October 1, 2020
Saints of Trinity United Methodist Church,
As I continue to learn about you, spend time with groups of you, there is something that has come up a fair amount. It is related to Tim’s Place, and the potential addition to our current building. I’ve met any number of times with Wayne Guthrie who is serving as project director. He has been very open about the process, the structure, the hopes and dreams, the funding and so much more. I also wanted to share that I’ve had some among us share some concerns about where we are in all of this as well as how we will proceed. I’ve been asked about the potential financial responsibilities of the church — who will be involved in the decision-making, who will have a voice or vote, and a lot more. So let me try and respond to a few of those in this letter.
First, it is my understanding that Tim’s Place is a ministry of Trinity United Methodist Church. Tim’s Place has its own Board of Directors and its own Executive Director (Rhonda), yet it is still a ministry of this church. What we will be exploring sometime in the future, particularly as things open up again, is how that Board and Rhonda relate to Trinity, to Senior Ministries, to our financial obligations, and how it fits into the overall mission and vision of the church. Those are issues that will need to be revisited at some point, and won’t necessarily be dealt with in this note. I’d like this note to deal specifically with the potential building addition. At this point, I turn to Wayne and his views on the potential space, its development, and where we are on our due-diligence progress.
Approximately a year ago an effort was started to investigate the options for developing a dedicated space for Tim’s Place activities. The space currently being utilized for Tim’s Place activities has become too small. So it was time to dream. Several rough floor plans were developed, and a design firm was engaged to aid in the process. We realized that some financial support would be needed. Initial funds were supplied by the Tim’s Place Foundation with the overall goal of that initial effort was simply to determine if there was a feasible solution to the need. The focus of that initial process was to uncover and identify any issues that would make a project undesirable to execute, whether due to costs, space limitation, or any code or city requirements.
Around the first of the year, the Work Group was formally expanded to include representation from the Trustees, Finance, Administrative Council, and the potential user groups. Since bringing those groups together, we have decided to proceed, and decided on a potential floor plan. We now have elevations, determined infrastructure requirements, and conducted a Pre-Application Conference with City officials. It was determined by the City that a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) would be required before proceeding any farther. Until the CUP was applied for and the required documents were submitted, the City would not commit to or approve many project requirements or exclusions.
It was then decided that to bring this effort to a logical conclusion, the CUP must be applied for. The application requires completed Architectural and Engineering drawings and a list of back-up documentation. An Architect and Engineer have been contracted to complete the required scope. The majority of the funding has been by Tim’s Place Foundation with several thousand dollars coming from TUMC. It is our hope that the CUP application will be submitted in October, and the follow-on permits issued by the end of the year. Once the CUP application is completed and submitted the first phase of the work of the original task force will be completed, with the understanding that the next phase will require a new Work Group and new goals.
Issues to be addressed include who will carry specific roles and responsibilities? Where will the funding come from? What would the potential schedule be? Who will be the general contractor? Finally, a timeline that will supply Tim’s Place and Trinity with specific plans for execution. In addition, our Pacific Northwest Annual Conference will need to be contacted; the District Committee on Building and Locations will need to see our plans and ultimately provide permission to continue. And ultimately, the Annual Conference and potentially the United Methodist Foundation would need to be involved.
This first part of the process, beginning with the dream and concluding with the Conditional Use Permit needed to be completed in order to provide us the kind of feasibility information needed to allow the next set of decisions to be made. We’re close to the completion of that first step. But it is just that, a first step. Anything we do moving forward from here will involve the key decision-making bodies of the church, the district, the conference, and the congregation. I wanted to make that clear and thus this document. My hope is that this clears up any misunderstanding. The church has not committed anything beyond helping the initial task force through that first phase. If you have any questions about any of this, please give either Wayne or me a call. You can shoot us an email or leave a message at the office. It is both of our hopes that we move ahead with full transparency.
Thanks,
Pastor Brad and Wayne
Some Concerns that we have:
- For those who continue to go through physical struggles, those who are dealing with cancer, or other health situations. Prayers for those who are emotionally feeling lost and alone.
- For all the victims and firefighters dealing with the wildfires throughout the country
- For all those who are ill from the COVID-19 virus; for those families who have lost loved ones to the virus; and for all the first responders/essential workers.
- For peace in our country throughout the political process
- For Katherine Parker, missionary to Nepal
Even though you can’t be with those having birthdays this week, sending emails or making phone calls are appreciated.
The parking lot service continues at 10:00 am. You can still view our service online. Just go to our webpage sequimtumc.org for a link to the service.
We still ask that you mail your contributions in to the church and make sure to use our Post Office Box 3697 instead of our street address. We thank you for your continued support of our ministries here at Trinity.
Volunteers needed for food box distribution – On the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month in October, November, and December. Operations are 11 am-2 pm with some volunteers needed before and after these hours to help with set-up and clean-up. All positions require standing but people rotate for breaks. Bottled water and snacks are provided. If you are interested in helping, please contact the church office – 360-683-5367 or church@sequimtumc.org.
Support group for those experiencing loss
Becky Morgan and Kathleen Charters invite you to a scheduled Zoom meeting on support for those who grieve lost opportunities due to COVID-19, e.g., trips, birthday, and graduation celebrations, weddings, funerals, etc.
Topic: Challenges and Comfort
Time: Sep 15, 2020 01:30 AM Pacific Time
Every week on Tue, until Dec 15, 2020, 14 occurrences
Please contact Deacon Charters for the Zoom meeting schedule and link.
Our annual harvest dinner lives on – but this year it can be called the Harvest Dessert. The full dinner is not practical during the pandemic, so the dinner committee chose a dessert-only event. Individual servings of apple crisp, from an original Harvest Dinner recipe, will be distributed after the Sunday service on October 18 (until 11:30 a.m.) via a drive-through setup. There is no cost, thanks to committee members.
Reservations are needed to calculate how many servings to prepare. Contact Jan Kreidler by October 13 at (360) 681-5027 or by email: janet2.Kreidler@gmail.com. Those who can’t get to church can request delivery when making the reservation.
The dessert will be prepared in individual-serving containers with lids in the church kitchen by committee members using precautions such as masks and gloves.
It’s time to preregister! A new book study is coming this Wednesday: Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness, by Amy G. Oden.
Come and learn about Christian Mindfulness while also practicing and experiencing its benefits. This has been used since the beginnings of our faith, is rooted in Scripture, and historically encouraged by Christian leaders, including John Wesley.
What could be more relevant in these incredibly challenging times! This prayerful practice fosters a deeper relationship with God so that we can become more centered and less reactive; lead a more authentic, compassionate life, and increase our sense of gratitude. It is also known for its stress reduction and physical and mental health benefits.
Dates: 6 consecutive Wednesdays: October 7,14,21,28, and November 4, 11 at 2-3:30 pm
Where: We will meet online using Zoom: Preregistration is needed so Zoom invitation can be sent to you
Books: New and used copies are available at Amazon.com and a few copies will be available in the church library to borrow.
Leader: Melody Romeo / To Preregister or ask questions contact Melody Romeo: email: melodycoach@olypen.com or call 360-461-5595
Wildfire relief – can you help? Hundreds of homes have burned in Washington State. If an individual’s application to FEMA is approved, the maximum allocation is $32,800 per application. The estimate to rebuild a home is $72,000. The remaining funds will need to be provided by donations and grants. Donations can be made by writing a check to Trinity UMC — memo section: Advance #352. (These funds will be used in Washington State.) Contact Jan Kreidler (360-681-5027 or janet2.kreidler@gmail.com) if you have questions.