Being a Beacon within the Community

Many church congregations ponder ways in which they can be more visible in their communities. Some even set goals and achieve them.  But there a few churches who really are actively involved with their communities.  These churches are not visible because their church was built in a prime location; rather they are visible because they are working out God’s purpose within the greater community.  For them, it’s not about being seen.  It’s not even a political thing.  It’s about listening to the needs and dreams of the people and then working together to meet those needs.  I recently visited two such churches that are beacons in their communities, and whose light shines in very different ways.

Holy Trinity Church, Swanton, VT

Holy Trinity Church in Swanton somewhat defies pigeon-holing in its identity. It doesn’t really qualify as a “rural” church since it stands right in the middle of a downtown small town/city. And yet, it reaches out to very rural people, nestled as the town is in the midst of the largest dairy farming community in Vermont.  It certainly doesn’t qualify as an urban church as it lacks typical city amenities.  Yet, located in the center of town, it is vulnerable to the occasional urban distress—like breaking and entering and theft. Holy Trinity’s congregation also struggles with a certain identity ambiguity.  On the one hand, the sturdy work ethic instilled in its members that allows them to take pride in a job well done, alternately has them a little embarrassed that much of what they have in the way of the church and its appointments has been given to them through no fundraising or work effort of their own. (The church has been well endowed with gifts that leave them in a financially comfortable position.) It seems they struggle to understand that gifts are given out of love rather than as payment for labor and marketing skill. Certainly, Holy Trinity is a church and spiritual home worthy of that kind of love!

For it is clear that the parish of Holy Trinity has a deep love for the people of its community. 

images at Holy Trinity's community center

Holy Trinity earnestly wants to embrace its community in a reverent and spiritual relationship. And so it does. Just a few years ago, the parish rebuilt its parish hall and renovated part of the main church building in effort to be more connected and involved with its community. The intent was—and is—to provide a space for other organizations throughout the area to meet, provide offices and even educate one another. The community center at Holy Trinity is now home to myriad organizations and programs.  The local school district holds teacher inservices there as it is an off-campus site that is close to all schools should an emergency arise during one of their meetings.  The area Bar Association holds meetings and trainings there. All kinds of self-improvement classes are held there, including yoga, zumba, Tae Kwon Do, and the like.  The scheduling calendar is full and covered in red and blue inked inserts.  Holy Trinity, in an ecumenical effort with the Roman Catholic church and the Methodist church, hold once-a-month community dinners.  When it is Holy Trinity’s turn to host, the hall is filled with visitors.  They also have their own program of bi-monthly breakfasts. One of the really BIG outreach efforts at Holy Trinity is the newly established Franklin Alliance for Rural Ministries (FARM).  This program is dedicated to helping the Mexican migrant workers at area dairy farms get the immigration and social services and assistance to basic human rights that they need. The program works toward more fair and equitable farming practices in global economics.  In January of 2013, F.A.R.M. opened its office in the community center building at Holy Trinity.

St. John's, Highgate Falls, VT

Holy Trinity’s history is wrapped together with that of St. John’s Church in Highgate, located four miles up the road from Swanton. The people of Swanton attended this church until Holy Trinity was built in town, and in 1896, the two parishes were combined.  St. John’s is under the custodial care of Holy Trinity and is used for weddings, Evensongs and special fundraising events—especially concerts.  St. John’s has the distinction of possessing the oldest in situ pipe organ in the state. The Henry Erban organ was constructed for this building in 1836, just six years after the church’s consecration, and was recently restored by Peter Walker of Walker Pipe Organs of Brattleboro, VT. Together, Holy Trinity and St. John’s churches shed a loving light of welcome to all in the area.

Grace Church in Sheldon shines with a similar, yet completely different light.  And yet, like Holy Trinity, Grace serves the needs of its people.  First and foremost, Grace is a haven for the worship of God.  The space itself implies all the welcoming warmth of the Holy Spirit’s embrace simply by its warm, wooden interior. 

Grace Church, Sheldon

The building stands in the midst of farmland in its own large field.  A steep-pitched roof protectively shields the brick building.  The entrance ramp and steps were fairly recently built, but were cleverly and artistically designed to look as if it was part of the original 1816 structure. Grace Church has a small congregation as is typical of a somewhat remote and rural church.  Being small, they recognize the necessity of collaborating with others in the community.  So they will often join forces with the United Methodist Church just over on the next hill for events like food drives, community flea markets and social events. 

images evoking Grace Church's history

Yet, the real strength of this small congregation lies in individuals who reach out to one another, with church as the main connection.  One gets the feeling that the events and day-to-day activities and missions of this congregation haven’t really changed all that much in the nearly 200 years of Grace’s history. There is an historical marker just a short distance up the road that tells of a Civil War Action that occurred in Sheldon.  It tells of how Confederate soldiers planned to raid the local bank, and set fire to the covered bridge (which is no longer standing, but not as a result of that fire).  The fire alerted the community who not only raised the alarm, and put out the fire before the bridge was destroyed, but foiled the raid attempt and chased the detachment of soldiers away.  This kind of pulling together is not an unfamiliar to modern parishioners at Grace Church, Sheldon either. It is at a church event—any event, even if it’s not worship—where one might chat with his neighbor about getting enough hay in before the freezing weather sets in. In hearing the worry about having enough time or farmhands’ help to make a fourth and final cutting, the good neighbor offers his own time and his son’s as well.  And the relief is evident in the farmer’s two-handed handshake as he accepts the kind offer. (This was an actual conversation I overheard at a recent concert event at Grace Church, and I believe this is one of the tenderest examples of living Jesus’ commandments that I’ve ever been privileged to witness.)

Grace Church commands an air of sturdy self-reliance.  Yet as its name suggests, there is also a charming and whimsical grace evoked as the centuries of history co-mingle with the present day.  Grace has a tradition of offering a Summer Concert Series featuring local musicians.  It’s the type of program that could easily have been practiced 100 or 150 or nearly 200 years ago. The series runs for a number of weeks during the summer and concerts are held Friday evenings.  As an example, one recent Friday a musical group called Full Circle performed. Full Circle is comprised of five women of, shall we say, “mature” years who agree that retirement means time to do what they really love.  It is places (and people) like Grace Church that allow others to grow and flourish.  Surely, Grace Church meant to provide an evening of entertainment for members of its community.  But in doing so, its community expanded to include this musical group in whom the Spirit is bursting to be released and shared.  And that touches others.  And the beacon shines on.

These examples, as seen in Holy Trinity, Swanton with St, John’s, Highgate and Grace Church, Sheldon demonstrate what it means to be a beacon in the Diocese of Vermont.