Home. That's what Holy Trinity means to me. It is a place where I have always felt welcome, and a place that I feel does its best to always make others feel welcome. I attended Holy Trinity from 1979 (the year I was born and baptized) until 1993 when my family moved out of Chicago. 

I returned in 2012 and have been attending with my wife and daughter ever since, and I have served on the church council since early 2015. While many of the people I knew from my younger years no longer attend Holy Trinity, there are a handful who still do and it has been wonderful to reconnect with them; however, it has been just as exciting to meet the newer congregants who have been the source of the church's incredible growth over the last 10-15 years.

While the church and the surrounding neighborhood have changed in many ways since my early days in the congregation, many of the things that made Holy Trinity such a wonderful church when I was younger continue to make it a special place today. Holy Trinity has always been able to balance the needs and challenges of a changing congregation while maintaining a strong sense of tradition in liturgy and worship. As a congregation, we've always been fortunate to have dedicated members who give generously of their time and talents, whether it be to teach Sunday school, assist with worship, or help with the upkeep of the building and grounds. The church has always been involved in community outreach, working closely with local organizations such as the Crib shelter and the Lakeview pantry. Newer initiatives such as the Anti-Racism Taskforce and Prison Book Ministry reaffirm Holy Trinity's commitment to social justice.

The size of the congregation has changed dramatically since the mid 1990s; at one point the church was close to closing its doors due to low attendance and a shrinking membership base. Today the church is alive and thriving, with two services on Sunday in Lakeview and Saturday evening services in the South Loop. With three pastors and a growing staff, Holy Trinity has adapted to the needs of a larger congregation while also planting the seeds for future growth: adopting a safe church policy, making facility upgrades to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities, and adding paid nursery staff on Sundays.

Serving on the church council has given me a real appreciation for all of the resources and effort involved in everything we do, from music and Sunday school to volunteer programs and capital improvement projects. We are blessed with pastors, staff, and volunteers who go the extra mile to make Holy Trinity a very special place. However, commitment from the congregation to financially support the needs of our growing church is imperative. Staffing additions, building upgrades, safety improvements and our new Loop ministry are all significant investments that are simply not possible without the dedicated financial support of the congregation. I would ask all who attend Holy Trinity to consider renewing their commitment to stewardship in 2016 so that we can continue to grow and flourish in the years to come.