There are people who show up to work every day and do their job. And then there are people who show up every day and give themselves to the work. Tanyia Greseth is the second kind of person, and Trinity Lutheran Church is better because of it.
I write to share with you that Tanyia Greseth has announced her retirement, effective January 1, 2027.
Those of us who work with Tanyia every day have very mixed feelings. Yes, we will miss her deeply, and yes, there will be an adjustment. But Tanyia has served this congregation with tremendous faithfulness for 16 years, and she has more than earned this next chapter. More than anything, I feel gratitude to God for placing Tanyia within our community.
If you have been part of Trinity for any length of time, you know Tanyia. You may know her as the person who greeted you at the door and made you feel like the most important person in the world. You may know her as the one who kept the lights on, the bills paid, and the building running. You may know her as the calm presence in the office who somehow always knew what needed to happen next and made sure it did.
What you might not fully see is everything that happens behind the scenes. Tanyia has been the quiet engine of this congregation for years. She has carried the details, solved the problems, and served with a spirit of genuine care for the people and the mission of this church. She has been a gift, plain and simple, and we do not take that lightly.
On behalf of the entire staff and congregation, I want to say it clearly: Tanyia, thank you. Thank you for your years of faithful, dedicated, and joyful service to Trinity Lutheran Church. You have left your mark on this place in all the best ways.
We have been thoughtful and prayerful about how to move forward, and I am excited to share our plan with you.
First, we will be celebrating Tanyia before she leaves. You will hear more about specific events and opportunities to honor her in the coming months. She deserves to be sent off well, and we intend to do exactly that.
Second, we will be conducting a search for a new staff member to fill this vital role. We are currently reviewing and updating the position description. I expect that we will begin a search process a little later in the summer. We will welcome both internal and external candidates, and we are committed to a thorough and discerning search process.
Our goal is to have a new person in place by December 1, 2026. This will allow for a full month of overlap with Tanyia before her retirement date, giving our new team member the gift of learning directly from someone who knows this congregation inside and out. That kind of transition is a real blessing, and we are grateful Tanyia is committed to making it as smooth as possible.
I want to invite you into this season with gratitude and hope. Change can feel unsettling, but I believe God is at work in this transition. We have a wonderful team, a strong foundation, and a congregation that loves this church and the people who serve it.
If you see Tanyia in the hallway, at worship, or out in the community, please take a moment to tell her what she has meant to you. Those words matter, and she has earned every one of them.
More updates will follow as our search process gets underway. As always, do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Todd
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