Welcome to  Trinity Today  - monthly e-news and opportunities at Trinity UMC  

In This Issue
BIRTHDAYS

May 2 David Atchley
May 3 Alyssa Brunning
May 5 Logan Baumgartner
May 5 Jan Hevner
May 5 Betty Kobler
May 6 Carolyn Linder
May 8 Jennifer Eunice
May 9 Jeff Hansard
May 12 Louise O'Quinn
May 13 Anita Campbell
May 14 Jeff Bishop
May 14 Kim Pertler
May 14 George Trullinger
May 15 Karin Roland
May 16 Ann Jenkins
May 17 Claire Smith
May 20 John Palmer
May 21 Jon Robbins
May 22 Cliff Mohr
May 22 Steve White
May 25 Mackenzie Cunningham
May 25 Claud Anna Smith
May 26 David Eunice
May 26 Robbie Pickren
May 27 Cecil Chester
May 27 Jerry Ferrara
May 28 Cindy Fox
May 28 Jane Presson
May 29 Evelyn Warren
May 30 Nancy Beaty
May 30 Carol Dill

Anniversaries

May 1 Stephen & Lindsay Lowery,
    6 yrs
May 20 Jeff & Michele Bishop,
    21 yrs
May 26 Michael & Gale Gately,
  32 yrs

Master Calendar
The church's master calendar can now be seen online. Visitors can view both previous and coming months.  Click here to view.

Hard-copies will be available in the church office or in the Narthex on Sundays. To add or correct information seen on the calendar, contact Lori Jones at  trinitymgr@cfl.rr.com  or 734-4425.
The Trustees last met on April 6 and the following business was handled:
  • Conducted annual inspection at the Parsonage
  • Reviewed estimates for a new refrigerator for the kitchen
  • Identified where the lawn sprinkler system malfunction was located and made repairs
  • Agreed to purchase a new large bulletin board for the fellowship hall

Miro has been cleaning carpets throughout the church. Next Trustee meeting will be on May 4.

 

Charlie Daniels, Chair

ADMINISTRATIVE
COUNCIL
UPDATE


Trinity's Administrative Council has reviewed the 2016 needs (submitted during the Strategic Planning process) to  determine if they can be addressed in 2016 or deferred to 2017 or beyond. Those needs or ideas deemed feasible for this year were assigned to an established church team or a collaboration of several teams to collectively meet, review and create definitive action plans.

A collection of individual words and short statements that best describe Trinity is being collected for the purpose of creating a new mission statement for the church. Once finalized, the statement will be used in all communications to readily identify our church and be referred to when planning for the future.

How would you describe Trinity? Send me your thoughts by email and we'll add them to the collection. The process should be finalized by this summer in time for our new website redesign to be completed.

John Campbell, Chair

GENERAL CONFERENCE PRAYER

Every four years in the life of our United Methodist Church, clergy and lay delegates from all over the world meet together as the General Conference of the United Methodist Church to tackle the demands and challenges of today's world on our Communion as the United Methodist Church. This year will be no different than any others. There will be extreme challenges from without and within. Will our delegates choose to stand fast by the Discipline of the United Methodist Church or will this be the year that massive change occurs?

May we covenant to pray daily for all of our delegates from the Florida Annual Conference listed below. May we pray that they all be inundated and filled with GOD's Holy Spirit as they gather to obediently fulfill GOD's will for our church. This year's General Conference happens in Portland, Oregon from May 10 - 20. Thank you very much for praying.

Lay Delegates: Molly McEntire, Derrick Scott III, Alice Williams, Mickey Wilson, Russ Graves, Jeremy Hearn, Rachael Sumner,
Carlene Fogle-Miller and Janet Earls.

Clergy Delegates: Sue Haupert-Johnson, Alex Shanks, Rinaldo "Rini" Hernandez, Dionne Chandler Hammond, Harold Lewis Sr., David Dodge, Cynthia Weems, Jacqueline Leveron and Sharon Austin.
Stephen Ministry News

Ministry team members have received a number of referrals for assistance, and we are now in the process of interviewing potential clients for acceptance in the program.

Stephen ministers work with clients on a one-on-one basis to improve their ability to cope with and journey through life crises. They also assist individuals with their skills and ability to relate to others and grow in their faith.

If you know of a church member who is in need, please contact  Lori Hansard at  lgjbhansard@totcon.com.

United Methodist Women




Sarah Circle






On May 2, Sarah Circle will be doing the meal for Interfaith Kitchen.

On May 3, circle members will meet at the church at 1 p.m. for a program followed by an old-fashioned ladies tea with cookies. All women of the church are invited.

For more information, contact Melissa Fuller, UMW Leader, at  fuller_b@bellsouth.net .





Susanna Circle

On May 9, Susanna Circle will meet at Sally Hansen's home beginning at 6:30 pm.  All women of the church are invited.

For more information, contact Melissa Fuller, UMW Leader, at  fuller_b@bellsouth.net .











Human Trafficking Awareness Night
Thursday, May 19
6:30 p.m.
   
"As the sun sets across the United States tonight, thousands of children are rising to meet the night. They should be in safe homes, in warm beds, being tucked beneath blankets and told bedtime stories. Instead they slip into the nocturnal world, dressed for the work of the 'track.'"  - from 
Renting Lucy written by Linda Smith, former congresswoman from Washington state and founder of Shared Hope International.

Do you have a son, daughter, grandchild, neighbor or friend's child, who is in middle or high school?  Do you know if they have ever heard of "Human Trafficking?"  In the film  "Chosen" , 17 year old Brianna had never heard of this term; therefore, when she was approached by a handsome young guy (24 years old) who seemed to know a lot about her (via a frequent customer who had asked her a lot of seemingly innocent questions), she had no idea she was being targeted to be trafficked. Later she realized she had been "chosen," although at the time she thought she was capable of making her own decisions.

Whether you want to know about this social injustice or not, we all NEED to know about it for the safety of our children and society. P lan now to join us, as vital information will be presented.

Bring your middle/high school-age children, invite young male and female associates and anyone else who could benefit from learning more.  Officer Hancock of the DeLand Police Department and Jill Woods of Orange City United Methodist's HOPE Team will each make brief presentations and portions of the film "Chosen" will also be shown. A question and answer session will follow.  For more information, contact Melissa Fuller at fuller_b@bellsouth.net.

Sam's Fill-A-Box

If you have a loved one, neighbor or friend serving in the U.S. armed forces, Trinity members want to send them a small box of goodies to let them know we are praying for them, and how much we appreciate their dedication and service to our country.

Send their name and full address to the Sam's Fill-A-Box ministry coordinator, June Shearin, and a "Thinking of You" box will be mailed to them.

If you would like to contribute to this important ministry, we are collecting items such as -- c rossword and Sudoku puzzles, dominoes, Uno and other boxed game sets, personal hygiene items (like toothpaste and toothbrushes), individually-wrapped bags of pretzels, snacks, trail mix, nuts and soup packets, tuna fish, magazines, protein and granola bars, Frisbees, flashlights, batteries, phone  cards, and small toys (for a child that solders may come in contact with while on duty.)

There is a box at the back of the Fellowship Hall for collecting needed items. Your donations are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please email me at jshearin76@gmail.com.

Thank you!

June Shearin
NEW MINISTRY FOR SHUT-INS

The Strategic Planning meeting highlighted the need for an "intentional shut-in ministry." In an effort to enhance Pastor Brian's ministry and lighten his load, four retired clergy (who call Trinity their church home) are volunteering their time and pastoral skills to provide such a ministry to members who are home-bound, as well as those in nursing home facilities.
 
Dan Casselberry, Hermie Clemente, John Campbell and Tom Cunningham have agreed to serve in this enhanced ministry on a monthly rotation basis. Their service will begin in May using the following schedule:

May
Dan Casselberry
624-3682
June Hermie Clement 
734-8398
July John Campbell 
734-9224
August Tom Cunningham  734-5019

The names and addresses of those being touched by this ministry will be provided by Pastor Carr or the Administrative Assistant and updated as necessary. The minister doing the visiting/contacting will provide regular reports and note any special concerns that need follow-up. The name of the minister doing the calls for the month will be listed in Sunday bulletins and monthly newsletters. These retired ministers will also be available to cover hospitals and emergencies when Pastor Carr is unavailable.

The retired ministers also talked about several other areas where their skills might be used as we grow the ministry. These include bereavement counseling, helping to build relationships between older members/mentors and youth, starting an adopt a senior program, and reaching out to residents in the apartment complex across Plymouth Avenue from the new church site.
Trinity Learning Center

Enrollment currently stands at 64 with two new students due to start this week, bringing us to 66. Our licensed limit is 73.

In mid-March, an announcement was made that we would discontinue participation in the State of Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program.  Our final VPK graduation ceremony is scheduled for Friday night, June 3, at 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend this always heartwarming and fun event!

Cindy Fox, Director

EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY
Advance Commitment Event
a Huge Success!

Nearly 100 members joined together on April 27th to enjoy a wonderful meal, the fun and fellowship of just being together, and to listen to a passionate, heart-felt presentation by our
Step Out in Faith campaign consultant, Larry Sykora.

Normally, Larry prefers to stay in the background but he ventured out during the evening to talk about the significance and the impact our campaign will have on future generations, individuals and families we haven't even met.

Commitment cards were handed out, but not collected. Instead, Larry asked that attendees take it home, review the card and continue praying about where God is leading them in regard to their sacrificial gift to the campaign.

Campaign steering committee leaders, Bob and Becky Kellogg, along with the Advance Commitment Team leaders, Roger and Julie Baumgartner, are to be commended for the fine job they did in producing the event held at the beautiful Victoria Gardens Clubhouse!
A message from the
Step Out in Faith  
Spiritual Emphasis Team

The congregational Bible study for our capital campaign,  Step Out in Faith,  continues, both individually, in select Sunday school classes and other small groups through May 15. If you want to join a Sunday school study session and are not currently a member of a class, this might be a good time to join one! 

Please continue to pray daily for our capital campaign using the prayer tent cards mailed to you. This month we are also engaged in some special prayer events. Plan now to j oin in the Lunchtime Prayer sessions, in the Sanctuary from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 2 to 6 and May 9 to 12. Also, there is still time to sign up for the Call to Prayer on May 13. During this event (also in the Sanctuary) we will have constant prayer over the campaign between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Sign up by calling Carolyn Harner (386) 738-1794 or by email to  charner@mindspring.com .

Finally, don't forget to participate in the Prayer Burst on May 14, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. We hope that each and every person touched by this campaign will be drawn closer to God in an intimate way. Once again we ask you, please join with us in prayer.

Yours in Christ,

Step Out in Faith Spiritual Emphasis Team

The Main Event: A Time of Celebration
All members of Trinity are cordially invited to celebrate the church's
Step Out in Faith campaign on Saturday, May 14th at the Wayne G. Sanborn Activity Center beginning at 5:30 pm with hors d'oeuvres and gathering time. A buffet dinner will be served beginning at 6:00 pm.

Child care and transportation will be provided. Contact the church office to learn more.

MAY 2016

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Welcome to May. Welcome to our May newsletter. I can't believe I have just written those words. Can it be true that we have already marked Lent, celebrated Easter and are well on our way to summer? Already?

May will be chock full of activities here at Trinity UMC. All one need do is take a look through these pages and you will find barely an opportunity to rest. We are in the heart of our Step Out in Faith capital campaign which will culminate with our Major Event on May 14 and worship on May 15, as well as our normal May activities: Cinco de Mayo for those of us who enjoy Mexican food, Mother's Day, Music Maker Sunday, High School and College Graduations, Graduate Recognition and Memorial Day just to name a few. Please read this newsletter to get the latest details in all that is offered for us this month.

But, so we don't get too busy and forget why we are here on this planet, I want to talk to you a bit about King David. I saw some program on Israeli professional basketball and some of the players were taken to the Valley of Elah where the Bible tells us that the shepherd boy David slew the giant Philistine, Goliath, more than three thousand years ago. It was an interesting segment as they discussed how being the "underdog" really worked in David's favor. First, because he wasn't a soldier he wore no armor, which would have constricted his movements as Goliath's armor certainly did to him. Second, David chose the rather obsolete weapon of the slingshot rather than sword or spear as Goliath did, which enabled him to strike at Goliath from a fairly safe distance. Those concepts are true although I had never really considered them, but what they didn't mention was that David's greatest asset as the "underdog" was his faith. Goliath was the self-proclaimed "war machine" of his day. The entire army of Israel trembled in fear as they looked at this behemoth covered in armor armed with massive, "state of the art" weapons and the psychological force of his taunts against Israel and Israel's god. I am sure David saw the same thing all the others did, but David wasn't looking at Goliath through binoculars but through eyes of faith. You see, in his young life as a shepherd, David had learned that he absolutely had to depend on God to properly defend his father's sheep and he learned in that process that GOD was faithful. As Goliath turned his taunts to the scrawny boy David, David turned his eyes to the God of his fathers, the GOD of Israel. Do you remember David's response to the raging giant? "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands" (I Samuel 17:45-47, NIV).

The rest, of course, is the ancient history of a GOD who is alive and continues to call us to face the giants of our day with the very same weapon the boy David had at his disposal - faith! We are facing one of our own giants right now as we start our capital campaign in the face of seemingly unsurpassable odds, but you know what?  GOD is with us still! As Romans 8:31-32 (NIV) says: "If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Who indeed?

Let us march together in unwavering trust as we step out together in faith to a new era in the enduring life of Trinity United Methodist Church! May GOD richly bless you as you richly bless all those around you by living, loving and leading like Jesus.

Pastor Brian
PASSIONATE WORSHIP
Sermon Series  for May

Pastor Brian will continue his series of sermons based on our capital campaign theme Step Out in Faith through May 15. The following Sunday, May 22, our Music Makers will perform "It's Cool in the Furnace." And the last Sunday of the month, he will preach on the concept of Ebenezer from 1 Samuel 7:12.
Sermon Titles
May 1


Sixth Sunday of Easter

 
"Step Out In Faith: Giving...For Others"
 

May 8

Seventh Sunday of Easter

"Step Out In Faith: Giving...With Believers"

May 15

Day of Pentecost

"Step Out In Faith: Giving...From Wealth"

May 22

First Sunday After Pentecost/Music Makers Sunday 

"It's Cool In the Furnace" 

May 29
Second Sunday After Pentecost
"Ebenezer - Let Us Remember"
Music Makers
 
Trinity's own Music Makers will perform " It's Cool in the Furnace" during both worship services on Sunday, May 22.

Some things never grow old and never go out of fashion -- some things remain "cool" forever. Bible stories are timeless, and the tale of a Godly guy named Daniel, his three side-kicks and a fiery furnace is about as cool as it gets. So too is this classic children's musical that recounts the captivating tale with humor, action, and spiritual heart.

Make plans to arrive early and get a good seat. You won't want to miss this "cool" event!

Worship Team News
 
Ralph Baker, a Trinity member since 1963, retired from ushering when he turned 91 in March.Thank you, Ralph, for your dedication and service as an usher for 33+ years!
 
We will celebrate Pentecost Sunday on May 15. M embers are encouraged to wear red .
 
On the first Sunday after Pentecost, May 22, Music Makers will perform , "It's Cool in the Furnace", the story of Shadrach Meshach, and Abednego.

Carla Rhoderick, Team Leader
INTENTIONAL DISCIPLING
Prayer Corner

Thursday, May 5, has been designated as the National Day of Prayer.  The theme is "Wake Up America." At 12:00 pm ET we are asked to pray this "National Prayer" together 

Dear heavenly Father, we come to You today as a humble people desperate for Your supernatural intervention on behalf of our beloved nation.  First, we thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on our land, blessings that have allowed us to bring so much good and benefit to not only our own citizens but also to the rest of the world. The very ideals upon which this country was founded were based on biblical truths, no matter how some try to rewrite history to deny that very fact today.

This is why our hearts are so broken over how You continue to be marginalized and dismissed by both our people and our institutions. We are also saddened by the fact that Your people have contributed greatly to the spiritual apathy that now engulfs us. Our satisfaction in remaining religious without being fully committed to living out the truths of Your Word has caused us to become co-conspirators with the forces of evil that are destroying us as a society.
 
It is for this reason that we personally and collectively repent of our carnality and recommit ourselves to becoming visible and verbal disciples of Jesus Christ. Enable us, by Your Spirit, to no longer be secret agent Christians but rather to publicly declare and live out Your truth in a spirit of love so that You feel welcome in our country once again.
 
Thank You for Your promise to hear our prayers when we call to You with hearts of repentance and obedience, which is how we are appealing to You today, Father. On behalf of Your church, we affirm afresh the priority You are to us that You would fill every dimension of our lives as we seek to bring You glory through the advancement of Your kingdom in our personal lives, our family lives, and in the lives of our churches and our government leaders. We confidently invite heaven's intervention into all the affairs of our nation and we praise You in advance for Your answer.

In Jesus' name we pray, a men.
 
Written by Dr. Tony Evans

Pentecost

Seen any symbols of fire and lots of red decorations around your sanctuary? Do you know what's the second most important day of the Christian year? Where in the Bible is this described? Who foretold what would happen and to whom? Check out this short video to learn more.  Click here to watch now!

Youth News

"The youth is the hope of our future." --Jose Rizal

May 1

Regular Youth 3-5

Movie Night

May 6 Spaghetti Dinner & Talent Show 5:00
May 8

No Youth

Mother's Day 

May 15
Regular Youth 3-5
May 22
No Youth
May 29

No Youth

Memorial Day Weekend 


Spaghetti Dinner/Talent Show
 
On Friday, May 6, the youth will hold a fundraising dinner and talent show to raise money for our summer mission trip. Everyone can participate in the talent show! There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board outside Lori Hansard's office. Dinner will be from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The talent show will be from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The cost is by donation.
 
Graduate Sunday

On Sunday, May 29th, we will honor all graduates at both services and during the fellowship hour. If you have someone who is graduating from high school or college and they attended Trinity United Methodist Church, please let Lori Hansard or Lori Jones in the church office know. 

Vacation Bible School is coming! 
 
June 27th - July 1st
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Ages 3 years old to 5th grade
 
Volunteers are still needed. See  Lori Hansard or Tori Ball.

Happy Mother's Day
to all the special women and mothers in our church. We all have wonderful role models to follow!

Blessings,
Miss Lori & Mr. Jeff
Mr. Brian and Mr. Frank

EDUCATION/SMALL GROUPS
 
The Together Class is continuing the study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book  Life Together. Our reading has revealed issues creating much discussion. Our class exhibits a lot of energy both in deeper theological reflection and in growth of our spiritual lives. We welcome anyone who enjoys study and reflection through shared insights.

Peace, 

Tom Cunningham, Leader

RADICAL HOSPITALITY

The Hospitality Team has reviewed the process by which we recognize visitors and made recommendations to the Worship Team which will be implemented May 1st.

It has been decided that for the comfort of our first-time visitors, we will no longer ask them in worship to raise their hands. Many visitors come to observe and just be anonymous for the first time, and this putting them on the spot can be embarrassing and actually drive them away. Instead, we are going to welcome first-time visitors by saying "If you are visiting with us for the first time, we are so glad to have you with us! Our ushers have a special gift they would like to give you at the end of the service, as you leave the Sanctuary."
 
We are still working on other new suggestions, such as a better way to take attendance, ways to encourage visitors to fill out an information card, new visitor giveaway items, and a visitors' table.  If you are interested in joining the team, send David Ross an email at  rossd48@gmail.com .

David Ross, Team Leader
SALTY SERVICE
Communications Team News  

Trinity UMC is now on Twitter!  

If you have never ventured into the world of Twitter, now may be a good time to go exploring. The church's address is Trinity UMC DeLand. (You will have to create your own Twitter account first, sign-in and search.) We are currently "following" the Florida United Methodist Conference, the East Central District, The (global) United Methodist Church, UMCOR, United Methodist Women, Rethink Church, UM Communications, as well as several individual churches and their pastors from around the state with whom we have a connection. Feel free to "follow us" so that when we post something news-worthy you will be the first to know!

Work continues on our website redesign. Tinker Graphics of DeLand has been selected to do the work. If you have experience in this area and/or have helpful suggestions for our redesign, send Anita Campbell an email.

Lori Jones has re-assumed most of the Trinity Today e-newsletter editing responsibilities. Anita Campbell will still assist her, on an as-needed basis, and Barbara Bradley will continue to assist as proofreader/editor.

The large bulletin board across from Christ Closet will now be used for that ministry's needs. A new bulletin board has been requested for the Fellowship Hall. Once purchased and installed, communications team members will be charged with maintaining and keeping this board current. It will contain general information pertaining to church-specific activities.

New members willing to serve on the Communications Team are needed - especially photographers. Interested persons should contact Anita Campbell by email or phone.
Faith in Action

Christ's Closet Open House

Christ's Closet will hold an open house on Sunday, May 15, during the fellowship hour. We hope you will take the time to come see the wonderful things we are doing at the Closet.

We have truly been blessed! This past Sunday, we received a large donation of food from someone in the congregation, and nearly every week we get a donation of bread and goodies from the Panda family. Stetson Baptist sent us a truckload of cereal, and we just r eceived notice of an offer from a Trinity member to cover the balance needed for a much-needed new cooler. We cannot say thank you  enough for your continued support and generosity!

This past month, our numbers have been as high as 73 clients per day. The increase has kept us very busy and has consumed most of our food. We continue to ask for food donations, but ask that you to remember to limit green beans, corn, and macaroni and cheese.

Our clients love shopping in the new pantry. It is much more than a food-give-away. It's like a grocery store where they get to select the items they want and can use.  On Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings we go to Second Harvest Food Bank to get 800-1300 pounds of produce each day. The produce is free to us for distribution and it's very fresh. Our clients love to have something to choose from other than canned items, and the looks on their faces are amazing when they see the large selection we offer!

We also are able to get meat at Second Harvest. The cost of the meat is 18 cents per pound. At this time, clients are able to choose two meat products twice per month. Even our homeless clients are able to make use of the fresh products. They all have coolers, as well as grills, etc., that enable them to make themselves healthy meals.

When you are walking past Christ's Closet, stop and take a look at our new bulletin board too. Plans are to post job openings and other items of interest to better help our clients.

We continue to work toward creating a central mission, but at this point, we are just in the planning stages. We have gotten some interest to attend our next meeting from Neighborhood Center, The House Next Door, and Family Renew. Hopefully, we will be able to partner with these well-known agencies to better help the poor and needy of our community.

The ultimate goal of Faith in Action and Christ's Closet is to be a helper to our clients, not an enabler. If there are any job opportunities you are aware of, as well as other options such as low cost housing, etc., that will help our clients get ahead, please see us with your ideas.

We still need volunteers. We would like to implement a new system so we know what our clients' needs are and how we can best serve them. To do this, we need volunteers who will do surveys with our clients.  We also need volunteers to help after we come back from the food bank (to sort and wash produce). Plus, we could use some more volunteers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings bagging groceries. And, finally, if you would like to serve on an "on call" basis (when a regular volunteer cannot come in), that would be greatly appreciated. See Steve or me at church or email me at karinjakemaggie@aol.com. Thanks and God bless!

Karin Roland

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Larry Graham

"Who Am I, Lord God...that you have brought me this far?" - 1 Chronicles 17:1-20

Trinity's organist and piano player, Larry Graham came to us a year ago and has enthralled us with his gift of musical enthusiasm and talent. Larry grew up in Elmira, New York, and began piano lessons at age five with the encouragement of his parents. His father played the trumpet, violin and drums and had a band.

The organist at Larry's church had failing eyesight; consequently, Larry was encouraged to also learn how to play the organ. His father bought him an organ and, during those early years, he played with the school chorus and at church. One of his teachers invited Chuck Mangione, a well-known flugelhorn musician, to the school. It was Mangione who inspired Larry to further his love for music. (Mangione, at 75 years old, is still active today giving concerts.) 

After graduating from high school, Larry took off and traveled with a jazz band across the country. In his travels, he met and played with several well-known celebrities in the entertainment business, including Nick Russo (Jackie Gleason's lead trumpet player), Liza Minnelli's drummer, and Bucky Pizzarelli, a fabulous musician who had just finished playing with the Beatles. He even got to play Liberace's piano! "I love music. It's intriguing to me," Larry related.

Larry moved to South Daytona when he was 20 years old because his sister lived nearby in Tavares. He was employed by Streep Music in Orlando selling pianos and organs. During this time, he traveled around Florida playing and would catch gigs with some of the musicians mentioned above when they were in the state. He met his wife, Judy, at this time. They were married 25 years.

In 1999, Larry gave up playing music and started driving a truck for a living, working for Waste Management and Armellini Express. He did not play music for 15 years. A turning point in his life was losing his wife four years ago from lung cancer. Two years ago, Larry was diagnosed with severe heart disease. 

Having worked hard all his life, he suddenly found he had to curtail his lifestyle. One day, he saw an ad in the Pennysaver for the organist position at Trinity. And the rest, as they say, is history. His 89-year-old mother is a big part of his life. "With her being diagnosed with MS, my challenge is to stay healthy so I can care for her," he said. "I am so proud to have her visit Trinity to hear me play. I've had such a happy family and a good marriage," he stated.

Larry's favorite pastime is vegetable gardening. "It's a good hobby for me," he said. When asked what his favorite memory is, he responded, "The most exciting memories I have would be thinking about all the people I have met along the way." His favorite song to play is What a Friend We Have in Jesus. "There are so many interesting things you can do with it. It was written so well and one can play so many variations to the song," he said. When asked how difficult is it to accompany a vocalist or a choir, he replied, "It comes with experience; I've played with a lot of different people. I enjoy working with Conya and the choir. It gives me a purpose." Conya Hartman feels the same. "We love his music, his passion for the music and, most of all, we love him! We prayed for someone to come to us who would be a great fit with the Trinity family and Larry is that person," she concluded.

June Shearin
Open House (and Mia's Graduation Party!) at the Parsonage


Make plans to attend the church-wide "Open House" on Sunday, May 22 from 2-4 pm at the Parsonage. It's a great way to kick off the summer (and it's also Mia's Graduation - hint-hint!!!)

Come enjoy good food, fun and fellowship at the Carr's!


Trinity United Methodist Church  386-734-4425  www.trinitydeland.org
306 W. Wisconsin Avenue, DeLand, FL 32720