areas to ensure that we meet the total 2017 expenditures budget and to confirm that we fulfill all planned ministry programs and facilities projects.

Thank you for making your giving to Trinity a priority in your weekly or monthly budgets. We ask you to consider increasing your regular giving by 4–5% to help meet our shared ministry goals for 2017 and to meet our $2.6 million target.

Stewardship Snippet

Have you ever heard someone tout the goal of financial independence? A financial guru might use it in a sales pitch for a book or seminar. It sounds appealing, right? “Self-sufficiency, here I come!” But what does that mean anyway? Having enough money to do whatever you want, whenever you want?

As Christians, knowing that everything comes from the Lord, is that an appropriate goal? Where would we be going if we were to “go it alone”?
—Kevin Wells

MEET elder fitz green

You may have noticed a new name signing letters from the Session this summer or a new face leading the last congregational meeting. Both belong to Fitz Green, an elder of two years who has served as moderator of the Session in recent months. As he looks forward to passing that responsibility to the Pastor for Executive Leadership, other elders and church staff are grateful for his service and leadership in this role.

Fitz, his wife, Rachael, and their five children live in Belvedere in the North Parish. They have been attending Trinity since 2005. They moved here from D.C. for Fitz to enter the UVa master's program in religious studies where he focused on church history. Fitz and Rachael both grew up as only children—he near Philadelphia and she in Rhode Island. They met during their first year as students at George Washington University where each received a BA in religion. After a year of marriage as they planned their move to Charlottesville, a member of their small group in D.C. urged them to attend Trinity, helped Rachael secure work as a research assistant with Amy Sherman, and advised them to get connected to the Center for Christian Study. Rachael helped lead a women’s Bible study at the center as Fitz served in various volunteer leadership roles there while a student. After receiving his master's Fitz began work toward a PhD concentrating on ways the church fathers interpreted scripture. Since 2011 he has worked full-time at the Study Center as Director of Educational Ministries.

The Greens' one son and four daughters range in age from 3 to 10. This fall four will be enrolled in Agnor Hurt Elementary. Through the years both Fitz and Rachael have helped with children’s Sunday school. As his career and academic pursuits display, Fitz also has interests and gifts in adult religious education. He served with Trinity’s Adult Ed Ministry Team and periodically has taught classes during the last ten years. He now chairs the Adult Formation Ministry Team and serves on the Spiritual Formation Leadership Team. Rachael serves on the leadership team for Women Together in the Word.

Fitz and Rachael share a long-standing desire to be involved in the flourishing of intergenerational Christian life. When first attending Trinity they sought out a fellowship group on Sunday mornings that was a mix of ages. The small group they joined was also multi-generational, and as it has grown and split several times over the years that has remained a goal. Rachael describes Fitz as a “bridge-builder” who wants to promote the peace of the church across different groups, including different generations. That was one of his primary goals in accepting the nomination for elder three years ago.

Fitz and his children come with a family legacy of love for both golf and ice hockey. A primary free-time interest for Fitz is referreeing hockey games at all age levels. Maybe that's what prepared him to take on the job of moderating Trinity’s Session!