My husband, Sean, and our two kids started coming to Trinity in January of 2013. We decided to join and become members a year later. Our time here has been short but we are truly happy to have found a place as special as Trinity. I was asked to share my impact story and the fact that I am speaking in front of you today is indeed a tribute to the impact Trinity has had on me and my family. Public speaking is not something I normally volunteer to do, but I did want to share with you what we love about Trinity.
During our first visit to Trinity, we happened to sit behind the Tappys and they greeted us immediately after the service. They extended a very warm welcome as several others did over the next few weeks. Over the course of the spring, there was a span of a few weeks when we were not able to make it to church. And when we did make it back; Mr. Tappy greeted us by name and said he was glad to see us after missing us for a few weeks. I was very impressed and touched that in a big church in the middle of Charlotte, someone would notice we weren’t here. And it was an experience we had not had at any other church we had visited. At that point, Sean and I knew we had found a church that could be for us.
Another indication that we had found a special place was when we received our invitation to attend the Montreat retreat. Last summer, Sean and I were considering attending Montreat. We were on the fence about whether it was the right time to go, with our kids at young ages and if it would be something we would get much out of. I asked around to a few people and one day I got a full, one page letter from a member of the congregation, in great detail, explaining all the reasons the annual trip to Montreat was so special to her and her family. After reading that letter, I was again touched imagining the time she had spent, the thought she put in the letter, to try to nudge us into going. And not in a pushy way at all, but in a way that described what a great experience it was for her and she wanted us to share in that great experience too. I took that letter as a sign that we should go and I signed up that next day. Our entire family enjoyed every minute and we pledged that we will never miss a Montreat retreat in the future.
The impact of Trinity on me and my family is how caring, thoughtful, kind and nurturing the congregation is to new and old members. We knew Trinity was our new church home because it was the caring people of Trinity that drew us in.
Anne Mar Kirby