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Same kind of different as us 
Triune Mercy Center / June 2013
From the pastor:
          
       A friend sent me the Youtube TED talk by Dale Mullennix, director of Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte. 

        It was eerie how much his experience mirrored ours at Triune.

        His ministry to the homeless was busy with meals, groceries, jobs and housing when an artist named Ingrid came to him with an idea for an outdoor mural. He scoffed. 

        A UNC college student asked him about starting a soccer team for homeless people. 

        And a refuge from Hurricane Katrina brought in the idea of singing.

        Now all three ministries are booming at Urban Ministry. And Mullennix's new philosophy is: "Come and tell us what you have to offer, and let's see if we can make it happen with homeless people."

          The only difference in his experience and ours? We tried basketball instead of soccer, and it didn't catch on. But we're right on board with the art and music. In fact, since I'd been the arts writer for The Greenville News in a former life, I skipped the scoffing part.                    In our case, it was Karen Lucci who came up with the idea of art with the homeless. In May, the Upstate Women's Club mounted our eighth or so art show and raised $2,600. What a thrill to see our artists' work the subject of intense auction bidding that reached $200 and $300! 

           Karen's latest idea is a movable indoor mural for this summer. You'll see the supplies  we need listed on our wish list, below.

           Last fall, we hired our first music director, Andy Welchel. Andy's an accounting professor by day, a rock musician by night. On Sundays, the man ranges from high church to gospel, Bach to Bob Dylan. Our Voices of Mercy and the Triune Gospel Band have made our worship services vibrant and fun. And like everything we do at Triune, both ensembles are a mix of middle-class and homeless participants, middle-class and homeless friends.

             We had another visitor last year with yet another arts-related idea. Dr. Dale Savidge, theater department chair at North Greenville University, wanted to try an improvisational theater project with the homeless. The resulting Playback Cafe, which runs 7-8 PM every other Wednesday night this summer (June 5 and 19, July 10 and 24, August 7 and 21) invites the homeless to tell their stories. Trained community actors then "play them back." The format addresses a feeling homeless people have expressed to us -- that they are  often "looked right through."

          I love what Dale Mullennix is doing in Charlotte. He's discovered what we have: There's no right or wrong way to build community. So if people want to bring their passion to Triune, we're usually willing to let them try.

       Here's Mr. Mullennix's short take on the topic:

 

 

Blessings,

 

Deb Richardson-Moore

 
 
May at Triune:     

Worship and Bible Studies (Average Attendance):

Sun AM .....   233              Sun PM ....  28           Tuesday .... 105     

 

Meals and Assistance Programs:

Hot meals ............  1,914                                   Adult clothing recipients ...    363                     

Grocery boxes.........  225 households                 Child  clothing recipients...   142            

Pop-top groceries ... 116 individuals                  Laundry loads ...................     77                    

Bikes ........................     5                                    Blankets .............................      7 

                                                          

People placed in rehab ............................... 8

 

Jobs .............................................................  2 

 

Mental health consultations........................ 171 

 

Bon Secours St. Francis nursing consultations.............. 69  

 

Bon Secours St. Francis social work consultations ...... 35

 

 Volunteer hours  ......................................................  944  

 
Worship with us at Triune Chapel: 

For two Sundays in June, we will have different voices in our pulpit as Deb takes vacation and swaps pulpits with a pastor whose congregation wants to learn more about Triune. We are excited to hear God's message through these new voices.

 

June 2, 11 AM --   Rev. Steve Doughty, a retired Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and author of five books, will bring our message, "Seeing what Jesus sees." Steve and his wife, Jean Fontaine, are regular Triune worshipers. The Voices of Mercy will sing, and we will observe communion.

6 PM --  Rev. Jerry Hill, just back from Haiti, will lead the service.

 

June 9, 11 AM -- Deb will preach on "Breaking bread, breaking silence," in preparation for our Offering of Letters for Bread for the World. Maria Smith will be our guest soloist.   

6 PM --  Youth choirs from First UMC of Anniston, Alabama, and First Baptist of Taylors will lead us in an all-music program. 

 

June 16, 11 AM -- Rev. Pat Jobe, pastor of Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, will bring our message, while Deb preaches at GUUF.   

6 PM -- Robbie Boman will lead a prayer service. 

 

June 23, 11 AM -- Deb will preach.  

6 PM --  Rev. Jerry Hill will preach.

 

June 30, 11 AM -- Deb will preach.

6 PM -- TBA.

 City Prayer - Each Wednesday at noon       

  

Wish List:   
We are preparing to paint a mural in the dining hall. Some of our needs relate to that project.
 
Desktop laser printer
Three large and sturdy dropcloths
Nine 2 x 4-foot plywood panels
Water-based paints in wide-mouthed quart containers
Paintbrushes, 1/2-to-3-inch
Vinyl and labor to upholster 5 chairs in our reception area
Used microwave oven
Acrylic sound barrier for drums
 

Recovery Meetings:

Monday      Noon         Narcotics Anonymous

Tuesday       Noon        Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous  

Wednesday Noon        Narcotics Anonymous

                    8 PM         Alcoholics Anonymous

Thursday      Noon        Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous 

                   7 PM          Narcotics Anonymous

Friday          Noon         Narcotics Anonymous

Saturday     9 AM          Alcoholics Anonymous

                  10:30AM      Women's Recovery  

                   7 PM           Narcotics Anonymous

Serving in June:   

 

Advent UMC                                         Mauldin UMC

Buncombe Street UMC                          Prince of Peace Catholic

Earle Street Baptist                                Reedy Fork Baptist

First Baptist of Mauldin                          St. Giles Presbyterian

First Presbyterian of Greer                      St. Matthew UMC

Food for Life Ministries                            Triune Mercy Center

Grace Covenant Presbyterian               Trinity Church

                            Valley Brook Outreach Baptist 

Monetary Gifts:   

In memory of Barry Brown and Clara Heaton - Bill Brown

In memory of Steve Snipes - Susan Snipes

 

In honor of Four Local Scholars and Their Loving Shepherd - Alan Scott Henderson

In honor of Jeanne Gaines - Travelers Rest UMC

In honor of Nicky Wallace - Will, Sally & Neil McCabe

In honor of Girls' Beach Weekend -- Nancy Pendergast

In honor of graduates Joey Norman, Caroline Waddell, Sarah McIntyre and Mary Elizabeth Smith -- Steve and Rhonda Rutterbush

 

Carole Abumoussa

Aldersgate UMC

Robin & Michael Aleksinas

Barbara Angle

Anonymous

Bob & Susan Ariail

Alice Baird

Mr. & Mrs. C. Brock Bauknight

Mr. & Mrs. Clarence B. Bauknight

Harold Boman

Mr. & Mrs. Welch M. Bostick, Jr.

Elizabeth Burlington

Jim & Sandra Cain

Nancy Calnon

City Church

Robert Clanton

Darrell & Sandra Corder

Christina Corley

Dawn & Robert Coyne

Hadyn Culbertson

Sheri Donofrio

Alvin & Sarah Drake

Earle Street Baptist Church

Janice Elliott

Sallie Eskew

First Presbyterian Church of Greer

Virginia Ford

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Fulk, Jr.

Christopher Goss

Bonita Gossett

Susan Gray

Doris Greene

Greenville Middle School Faculty Book Club

Gleaners Sunday School Class - Covenant UMC

Angela Grell

Mike & Trish Harrison

Margaret Heatherly

Faye Hollibaugh

Huskamp Associates

Pat Jobe

Jerry Landreth

Carol Langley

Pat B. Lee

Susan Lee

Sara T. Lomax

Grace Lyle

Andrea Malone

Richard Maris

Alvin McCall

Don & Cheryl McMahan

Maria Metts

Dianne & Luis Moreno

David & Hope Murtaugh

Naomi Circle - Mauldin UMC

Northside UMC

Deborah Plummer

Sandra Ridgeway

Wallis Riser

Riverside Middle School

St. Giles Presbyterian Church

St. Peter Episcopal Church

Joann Gonsar-Scull

Bernard & Cynthia Showman

James Sheppard

Sisk Foundation - Buncombe Street UMC

Douglas & Elizabeth Smith

Dwight Smith

Sara Smith

Peter & Mary Stangel

Mary Peace Sterling

Student Activities Fund of the Governor's School for Arts & Humanities

Tennie N. Terrell

Mrs. L.D. Terry, Jr.

Timpanelli Family Chiropractic 

Upstate Women's Club

Katherine Watkins

Richard & Julia Webb

Rose Whaley

Hans Wiegert

Dr. John Williford, Jr.

Elizabeth Wilson

Jane & Michael Wilson

Nancy Zende

 

Plus, thanks to all our faithful worshippers!

 

And thanks to: Neil Alexander, Carole Austen, M.P. Bell, Patsy Brock, Ryan Burnett, Pam Clark, Sandra Davidson, Nikki Day, Roy Fore, Bruce Gallagher, Carol Young Gallagher, Girls on the Run, Kevin Lynch, Andrea Malone, Sheely Miller, Robbie Morgan, Ann Moxie, Helen Nixon, Mark Perry, Gwen Seagraves, Jeff Shafer, Jennifer Spellman, Theresa Stepp, Michael Stokes, and Ann Wynn for donations of clothes, food, and other items.

 

 

 

 
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