Pastor Brian's Blog

You have skills and talents and abilities that God has given you in order to serve others and advance the cause of Jesus Christ. Each fall during our "Every Member in Ministry" emphasis, we ask you to pray about your calling to serve Christ through the church.   Trinity provides a variety of opportunities for involvement and service.  See the Ministry Guidebook for detail.    If you chose to serve in certain ministries previously, we ask you to indicate your intentions of renewing your commitment each year.  If you would like to complete your EMIM commitment using an electronic form, you may  sign up here .  Otherwise, paper copies  will be available on Sunday, October 4.  Additionally, you can always bring them to the Church office. I will consecrate all of our ministry commitments (both paper and electronic versions) during worship on Sun., Oct. 4.

In October, I will lead a new series based on Steve Harper’s Five Marks of a Methodist: the Fruit of a Living Faith .  Harper explores John Wesley’s 1742 treatise on “The Character of a Methodist.”  The five marks are meant to nourish and sustain us in living the gospel.  In his own time, Wesley’s advice for Christian living had broad appeal.  Anglicans, Quakers, Puritans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics all wanted to become more like Christ through Wesley’s teaching.   Today, as we apply the five marks in our lives, they strengthen our identity, not merely as United Methodists, but more deeply as genuine and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. October 4 Love God Matthew 22:34-38 October 11 Rejoice in God Philippians 4:4-7 October 18 Give Thanks 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 October 25 Pray Continually Luke 11:1-13 November 1 Love Others 1 John 4:7-21 Harper's book Five Marks of a Methodist is a co...

Retired Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader will visit Trinity on Sept. 27.  She has agreed to join me in a dialogue sermon during both worship services.  S haped by the story of Samuel ( 1 Samuel 3:1-10 ),  our dialogue will be a conversation about God's call to ministry.  We will share our personal experiences of being called, including obstacles we have faced, our mentors, and the changing context of ministry.   At 9:30 a.m. Bishop Rader will also lead a forum in the Parlor on the Reconciling Ministries Network , a movement working for the full participation of all sexual orientations and gender identities in The United Methodist Church. A Michigan native, Bishop Rader is a graduate of North Central College and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.  She has served churches in Illinois and Michigan and was the Grand Rapids District Superintendent when she was elected to the episcopacy in 1992.  She is currently Bishop-in-Residence at...

Rev. Rich Rubietta will be bringing lively music and an inspiring message to Trinity on Sept. 20.  He is a modern-day circuit rider and Conference Evangelist for the United Methodist Church.   Rich is a “Musician-ary,” helping congregations redevelop and rediscover their voice in worship. Whereas Rich served congregations as a pastor for 14 years (Freeport, Morris, Joliet and Grayslake), he now views the General Conference as his congregation, much like the early circuit riders. With a Music Degree from Northwestern University and an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Rich is fueled by a vision of youth and adults leading Spirit-inspired worship together in United Methodist Churches. A modern-day circuit rider and evangelist a ppointed to "Abounding Ministries," Rich and his wife Jane crisscross the Midwest each week, introducing creative uses of music in worship, school assemblies, workshops, youth events, and retreats. As a Confere...

This fall Trinity Church will serve as a Teaching Site for a 3rd year student at Garrett-Evangelical  Theological Seminary.  His name is Jongdeok Park (Jongdeok is pronounced “Jong-duck”). His field education experience with Trinity Church will begin the first week of September.  The internship will conclude in May 2016. A native of South Korea, Jongdeok is a 2012 graduate of Methodist Theological University in Seoul with a major in Christian education.  In 2010, he was a missionary in Turkey for ten months.  He recently began the formal steps for becoming a candidate for ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church.  He has been serving in children’s ministry at Galilee United Methodist Church in Highland Park.  Although he is not a regular church employee, I will supervise Jongdeok and Trinity will pay him a stipend during his internship.  To grow in his calling as a pastor, he will need to be exposed to various roles in p...

1. We want to help everyone understand—and experience—the Christian faith.   When we think carefully about our biblical roots, our Wesleyan heritage, and our life together in the 21st century, we can live as intelligent Christians by loving God with our hearts and our minds and by experiencing Christ in our everyday life. 2. Real religion means relationships.   Our vision is to make Trinity "a welcoming community of compassion and faith."  Compassion is learning to care deeply about people.  Faith is trusting God and learning to love and serve God.  Religion without relationships is empty, but religion that leads to healthy, authentic relationships is like "the pearl of great price" (Matthew 13: 45-46). 3. We’re committed to excellence in music.   Dr. Julia Davids leads an extraordinary music program, ranging from superb vocal music to Christmas trombones.  Trinity’s Reuter organ was a gift in 2001 and is greatly appreciat...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, and mission.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , the church may also be described in terms of its inclusivity.  They suggest that the church is “a company of strangers” and should resist being a closed circle.  It needs to be a safe place for newcomers to be themselves.  Life together is not based on liking one another, but on the capacity to share a common place, common resources, and common problems.  The goal is not to turn newcomers into people “just like us,” but to encourage them to face their fears as newcomers. According to Parker Palmer (one of the sons of Trinity), the church should be a community where scarce resources are shared and abundance is generated, where conflict occurs and is resolved, where opinions become audible and accountable.  If we pursue such a li...