Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:10)
Since 1830, Trinity and its predecessor seminaries have been forming leaders for Christ’s church at work in the world. For almost 200 years, faithful Christians have given of their time, talent, and treasure to support this mission.
Major gifts have established endowments to support student scholarships, faculty positions, and specific seminary programs. These gifts are a foundational component of our work and our life together. Just as foundational, though, are gifts that support the day-to-day operations of the seminary.
Regular readers of this column know that Trinity’s annual revenue has exceeded direct expenses for each of the fiscal years that we have been part of Capital University – by a small amount. This is possible because we can now rely on Capital to provide important university-wide functions like business and finance, facilities and maintenance, information technology, etc. For seminary-specific costs, like staff salaries, classroom instruction, and worship and music, we rely on the revenue we generate, through tuition dollars, scholarships, and annual giving.
On Wednesday, March 22, and Thursday, March 23, Trinity will participate in Capital’s Day of Giving, a coordinated, university-wide effort to increase financial support for the Capital Fund, the Law School Excellence Fund, and the Trinity Fund. Gifts designated for the Trinity Fund will be used to support seminary expenses and programs. We’ll even encourage a little friendly competition between alumni cohorts, faculty and staff, and other friends of the seminary.
It’s always a good day to support your seminary! We hope that many of you will make use of next week’s Capital Day of Giving as an opportunity to give. If your means are limited, consider a gift in a symbolic amount: perhaps $18.30 or $183.00 in recognition of Trinity’s founding or $20.23 or $202.30 in honor of this year’s graduating class. If you’re already a regular donor, consider increasing the amount of your annual gift. When you invest in Trinity, you are investing in forming the leaders for today and tomorrow.
Can’t wait till next week? You can give today through our secure online giving portal.
Like the Apostle Paul, all of us at Trinity give thanks to God for your generosity.
The Rev. Kathryn A. Kleinhans, Ph.D.
Dean