Rebranding and Rebuilding and Recording in the River Room
Even before the pandemic raised the attention of technological opportunities for the church, I had been asked so many times by folks: “Pastor Peter, is this session being recorded?”
This had definitely been a request for our Sunday Faith Forum speakers that have blessed us over the years, but also for so many other all-in congregational events and annual meetings and important community conversations—all convened in the multipurpose shared community space at the bottom of the stairs next to Trinity’s Gym. So many amazing milestones and sacred moments in the Garden Room (now the River Room).
As our program staff has worked in this space, with the regular requests for technical updates, we continued to ask another question too: how does this gathering space reflect our shared ministry?
How does our space reflect God’s vision and Trinity’s values for this season? How will it enhance our worship, learning, service, connectedness, and the sharing and stewardship of our gifts?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how church’s steward their place in the world for the common good, both the physical location of where we are (you can’t beat downtown Stillwater for a physical location), but also how our building reflects what we say is our call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our buildings reflect who we are and what we believe.
I’m really grateful to pastor during this moment and to think imaginatively this chapter of Trinity’s 150+ year New and Renewing ministry. While the River Room has not been directly involved in the comprehensive campaign, the energy from that process to align our spaces and mission has fueled this transformation. There’s always a little Spirit overflow and splash from this kind of faithful leadership and generosity.
That leadership has been seen from all stages and ages and giftedness in the transformation of the River Room. Young people chipping away at brick and digging out soil, pulling down old wallpaper, and tying fabric to the justice waterfall now center stage. The building of church often involves our physical contributions that also build a sense of shared belonging—embodying earthly and heavenly goodness.
A special thanks and shout out to Rob Parker who has championed this project with me over the summer, but many others too who have helped with electrical and cabling and painting and sheetrock and so many labors of the Spirit (Ron and Kathy Hagen, Chuck Newman, Helping Hands, Chris Hansen, Monty Lysne, Griffin Brod to name a few).
There’s no question that at some point you will find yourself down in the newly rebranded, rebuilt, and now livestream/recording ready River Room. It’s a space for everyone. Always been made new and renewing.
Which reflects our physical and spatial and spiritual value that we shape together at Trinity. Thanks for all you do to build and steward our ministry together.
Pastor Peter
