Year in Review: Trinity Church

We are concluding a year of challenges and changes. Established as a Lutheran church by Icelandic settlers, Trinity was the only church in in Point Roberts for over a century. As time passes and communities evolve, it is important for the church to do so, to always be timely and relevant as God’s presence from age to age.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a crucible of change for people and organizations world-wide. These changes continue to affect communities. Some churches survived, and some did not. Our own Synod saw the closure of more than one local church in the past year.

We’re still here. Smaller than before, but still vital and present in the community. We continue to work toward rebuilding since discovering structural damage to our sanctuary. Pandemic fallout made it challenging to hire work, secure needed materials, and raise funds for doing so! Still, we carry on … we gather every Sunday, host events and concerts, and create new ministries for our community.

Sunday mornings are led by three dedicated women pastors. Pastor Jean Barrington, (Lutheran), Pastor Gina Gaudet (United Methodist), and Reverend Bev Mar (Interfaith) bring diversity in approach, design and presentation.

With two countries observing Indigenous Heritage Months at different times, we were privileged to host Richard Vedan of the Shuswap Nation twice. Richard Vedan is a teacher and sociologist active in Vancouver, who came to share indigenous wisdom, insights from his life and work, and bless us with prayer, drumming and song.

In months with five Sundays, that fifth Sunday is an afternoon or evening Jazz Vespers service, combining local musical talent with poetry and story from the minds and hearts of our own neighbors.

This year, local piano teacher Allison Chu has joined Lucy Williams to provide musical accompaniment for Sunday mornings, often joined by other local musicians. Jim Murphy (Joan Linde’s son) comes when he can to bless us with his piano mastery and deep knowledge of liturgical music.

Speaking of music, our most important structural asset is the amazing acoustics of our sanctuary, an ideal music venue. Much gratitude to Lucy Williams who, through the Trinity Concert Series brought amazing talent to the Point this year, including the Bergamasca Recorders (twice!), Savilla and Shaune Anne (SASS) & friends, and the Trinity Choir, who recently elevated our holidays with gorgeous seasonal music (in addition to their annual summer concert in June).

And in the summer, once-local guitarist Scott Baird, local sitar player and artisan Scott Hackleman and friends, brought the house down! Concerts are often followed by an amazing reception in our social hall, coordinated by Dorothy Bayley, who contributes her own masterpieces of culinary awesomeness (note to Julia Child, Gordon Ramsay, et al: sorry, not sorry!)

Sometimes a space outlives its purpose. This summer we transformed our church nursery into a Healing Room, hosted by Reverend Bev, reiki practitioner, and Pastor Gina, certified healing touch practitioner. The Healing Room has a treatment table, seating for pastoral care (and tea, an important ingredient!) and a resource library. Pastor Gina offers Healing Touch one Sunday a month after worship. Sign-up sheets are available so you can reserve a 20-minute time. You can contact her personally for private appointments. All healing services are offered free of charge or by donation. And while we no longer have designated nursery space, children of all ages are always warmly welcome in our worship space. After all, Jesus joyfully invited the little ones to “come unto Him.”

We are the place to be! Come and see!