Vestry Class of 2026
My name is Stevie Tryson, and my family and I have been attending St. Luke’s for four years, and during that time, I’ve become increasingly active in a variety of ministries in the church. Along with Ari Measday, I founded and ran the parish playgroup for young families. I’ve been active in other areas of family ministry, including substitute teaching for Sunday school. The Caring Community has been another focus of mine; I’ve cooked meals regularly to be distributed to those who need them. Since the pandemic arrived, my service to St. Luke’s has gone virtual. I’ve helped to establish our Zoom services, and have acted as Virtual Verger ever since. I’ve also been leading Noonday Prayer once a week via Facebook Live, and I’ve been a Zoom host and participant for the Caring Community’s Congregation Connection meetings.
Outside of church, I’ve been on the parent advisory board for Playhouse Preschool for the last two years, and I believe my experience there would be a great asset to my service on the vestry, particularly the experience navigating the shutdown from the context of a nonprofit organization. In light of the pandemic, one of my concerns is making sure that no one is left behind. Up to this point, that has looked like giving technical help to whomever needs it to stay connected to our services. Moving forward, that looks like ensuring that hybrid services continue when restrictions lift, so our most vulnerable parishioners can continue to participate. Young families at St. Luke’s remain on my radar; this is also an issue of leaving no one behind. The welcoming, understanding atmosphere and unconditional support offered by the St. Luke’s community is what drew me in as a young mom, and I believe it is a strength that should be fostered.
Personally, I am the wife of Greg and mother to Owen (6) and Arthur (1). We also have two cats, Breezy and Cloudy, who have been making regular appearances in our Zoom services. A former special educator, I left the classroom when I had kids and now have my own private tutoring practice. In my spare time, I also play flute in the West Orange Concert Band and am a novice food blogger.