09/11/2026
Happy Feature Friday! Today, we’re celebrating the beauty of creation and honoring 40 years of our island haven here on the Crystal Coast.
In 1982, as the Diocese began to raise money to establish Trinity Center, a newsletter was created called “The Grand Vision.” As the name suggests, the goal was to communicate the foundational vision of Trinity Center to its readers. In one edition of the newsletter, the writers say: “This will be a place where you leave behind the every day things like telephones, televisions, cars, etc. and focus on discovering aspects of both self and faith that a person might not have known before. The basic character of the center is quiet and contemplative.”
We are incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to establish a retreat center on an island with the sound on one side and the ocean on the other. It’s a boon for our environmental education program, as the instructors are able to show students from Eastern North Carolina and beyond the vast diversity of marine life in just our small area. It’s a gift for those who simply want to park in the beach parking lot and take a walk along the beach while the waves gently sweep the shore. It’s a chance for us to offer that space of quiet and contemplation for retreats, youth camps, conferences, and other special occasions in the beauty of God’s creation, away from the ever evolving but similar distractions of daily life over the past four decades.
We’ve been able to do this for 40 years thanks to the deep love and generosity of a great number of people. Some people have given financially to help us operate; some have offered their talents and time to make programs and our very presence possible. Every gift, no matter the size or type, has been essential for us to be here.
In the Grand Vision newsletter, the writer continues: “This is an experience in which one can be honest, express love for each other; find a sense of community; receive permission to be natural; feel welcome and included; not to have to wear a false face.” We have strived to honor this vision for 40 years and will continue to do so for many more.
