2015Annual Report
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Trinity Cathedral www.trinitycleveland.org 2230 Euclid Avenue 216-771-3630 2015 Annual Report THE MISSION OF TRINITY CATHEDR AL IS TO PROCLAIM IN WORD AND ACTION GOD’S JUSTICE, LOVE AND MERCY FOR ALL CREATION. 2015 Annual Report Trinity Cathedral Inspire. Imagine. Ignite. These are the action words that come to mind when I think about Trinity Cathedral. For 200 years, this church – the very first in Cleveland – has inspired individuals to imagine a faith community that ignites its members, its city and its world with God’s justice, love and mercy. In the early 19th century – 1816, to be exact – a faithful group of early settlers enlivened by the Gospel organized a small house church near the banks of the Cuyahoga River. Nearly 100 years later, Trinity’s leadership demonstrated the vision and generosity to build a grand Gothic cathedral at the corner of Euclid and East 22nd Street – a magnificent landmark that would inspire the social, economic and spiritual development of a great industrial city. At the beginning of the 21st century, Trinity Cathedral joined forces with the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio to create Trinity Commons, a piazza in the middle of what was a distressed urban neighborhood – an effort that launched the green building movement in downtown Cleveland and stimulated the redevelopment of the Campus District. Now located in the middle of a thriving, urban, university neighborhood, Trinity is poised to launch our third century as Cleveland’s first church: a vibrant, diverse and engaged congregation; a beautiful, architectural landmark; a center of diocesan life, a popular venue for music, art and civic conversation and collective action; and a house of prayer that truly welcomes all of God’s people. As I begin my 17th season as Dean of Trinity Cathedral, I am honored to present the accomplishments of our 199th year of mission and ministry. I pray that Trinity will continue to inspire, imagine and ignite God’s justice, love and mercy for all creation as we launch our third century of service to both church and city. Faithfully, The Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Dean 2 2015 Annual Report WORSHIP Trinity offers a wide variety of worship opportunities that reflect the breadth and depth of The Episcopal Church grounded in the teachings of Jesus, a respect for all faith traditions, and the eternal oneness of God. Our diverse mix of worship offerings includes jazz, bluegrass, and traditional worship; Solemn Sung Eucharist; Choral Evensong; healing liturgy; noonday prayer; funerals; weddings; and diocesan services. The Cathedral regularly offers special services such as U2charist, Beatles and the Brits, Bob Dylan Mass, Blessings of the Animals, Rock & Roll Sunday, Pride Day, Martin Luther King Sunday, Earth Day, and the World AIDS Day service. By the numbers, Trinity has much to celebrate. In 2015, we saw our average weekly attendance increase to 393, and we were delighted to welcome 54 new members. Nearly 800 people joined Throughout us on Easter Sunday, and Trinity’s Christmas services, including the the year, rites Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival, drew more than 2,400 people. and rituals help us honor the sacredness LGBT PRIDE 2015 of life’s many seasons. In 2015, On Friday, June 26, 2015, Trinity Cathedral the United States Supreme held the following: Court recognized gay 8 baptisms, marriage, thus overturning 6 confirmations, Ohio’s ban on same-sex 6 receptions, 1 reaffirmation, marriages. On Sunday, 5 funerals/ June 28, hundreds of memorials, and people gathered at Trinity 6 weddings. Cathedral to celebrate this decision, by affirming On May 16, 2015, Trinity Cathedral hosted its first Cosmic Mass, an interactive and blessing the gay and community dance celebration. Created by theologian Matthew Fox, the Cosmic lesbian relationships in our Mass seeks to reinvigorate modern Western forms of worship by incorporating cosmology, ritual, immersive visual art, music, spoken word and dance. congregation. Dozens of couples and their children The theme of the mass, “Healing Waters,” was planned around Cleveland’s 2015 stood proudly before the Year of Clean Water Celebration that was held to raise awareness of the health worshipping community. of Lake Erie and the city’s waterways. Hundreds of worshipers gathered in the Cathedral for a powerful evening of experiential worship involving dance, video displays, visual art, and music. A mix of earned and paid media on radio, TV, print and online outlets strengthens the Cathedral’s position as a vital center for worship, music and arts in downtown Cleveland. Through the use of social media and Trinity’s website, the Cathedral extends its reach and relationship with members as well as the larger Cleveland community and beyond. In 2015, there were 153,650 website visitors, a 31% increase over the previous year. Cathedral podcasts—sermons, Choral Evensong services, Dean’s Forums and guest lectures—were accessed more than 28,000 times by nearly 10,000 unique visitors. PHOTO CREDITS: SAM HUBISH CREDITS: PHOTO 3 2015 Annual Report EDUCATION & FORMATION At Trinity, we believe that spiritual formation, education, discernment and personal wellness is a lifelong journey, for which we offer a thoughtfully curated lineup of speakers, classes, retreats and study groups for all ages. This past year, our community explored a variety of topics, including cooperative housing movements, the Nicene Creed, Cleveland’s waterways, empathy, the Episcopal way, the role of media in society, and institutional racism. We also offered book studies on Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, A Church Beyond Belief: The Search for Belonging and the Religious Future, and Dean Tracey Lind led a Dean’s Forum conversation about race, policing, Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and criminal justice in the aftermath of the Tamir Rice verdict. and Keeping Good Housemates. In 2015, many members of our congregation led a wide selection of classes, workshops and small groups. We also welcomed to the Dean’s Forum a wide variety of scholars, activists and entreprenuers including: • Leo Burke, director of Global Commons Initiative at the University of Notre Dame • Lee Chilcote, cofounder of Literary Cleveland, former Church House of Deputies • The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the Episcopal Church House of Deputies • Sharon Day, Ojibwe Elder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force • Karen Gahl-Mills, CEO and Executive Director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture • Annamarie Pluhar, author of Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates • Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland • The Rev. Dr. Sam Portaro, Jr., Retired Chaplain of the University of Chicago Divinity School • Ms. Bobbie Reichtell, Executive Director of Cleveland’s Campus District, Inc. • The Rev. Dr. William Sachs, Director of the Center for Interfaith Reconciliation at St. Stephen’s Church, Richmond, Virginia • The Rev. Jay Sidebotham, Executive Director of RenewalWorks and Episcopal Church cartoonist • Kathy Skerritt, founder of Bright Waters Rising • Emilie M. Townes, Dean and E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School • Denny Young and Steve Lindecke, founding partners of Elevation Group and producers of the “Cathedral Concerts” series at Trinity 4 2015 Annual Report CAMPUS MINISTRY Partnering with the Northeastern Lutheran Synod and United Protestant Campus Ministries (UPCaM), Trinity has extended its outreach to local college students, especially those at Cleveland State University. 200 students attended this year’s annual block party, and an average of 15 students attended Real Talk Tuesdays, a weekly Bible study. Students also led a service project where they gathered on Thursdays to create 75 blankets that were subsequently distributed to the homeless in downtown Cleveland. Our Children, Youth, & Young Adult minister Christopher Decatur has also begun an initiative in partnership with Cleveland State University with regards to campus ministry. Trinity was present this fall at the campus move-in as well as many other Trinity helped welcome new students at Cleveland State University with 100 care packages including snack bags and water bottles. interfaith vigils, discussion panels and presentations. CHILDREN & YOUTH Children participated in services such as the blessing of the backpacks (left), Trinity’s Christmas pageant (middle), and the blessing of the animals service (bottom). With nearly 100 enrolled youth and growing, our thriving Children & Youth Ministry holds a significant place in our congregation’s life. Led by minister Christopher Decatur, youth gathered in our new Youth & Family Ministries Center for a variety of cutting edge, developmentally appropriate programs. Among them were Godly Play, an interactive Montessori-based curriculum; Quest, our newly named 5th and 6th grade group that uses a lectionary-based, multimedia curriculum; and Youth Group (grades 7-12), which uses resources written by Christopher in addition to the Episcopal Journey to Adulthood program. 5 2015 Annual Report MUSIC AND ART Music and Art at Trinity Cathedral began its 39th season of the BrownBag Concert series. The 2015 BrownBags drew more than 5,000 attendees who enjoyed an eclectic range of music from classical and Latin, to big band and choral music. The year’s musical highlights included the 2015 Messiah Sing, a beloved Cleveland tradition. Director of Music and Worship Todd Wilson conducted the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, soloists and audience in the massed choir. Fall evening concerts included visiting organist Tom Trenney and the Trinity Cathedral Choir, which performed choral works by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Trinity continues to be known as a destination for music and art through its celebrated BrownBag concert series, Choral Evensong services, and a variety of special performances. 6 2015 Annual Report NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS Trinity’s hunger and outreach programs provided vital services in 2015 to neighbors in need. A Place at the Table is the only meal assistance program in downtown Cleveland to offer walk-ins a hot, indoor meal every Sunday without requiring identification or registration.