When I joined Trinity’s staff in July of 2006, I had been a mom, a preschool teacher and a parent-child play facilitator. I knew little of the Episcopal liturgies, of Godly Play or the actual job details expected of me as the new Director of Youth Ministries. The past five years have been spent: networking with colleagues, far and near; going to worship meeting and learning what is (or is not) stated in the BCP as being part of the “rubrics”; learning how best to communicate with parents and kids; discovering what NOT to plan for an activity; contemplating how best to program Sunday mornings in order to maximize the one hour we have set aside to connect with children and youth in order to help them build their faith life. Every week I have learned something new about: myself; the Episcopal Church; the good folks of Trinity.
As I leave Trinity’s staff, I am so grateful for all the lessons I have learned and I would like to thank so many people for making my experience a memorable one. First, thanks to Mother Laura’s gentle leadership, I have begun to learn about how to be a quiet evangelist. If it weren’t for Mother Hillary’s generosity in sharing her knowledge of all things Episcopal I would still be mixing up “liturgy” and “lectionary”. You should all to know that Gaby Whittier is the backbone of Trinity’s daily operation: mailings, bulletins and newsletters. It’s not only what she does, it is also what she knows: who is using what room on what day, how to use the copier, everything worship or website related. She has truly helped me to become more organized. Amazing, really. Jim Probst and Dennis Perkins are the security and cleanliness hub of our church. Thank you both for your daily work keeping us safe and free of grime! And, while I don’t work directly with them, Marcie Lightwood and Deacon Liz have always been willing to be a sounding board and a resource to me and for that, I am truly grateful. Last but not at all least, I thank the wonderful, awesome volunteers who make up the teachers, assistants and the members of the Committee for Children and Youth. Because of these fine people, the programs at Trinity have been steadily increasing in both numbers and closeness of fellowship. Thank you all for a memorable, fruitful five years as Director of Youth Ministries at Trinity!
Blessings,
Ellyn Siftar
