Recently Holy Trinity members were invited to participate in a survey about our current and potential future Sunday morning worship schedules. Why are changes being considered now? We hope to make our worship experience better reflect the Voices principles as we experience remarkable growth at Holy Trinity, including families with children and young adults from the Lakeview neighborhood.  

Voices Principles
The guiding principles, developed early last year during the Voices visioning process are: 

1. Act with courage
2. Be radically inclusive
3. Cultivate empowering relationships
4. Delight in God's beauty
5. Engage with intention

In the time of visioning over a year ago, the above principles led to several primary initiatives for this time in Holy Trinity's history, including "increasing support and programming for children, youth and families," and "developing networks through which we support and delight in one another."

Neighboring Churches   

The task force has looked at three neighboring congregations with demographics and attendance patterns similar to Holy Trinity's. Lake View Presbyterian and Luther Memorial (Lincoln Square) have two full services at 9 and 11 a.m. All Saints Episcopal (Ravenswood) has full services at 9 and 11 a.m., with a third shorter liturgy at 8 a.m. Though many congregations in the U.S. have well-attended 8:30 a.m. services, it seems in light of our demographics and parking challenges, 9:00 a.m. is a more desirable starting time if we would like growth in our early service.

Your Voices
The Holy Trinity worship task force is considering proposing a schedule with full worship experiences at 9 and 11 a.m. Why? Acknowledging that, for some people, such a change will affect preferences and patterns regarding service times, length, and type of service, we can see ways that a full 9 a.m. service could create positive opportunities for enriched participation by families (many, who would prefer an earlier service time), such as the children's choir and other ways of involving children in the liturgy. At the same time, a later service seems more desirable for newer members and young adults in the Lakeview community. For others, being able to attend a complete liturgy at either hour may fit well with their busy schedules. Such a worship format might enable overall growth and hospitality as we seek to "act with courage," "be radically inclusive," "cultivate empowering relationships," and "engage with intention."

What Would Sunday Look Like?  
What would Sunday morning at Holy Trinity look like with this schedule? Both services would use the organ and occasionally use the piano as well. The adult choir would sing three Sundays a month (as they do now), perhaps once a month at 9:00 a.m. and twice a month at 11:00 a.m. Sunday School and Adult Forum would be held from 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. Children attending the early service would go directly to Sunday School, perhaps after communion depending on the length of the service. Coffee would be available all morning and there would need to be more discussion about the format of social time. And of course, from Memorial Day through Labor Day (about 14 Sundays a year) there would be one service at 9:30 a.m.  

Next Steps
The task force is asking for your additional input, reactions to the May survey, and conversation at an open forum after the 9:30 a.m. liturgy on Sunday, June 10. Worship is the heart of our community life at Holy Trinity and is one of the primary reasons many of us were drawn to this congregation. Whatever decisions regarding worship might be made in the next months or years, the task force, council, and staff is committed to providing meaningful services rooted in our Lutheran heritage, and includes inspiring music, liturgy, and preaching. We treasure this weekly gathering in which Christ meets us in word and meal, silence and community.  

We recognize that positive changes often involve loss for some. The task force wants to multiply the gain and minimize the loss in any potential change, whether this fall or in the future. We hope input at the June 10 forum will ensure that we can achieve these goals.

Blessings to you on the upcoming Pentecost feast and Memorial Day weekend,  

Worship Times Task Force

Tim Peterson, chair

Kelley Bender

Megan Eicchorn

Carol LaHurd

Meggen Saka

Becky Sims

David Brackley, Minister of Music

Pastor Michelle Sevig

Pastor Craig Mueller