AMANDA WILLIAMS AWARDED BARNES SCHOLARSHIP

By Julia Williams

Amanda Williams was awarded the 2017 James E. and Mary H. Barnes Scholarship of $5,000 given annually to a deserving high school student who is a member of Trinity. Amanda is a 2017 graduate of Golden High School in Golden and has been selected as a full-time student at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, where she plans to pursue a degree in civil engineering. With Amanda’s permission I quote her: “I have chosen civil engineering because of my experiences with a Trinity Youth Mission Trip to Guatemala. It created a passion and a vision within me to serve others with love and understanding. I might not have come to that conclusion about service if it were not for the time I spent in Guatemala.” While attending university she desires to participate in “Engineers Without Borders,” which sends engineering students to developing countries to build water filtration systems and other necessities like bridges. After university she would like to serve with the Peace Corps to continue to help others around the world.

During her high school years she participated in various projects, clubs and organizations which included “Senior Seminar,” a program for seniors to visit different religious institutions to interact with those in attendance; “Link Leader,” a program at her high school which challenged juniors and seniors to mentor freshmen; the “Rotary Youth Leadership Awards,” a full-scholarship camp which taught high school students team building, leadership and confidence skills; and the “Mentor Program,” which enabled her to mentor a blind student who taught her how to read braille. Her time with him made her realize she should never determine her opinion of someone based on a disability.

The Barnes Scholarship was created in 2009 by the Pioneer Fund, a private foundation funded by the late Helen McLoraine, a former member of Trinity, a community philanthropist and a close friend of
Reverend and Mrs. Barnes. The scholarship was established to honor their lives and ministries at Trinity.

The application process for the annual scholarship recipient considers essay questions about the applicant’s chosen field of study, grade point average, test scores, recommendations, honors and awards in high school, church activities and how the scholarship will benefit the recipient.

Congratulations, Amanda, and God’s richest blessings from your Trinity family!

Welcoming Cristina Muldoon, our New Director of Children's Ministries

We are thrilled to have Cristina Muldoon as Trinity's new Director of Children's Ministries! She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, holding a degree in Religion and Philosophy from Tulane University and a M.A. in Religious Studies from Yale University. Since moving to Denver in 2005, she founded Sloan Tutoring, taught at Kent School, and worked in the Center for Academic Support at Johnson & Wales University. Cristina joined the Trinity staff "officially" on July 1, but she jumped in early to get her feet wet under the tutelage of Kathy Gibb and assist with the largest Children's Ministry event of the year - Vacation Bible School.

There is never a dull moment during VBS week, and Cristina has shared a recap of the festivities. What a week it was!

This way my first Trinity Vacation Bible School experience, and I was truly a rookie; I never attended VBS as a kid, and I had never worked in a VBS program before. One in-service meeting later, though, and I was assigned to be a crew leader! I was excited to learn the ropes from Kathy Gibb and her amazing VBS team. My VBS group, the Rachel Rays, (the kids were assigned to age-appropriate groups, and “The Chefs” were mostly second and third graders) were Trinity experts. I was lucky enough to have both Marleigh Cummins (daughter of Angie Cummins) and Reagan Scheminske (daughter of Sharon and Erick Scheminske) to help show me the ropes and teach me the Agadoo dance (Linda Marshall is also an Agadoo expert if anyone would like a lesson).

     There were many moments during VBS week that I felt very lucky to be a part of: Clara Rutledge going door to door to raise money for the Habitat for Humanity mission; the surprise and pleasure on the faces of the Habitat for Humanity staff when we presented them with the flowerpots our kids had made to welcome our five families to their new homes; learning that our eggshell crosses were made using eggshells from our youth group’s burrito breakfasts (a great example of our Trinity family working together!), and the great joy our kids brought to the congregation when they sang our VBS songs during service.   

     I had a great time and was so impressed by the dedication of all the VBS volunteers. Running a week long camp for more than 100 children is a massive undertaking and it could not have happened without the incredibly hard work of many people. I want to give particular thanks to Andrea Evashevski and Aubrey Monckton for the innumerable hours they spent organizing, planning, and participating in VBS. I should mention, too, that Aubrey makes a very convincing Queen Esther. Special thanks is also due to Julie Belcher and Jan Wywrot for running the Science room (and teaching the kids to make truly delicious mustard, among other things); Betty Shropshire and Ariana Martinez for their work in the craft room; Liz Rodriguez for making Rivet, the VBS mascot/puppet, come alive for the kids; Erin Johnson and Abbey Watkins for taking charge of the outdoor games; and Nelisha Firestone and Linda Marshall for their work to prepare the kids for their music performance on VBS Sunday. The heroic behind the scenes efforts of the endlessly creative and talented Allison Watkins made the week possible. The list of the crew leaders and other volunteers (including many members of Trinity’s youth group who did a fantastic job) without whom VBS would not have been a success would go on and on, and I was so appreciative of everyone’s help. Of course, 2014 VBS would not have happened at all without Kathy Gibb; her devotion to making Trinity a welcoming and joyful place for children is something I will work very hard to emulate.

Big Sunday for Trinity's Youth

Last Sunday, June 1, featured Trinity's youth in a big way.

We were able to recognize our exceptionally talented graduating seniors as they prepare to head off to college.

The youth and chaperones participating in mission trips near and far were also commissioned for their upcoming work in Guatemala, South Dakota and here in Denver.

On Friday, June 6, twelve juniors and seniors leave to spend 10 days in rural Guatemala where they will build a home for a widow and her five children, visit the John Wesley School and meet the student they sponsor, visit a local pastor and his family's weaving project, and learn the history of village of Lemoa where they will be staying. The youth will be taking prayer quilts with them to give to families in Guatemala. The quilts were made by Trinity's Prayer Quilt Team. Congregation members were invited to tie a prayer knot onto the quilts.

In July, Trinity's Middle High youth will spend three days right here in Denver doing mission work and exploring the city through God's eyes. The youth will host an ice cream and games party at the Olin Hotel, make sandwiches to hand out to those who spend their days at Civic Center Park, volunteer with Metro CareRing, decorate bags for Project Angel Heart meal deliveries and serve lunch to our downtown neighbors here in Fellowship Hall.

Also in July, eleven senior high youth will spend a week in Pine Ridge, South Dakota focusing on the Native American culture and learning about the complex issues facing the community. They will paint houses, lead Kid's Club and listen and learn from the wisdom traditions of others.

We will share updates on our youth and these exciting mission trips as the summer progresses.