Update on the Rector Search
Letter from the Vestry to the Congregation
September 5, 2021
(See also the announcement from the Bishop)

On Friday evening, April 16 and Saturday morning, April 17, Bishop Stuart Ruch of the ACNA Diocese of the Upper Midwest (based in Wheaton, Illinois) visited the Hillsdale College campus and offered some constructive teaching on human sexuality at the request of the Anglican Student Fellowship. The talks were well attended by a wide representation of the campus Christian community, including evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics.

​On Friday evening, he spoke on the deeper prevailing spiritual realities that have led to so much confusion about human sexuality in our current culture. In particular, the bishop noted the deep parallels between modern notions of "self" and its relationship with our inherent materiality and the ancient error of Gnosticism, and how the doctrine of the Incarnation challenges both the same way.

On Saturday morning over breakfast, he and his wife Katherine provided a more focused teaching on God's purposes for marriage more generally, and his intent that husbands and wives be fruitful with each other more specifically. This powerful presentation focused on childbearing as an exercise of discipleship, and explored the ways the Anglican tradition in particular has dealt with the issue of family planning (with a quick look at the fateful 1920 and 1930 Lambeth Conferences).

Download recordings and PDFs from Bishop Ruch's talks below.

In this lecture, Fr. Adam looks at the Holy Communion service in the Book of Common Prayer (1662 edition of the Church of England) to explore how the liturgy is specifically designed to take worshippers through the subjective experience of encountering the gospel. The liturgy encompasses the whole sweep of salvation from the first awareness of sin to the reception of God's utterly free grace to repair it offered in the Lord's Supper.

Audio of lecture below:

Audio of subsequent Q&A below:

On November 14, 2020, Holy Trinity Parish formally celebrated 30 years of ministry in Hillsdale. Our first worship service was held in Advent of 1989, and the congregation was officially constituted with the Holy Trinity as its patron at our first Annual Meeting in January of 1990. God has been very faithful to us these past three decades, and we gave thanks to him for a noble past and optimistic future. Braving the peculiar conditions imposed by a global pandemic, the parish decided to gather together, with appropriate precautions in place, over a meal to celebrate. Toward the end of the evening, there were four separate presentations. The audio for each is below their respective headings below.

"Where We've Been" by founding Senior Warden Bob Blackstock (with a letter of greetings from founding Rector Fr. Duane Beauchamp)

"Where We Are" by current Rector Adam Rick  (read by associate minister Tim Taylor, as Fr. Adam and his wife were in Covid quarantine at the time of the event)

"Where We're Going" by current Senior Warden Blake McAllister

Concluding Remarks and Benediction by our Bishop, Julian Dobbs

August 17, 2020
 
Dear Holy Trinity family,
 
It has certainly been a peculiar season of ministry for us at Holy Trinity. This pandemic has made so many simple things we take for granted—things as basic as just gathering together—immensely complex. But God has been faithful to our parish, and I thank him for all of you.
 
As we move into the fall, we need to be mindful of the sudden increase of people at the church brought about by the return of the students at the college. As most of you are aware, Hillsdale College has, like most colleges in the state, opted to try for as normal an in-person semester as can be managed under these strange circumstances. So we as a parish need to be ready.
 
After extensive consultation between the parish staff, our vestry, Bishop Julian, and many of our key volunteers, we have decided to take the following precautions for the fall semester. Please take a few minutes to read closely these important updates.
 

• SUNDAY SERVICES: We will continue with two Sunday morning services—at 8:30 am and 10:30 am—per our normal semester custom. The 10:30 service will continue to be livestreamed. We will continue to administer Holy Communion according to our current precautions; for returning students, please read the instructions within the service orders carefully.
  • Those who prefer to join our worship from home over the livestream may request a home visit and Holy Communion from one of the clergy by reaching out to me.
• SOCIAL DISTANCING: social distancing at the 10:30 service will be next to impossible while the college is in session. Every other pew will continue to be blocked off at 8:30 but not at 10:30, though household units are encouraged to distance from each other as best as they can. For that reason, I am urging:
  • more folks (including students) to commit to attend the 8:30 service until this pandemic is behind us,
  • folks who would rather maintain some social distancing, or who are members of a vulnerable demographic, to attend the 8:30 service,
  • and as always, folks who are experiencing Covid-like symptoms or who believe they may have been exposed to Covid to stay home and worship with us over the 10:30 am livestream.
• MASKS: facemasks continue to be recommended but not required,
  • however, I do want to urge folks to seriously consider wearing them, and especially our returning students for the first two weeks of the semester.
  • But let me reiterate that no one is to be shamed for exercising their freedom in this matter. Let us “not quarrel about opinions” (Romans 14:1).
  • It is especially important that we exercise grace toward one another on this matter. It may be worth giving my sermon from May 24 another listen.
• CHOIR: with deep regret, the music team has decided to suspend normal choir activity for the fall semester. The choir will engage in monthly rehearsals outside Sunday mornings to allow for greater social distancing (choir members will hear from our music team about this in the near future), and to prepare for the bishop’s visit in November, for which we will have some choral enhancement to our service.
  • Choir rehearsals will correspond with scheduled outdoor hymn-sings for the entire congregation to join; watch the announcements for dates and times.
  • Instrumental music and vocal solos/duets will continue to be offered weekly for the offertory at 10:30.
• FELLOWSHIP LUNCH: with further regret, the fellowship lunch after the 10:30 service will also be suspended for the fall semester.
  • However, we will serve coffee between the two services outside in Kent’s Place (the pavilion behind the church), every first and third Sunday as weather permits. If you plan to come to 8:30, plan also to stay a bit later; if you plan to come to 10:30, consider coming a bit early.
    • We need folks to volunteer to help with this, ideally 2-3 people every first and third Sunday to a) bring coffee, b) set up Kent’s Place during the last part of the 8:30 service, and c) clean up during the first part of the 10:30. See a list of things to do for these, and sign up here.
  • We will endeavor to host a parish picnic on some weekend while the weather is still nice; keep an eye out for an announcement on this.
  • This is a vital ministry of our parish; we will strive to restart it at the earliest convenience.
• WEDNESDAY NIGHT ED: Christian Education for all ages on Wednesday nights will continue this fall as we have done it before. (Fr. Tim sent an email to parents about how we will endeavor to keep our kids safe.)

 
Allow me to conclude by saying a few things. First, not every one in the parish will agree with all these extra measures—some will think they go too far, others not far enough—and so I encourage you to be mindful of the diversity of opinion in the congregation and to conduct yourselves towards one another with generosity and a spirit of service. Second, I want to hear from you if you have concerns; please know that I am ready to listen if you want to talk about these matters. Third, it is my express intent that we as a parish can return to our normal patterns of ministry as soon as possible. Some of the more disappointing items in this list—the choir, our fellowship lunch—will return in full flower at the proper time.
 
Let us pray that God will deliver us from this season soon, and give us patience in the meantime.
 
Blessings in Jesus,
Adam+

----

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1)
 
Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
By the grace of God, we will be returning to in-person public worship this coming Sunday, Pentecost, May 31, 2020. Below is some important information about how that will happen.
 
Allow me say how impressed I am by your faithfulness to our church community these past few weeks. Attendance on our livestream services has been high, and has remained so throughout our public shutdown. Many of you have reached out to one another with encouragement and empathy. Your generosity to support the financials of the parish has been humbling. All these things are a reminder that the church is not the building, but the people of God together.
 
Before we get into the weeds of our precautions moving forward with public worship, I want to make it clear first that life will not return to normal immediately. We are initiating a slow process. We will keep you regularly updated to changes, and we invite your gracious feedback.
 
Let me offer these crucial preliminaries

• If you choose to attend public worship at the church, know that there is an increased risked of exposure to illness. We will do what we can to reduce this risk, but it cannot be eliminated. By coming to church, you acknowledge this reality. Pray for God’s aid.
• We affirm those who elect not to attend for a while, but do please jump onto the livestream of our services in the meantime.
• The governor’s order expressly permits churches to gather for public worship.

 
That being said, the leadership of the parish, in consultation with other churches in our diocese and province, and with the express input and approval of our bishop, has decided to enact the following precautions:

• We will have one service of Holy Communion on Sundays at 10:30 am.
• That service will be streamed for anyone who does not physically join us.
• We encourage those who are ill or particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 to stay home, especially those with any form of upper respiratory illness which includes coughing, persistent sneezing, sore throat and/or fever. Seasonal allergies are, of course, excepted.
• Childcare will not be offered, however the nursery will be available for squirmy kids with parental supervision. While in the building, please be careful to keep your children by your side, in charity to your brothers and sisters.
• There will be no fellowship hour in the undercroft after the service.
• Facemasks are not required, but they are encouraged. Best evidence at the moment (spotty as it may be) is that facemasks are useful for preventing the wearer from infecting others if they are sick and don’t know it (i.e. are asymptomatic). As far as the church is concerned, to wear one is a sign of charity to fellow believers, nothing more or less. However, no one will be made to feel shame for exercising their choice.
• There will be several hand sanitizer stations in the nave.
• Every other pew will be blocked off to encourage social distancing. Please be mindful of the signs about where you may sit, and follow any guidance given you by an usher.
• Efforts will be made to minimize multiple hands coming into contact with the same surfaces:
  • The doors will be opened for you by ushers before and after the service.
  • The offering plate will not be passed. Two offering plates will be set on small tables in the nave so you can place your gift either when you enter, or when you come forward for Communion. Online giving remains a good option.
  • Printed service orders will be provided, but if you are able to print out the service order at home before coming, you are encouraged to do so. These will be posted to our website and emailed to you as PDFs in the days before each service.
  • Hymnals and Prayer Books in the pews will be greatly reduced. The words of all the hymns will be printed in the service orders in full.
• Extra precautions will be taken with the administration of Holy Communion:
  • The clergy/servers will wear facemasks for the administration, and we will sanitize our hands immediately before.
  • You will be dismissed by row in small groups, to the side aisles rather than the center aisle. Please do not stand too close to the person in front of you.
  • We will not partake at the rail, but via two standing stations on either side of the pulpit and lectern. The Body of Christ will be administered to you at these stations on the hand only, not on the tongue.
  • The chalice will be offered to all who desire it at the front-center. No one is under compulsion to receive the Blood; be assured of the full benefit of the Sacrament with the Body only. Any who desire the chalice will be allowed to drink directly from the chalice only, intinction will not be permitted. As counter-intuitive as it may feel, multiple studies have shown that direct drinking is the most sanitary way to partake if the chalice is wiped and turned after each person (as has always been our practice).
• After the service concludes, you will be dismissed by rows. Please exit the building immediately. Once in the fresh air of our parking lot and back lawn, please feel free to visit with your brothers and sisters, endeavoring to keep 6’ distance between households.
• As weather permits, we will be leaving the nave windows and back doors open during the service to allow for a cross breeze in the building.

 
Some of these precautions will be more onerous than others. Indeed, seeing them all listed like this makes them appear more distracting than they will probably be in fact! (Don’t worry, we will walk through them carefully during the service until we all get used to them.)

Nevertheless, some of you will find these precautions unnecessarily distracting. Others will find they don’t go nearly far enough. Be aware of the diversity of opinion within our parish, and watch your words and your heart accordingly. There is no doubt in my mind that the Enemy will seek to divide our fellowship over these matters, but we must be sober and watchful against him. We are not unaware of his schemes.
 
If you have not listened to the sermon I preached last Sunday from Romans 14, I urge you with all the earnestness at my command to please take the time to do so. I offer critical counsel for how we might best honor one another during these peculiar times when passions are high and opinions diverse. Click here to go there.
 
My friends, now is the time to show the world that the church does things differently. We do not succumb to partisan bickering, and we freely forgo our preferences to serve each other, “considering others’ interests more important than our own” as St. Paul says. We also show the world the difference between prudent precautions and abject fear, as we both live in the confidence of our Savior’s mighty protection and use the wisdom he has given us to take steps that truly lie within our power to take, giving praise to Jesus in and through all things.
 
I look forward to seeing you in person in the coming weeks. It has been too long.
 
Most humbly and gratefully yours,
​Rev. Adam D. Rick
Rector, on behalf of the clergy and vestry of Holy Trinity Parish

In this three week series, we will explore the benefits Holy Communion brings even when we are in between celebrations. Especially relevant in a time of pandemic when we cannot meet together around the Lord's Table, we will see the Holy Communion continues to provide us ample ministry even without actually partaking. According to a deeply rooted biblical theology--grounded in the doxology of both Old and New Testaments--the mere anticipation of a future celebration is a summons to a life of rigorous self-examination and repentance unto discipleship in the here and now.

In this third lesson, we continue looking at the first Exhortation. Having examined our lives in light of God's commandments, we turn now to what we do when we discover that we have wronged a neighbor. Finally, we touch on private confession.

For this series, we will follow the order and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the theological standard of global Anglicanism. While the 1928 Book of Common Prayer's Exhortations are similar, they deviate in a number of ways which will be noted in the course of lessons. Download the 1662 Exhortations here.

Download the audio file for Part 3 below:

In this three week series, we will explore the benefits Holy Communion brings even when we are in between celebrations. Especially relevant in a time of pandemic when we cannot meet together around the Lord's Table, we will see the Holy Communion continues to provide us ample ministry even without actually partaking. According to a deeply rooted biblical theology--grounded in the doxology of both Old and New Testaments--the mere anticipation of a future celebration is a summons to a life of rigorous self-examination and repentance unto discipleship in the here and now.

In this first lesson, we lay the biblical foundation for the Prayer Book's "pastoral theology" of Holy Communion, and where it shows up (in force!) in the third Exhortation.

For this series, we will follow the order and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the theological standard of global Anglicanism. While the 1928 Book of Common Prayer's Exhortations are similar, they deviate in a number of ways which will be noted in the course of lessons. Download the 1662 Exhortations here.

Download the audio file for Part 1 below: