Worship Ministries

TRINITY CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT - 2025

Worship

The Worship Team comprises lay and ordained people at Trinity and assists the Rector in planning, organizing, and implementing parish worship.

In the Episcopal Church, the Rector has sole responsibility for leading and shaping worship in the congregation. However, liturgy cannot happen by the work of the Rector alone. It takes a large group of dedicated individuals to offer a meaningful liturgy that lifts up the presence of Jesus among us. This team seeks to work together so that the worship of Trinity Church is edifying to all.

We meet four times a year to assist the Rector with planning. The team comes together to review and coordinate upcoming services and critique past services for any new learning and help cast a vision for worship at Trinity.

The worship team is an important part of paying attention to the core aspect of a Christian community–praising God. The team is invaluable to the Rector as the Rector is charged with oversight of worship.

Respectively submitted,

Scott White

Music Ministry

2025 has been a busy and fruitful year for the Music Ministry at Trinity. Our cherub choir has grown to 10 registered children, and 35 adults are registered for Chancel Choir. The Trinity Handbell Choir boasts 11 participants, with the possibility of two more, which would be enough to outgrow their current rehearsal room. Finding a consistent schedule continues to be a challenge for the Youth Choir, so Dr. Seal has been working to find other ways to involve Trinity’s youth in music ministry, including participating in the Handbell Choir, the Chancel Choir, and as instrumentalists for Sunday worship service. Our concert series grew exponentially in 2025, culminating in a performance by one of the world’s most well-known and finest choirs, Voces8. The Voces8 concert was a rousing success, with a sold out crowd of over 400. For that one evening in August, Trinity was home to the best choral singing in the world.

At our 8:00 AM service, we continue to have a soloist to help lead music each week, drawing from our Chancel Choir section leaders and subs. At the 10:45 AM service, the Chancel Choir continues to serve admirably, and they have been sharing two anthems each week. At our 5:30 PM service, we continue to have an instrumentalist and soloist each week. Our Chancel Choir section leaders are Pam Miller, Nana Hosmer Griffin, and Robert Thorpe, with occasional substitution by Joanna Agnew and Elizabeth Seal. Ken Wilson continues to serve as bass section leader, and continues to forgo his stipend. Our substitutes in the past few months include Sharone Boone (former Director of Music), and Andrew Davis, Piano.

2025 highlights:

Music Revue in February. Dr. Kevin Seal served as the emcee for the event, and performers included a number of our youth, as well as many from Chancel Choir. The music performed was varied, from contemporary piano music, to bluegrass, to Broadway, along with everything in-between
A vocal recital in February, featuring Grammy-nominated Baritone Edward Vogel and Dr. Kevin Seal performing a program of English art songs
A Choral Evensong service on the first Sunday of Lent
Choral Evensong for Palm Sunday, led by the Asheville Vocal Ensemble
Easter Vigil music lead by a vocal quartet
Easter services at 9:00 and 11:00 with choir and brass
A Spring Concert featuring the Chancel Choir singing Maurice Durufle’s Requiem, performed with a chamber orchestra and conducted by Dr. Seal
Youth Sunday in early May, which featured performances by a number of our youth, and the debut of our Youth Choir
A celebration on Trinity Sunday, our namesake feast day, featuring music for organ and brass
A Bach Vespers service on the evening of Trinity Sunday, featuring a complete performance of Bach’s Cantata no. 105 with a chamber orchestra, all within the confines of a vespers service
Dr. Kevin Seal’s attendance at the Association of Anglican Musicians National Conference in Cincinnati in June
Dr. Kevin Seal remained busy professionally, doing work at Christ School, playing recitals at Episcopal Churches in Johnson City, and Knoxville, TN. This important work helps to raise the profile of Trinity’s music program within the region.
The previously mentioned Voces8 concert in August
Chancel Choir’s annual retreat at Lake Logan in early October
Choral Evensong in October, led by the Chancel Choir
The return of the Three Choirs Concert on November 7th, 2025, at Central United Methodist Church.
2025 Music for Advent series on Wednesdays at 12:15, followed by lunch. Musicians include Asheville Baroque on December 3rd, the Pan Harmonia Flute and Harp duo of Kate Steinbeck and Jessica Schaeffer on the 10th, and First Baptist Asheville organist Tate Addis on the 17th
Lessons and Carols with choir and brass on December 21st
Extended Christmas Eve prelude for the 5:30 and 11:00 PM services

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Kevin M. Seal

Director of Music and Organist

EVENSONG - NOVEMBER 3

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild continues to be the “quiet ministry” at Trinity. What we do is behind the scenes and our main role is to prepare all things necessary for the celebration of the Eucharist, Sacraments and Offices of the Church.

In 2025, St. Hilda’s Altar Guild has 18 active members. This includes an addition of four new members. We lost two members, one to retirement and one to seminary.

In order to keep up with three Sunday services as well as weddings, funerals, baptisms and the additional Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter services, we now have four co-directors.

This year, so far, we have hosted three large funerals, one ordination, and one wedding outside the Trinity family.

We are so grateful that our attendance has increased at all three Sunday services, but that also brings the challenge of being fiscally responsible

The supplies essential to our ministry continue to be: wine, communion wafers, wax candles, liquid wax and cleaning supplies. Along with rising vendor costs and increased shipping charges, as well as the tariff issues, our budget has been strained. Of course we need all these pieces in order to have services.

As a group, we continue to be dedicated to serving God by preparing the Sanctuary, Altar, hangings, vessels and elements for service and worship.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jane Exner

Ada Jo Foley

Bill Brackney

Anne Imes

Linen Guild

The Linen Guild is the part of St. Hilda’s Altar Guild that launders, maintains, and cares for the Eucharistic linens used in all our services. These beautiful sacred linens include: purificators, corporals, credence table covers, baptismal towels, altar cloths and fair linens. These sacred pieces are made from white linen and embroidered with a Christian symbol in white thread.

The Linen Guild is responsible for laundering and caring for the fair linens and altar cloths used on the four altars and the Healing Station altar. These altars are used for various weekly services. We also launder and maintain all the small linens used regularly during the Eucharist, weddings, funerals and other services.

Membership in the Linen Guild is not exclusive to members of the St. Hilda’s Altar Guild. Anyone who has an interest and will care for the linens in a reverent, careful manner is welcome. Linen Guild members currently serve on a rotating schedule of two weeks twice a year. Members take the used linens home after the Eucharist to launder and iron them, returning them to the church the following week. The linens are stored and supplied from the Working Sacristy.

Due to the age and condition of some linens, replacements were necessary this year. The Linen Guild ordered and received two fair linens for the free standing altar, an altar cloth for the healing station, a cloth for the Celtic credence table and additional purificators for the Sunday morning and Celtic services.

We are grateful to those who serve in this ministry and we welcome anyone who would like to be a part of this dedicated group. If you have time to do a little extra laundry, perhaps the Linen Guild would be a ministry you would like to join. Being part of this ministry is a labor of love. Linen Guild members, through their service, deepen their faith and their knowledge of the church and the Sacraments.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Whisenhunt

Acolytes

Trinity’s Acolyte Ministry is the largest, most active group of youth in the church. We have 45 youth and children who serve regularly – at least once a month, and sometimes more. The goal of the acolyte ministry is to serve God and his church and to enhance the worship service for all involved. Acolytes don’t do or say a lot during the service, but imagine how different our service would be without the cross, candles, or banners!

Each Sunday requires a minimum of 5 acolytes- one for the 8:00 service and 4 for 10:45. Brad Wilson, Collin McCormick, Anna and William Whisnant, and William Jones serve as the acolytes for the 8:00 service.

The majority of our acolytes are in 3rd-12th grades. We do have some adults who acolyte occasionally, when it is not appropriate to use youth, primarily for funerals, the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve service, and 6:00 am Great Vigil of Easter.

Our acolytes also serve at funerals and special services at Trinity.

Monies from the acolyte ministry budget are used for maintenance of vestments, purchase of new gloves as needed, and to purchase and engrave crosses for our acolytes.

We had one senior acolyte, Frida Vassallo, who helped with the acolytes and helped the Acolyte Master. Beginning in August, we have a new senior acolyte, Lucie Holland, who has taken over.

We have one adult volunteer who helps with the acolytes and the Acolyte Master: Anna Whisnant.

We have two training sessions, one in August and one in January.

Respectfully submitted,

Debbie Cox

Trinity Flower Guild

The Flower Guild is a group of around 30 individuals who find joy in bringing living floral and foliage arrangements to the altar each Sunday. We enjoy sharing the art of floral design as an expression of love to God and for His Creation. Most Sundays, the arrangements are given in loving tribute to friends and family. We appreciate the support of Trinitarians in making donations for memorials and tributes that help fund the florals.

The Guild members kindly serve and share our talents with enthusiasm and dedication. The Guild is organized using Ministry Scheduler Pro software which allows ease of sign up and notification of responsibilities. The call for sign-up is sent out on a quarterly basis. Throughout the year, the Flower Guild members receive updates and information via email. Flower Guild members willingly mentor new Guild members who join the group. We have renewed our floral sources list and strengthened relationships with local floral businesses who support our efforts. We continue to refine and replace container and floral supplies as needed.

One important collaboration is with the Flower Delivery Team. All members understand the relationship and importance of the florals that are rearranged immediately following the service by the Flower Delivery Team members and they are shared with parishioners by that Team.

The Flower and Altar Guilds also work collaboratively to adorn the church for the High Holy Feasts of Christmas and Easter. This past Easter, Flower Guild Chair Clara A. Curtis designed the floral celebration and the Flower Guild members worked to carry out her designs. The final arrangements were beautifully crafted to express our joy at the resurrection of Christ!

In late September, the Flower Guild held a luncheon and floral demonstration focused on arranging matching florals for the altar, details associated with arranging in the large altar space and sustainability in floral design. As a Guild, we have been educating ourselves on new sustainable floral design products and methods of

design that reduce or eliminate the use of microplastics. Associate Rector Amy Peterson gave a remembrance meditation on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene for all in attendance. An important part of the agenda that day was co-chair Ken Wilson’s presentation of the plans for floral decorations for Christmas 2025. We look forward to carrying out his designs which will reflect on the nativity and plants and flowers from the Holy Land. We enjoyed a delicious meal that day prepared by Trinity chefs. Members were asked to bring a friend and as a result, the Guild gained two new members at the event.

As members of the Flower Guild, we hope that our work and designs inspire and uplift you in your worship experience at Trinity! We humbly offer these floral arrangements in service to God.

Should you feel a call to serve in the beatification of the sanctuary to His Glory and would like to join the Flower Guild, feel free to contact me, Clara Curtis, or co-chair Ken Wilson. We would love to have you!

Respectfully submitted,

Clara A. Curtis, Flower Guild Chair

Ken Wilson, Flower Guild Co-Chair

Usher Ministry Team

The Usher Ministry continues to serve faithfully as part of the welcoming face of our church, ensuring that every worship experience begins with warmth, order, and hospitality.

Over the year, there were 40 men and women across 6 teams who served dutifully at all regular and special services. Each usher serves an average of 10 times per year during the 10:45 service.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the trust you place in us each week. As we look ahead, we invite anyone feeling called to join our ministry—there’s always room for more hearts and hands. If you would like to learn more about being an usher, please contact

Jeff Imes: imesjf@gmail.com.

Respectively submitted,

Jeff Imes

Head Usher

Congregational Development

The Congregational Development Ministry Team’s mission is to:

Extend Trinity’s ministry beyond our walls and out to the wider community
Make the experience of a newcomer as welcoming as it can be
Fully incorporate newcomers and help them move beyond membership to participation
Encourage current members into participation

This past year we have specifically done the following:

Provided Welcome Ministers at our main Sunday morning service
Made calls to everyone submitting a Welcome Card
Continued our Stocking Ministry to regularly restock pew card holders
Held two Newcomer events
Held five Trinity Connect Sunday School classes

The coffee hour in our courtyard continues to provide a wonderful place to get to know one another. Our dreams for the future are to continue to incorporate both old comers and newcomers into becoming more engaged at Trinity.

Team Members: Jim Deuel, Kathie Owings, Tim Owings, Carlyn Pheil, Cheri Taylor, Lorrie Weeks, Scott White and Bob Zito.

Respectfully submitted,

Carlyn Pheil

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Asheville, North Carolina

EXPLORE FAITH. EMBRACE COMMUNITY. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TRINITY CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT - 2025