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Who We Are
Our Mission:
Trinity Lutheran Church is a welcoming faith community living together in God’s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ.
So, what exactly does that mean? It means we are:
What We Believe:
Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus. It is living a Christian life because of Jesus Christ. We believe that Christians are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live our lives in service to the world. Through acts of love and justice, worship and witness, we share God’s boundless love with the world.
As members of the ELCA, we share with all Christians a worldwide community of faith. Through Christ, we are united with other Christians and we recognize a wide fellowship of churches. We work alongside them in ecumenical ministry and service, both in the United States and across the globe.
When Lutherans talk about faith, we are talking about the relationship God’s Holy Spirit creates with us. It’s a relationship where God’s promise of steadfast love and mercy in Jesus opens us to a life of bold trust in God and joyful, generous service to everyone we know and meet in daily life. Source: www.elca.org
We hope this site offers you a window into Trinity Lutheran Church: who we are, what we believe, and how God brings us together as a welcoming faith community living together in God’s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ.
On behalf of the congregation, we invite you to visit Trinity for worship or for any of our events—visitors are always welcome! As Trinity’s pastors, we’re also glad to connect with you by phone, over email or in person to get to know you better and answer any questions you might have.
Whoever you are and wherever life has taken you, know that you are loved by God, and you are welcome at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Trinity Lutheran Church is a welcoming faith community living together in God’s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ.
So, what exactly does that mean? It means we are:
- Welcoming: At Trinity, we believe that it’s not our church—it’s God’s church. So, we strive to welcome as Jesus welcomed: generously, joyfully, and lovingly. No matter who you are or where you’ve been, you are welcome here, just as you are.
- Living together in God's Love: It wasn’t in anger or judgment or divine frustration that God sent Jesus into the world—it was in love. The Gospel promises that God loves us enough to enter into a relationship with each one of us, forgiving and transforming us as God’s children and working through us to heal the world God loves.
- Sharing the JOY of Jesus Christ: Life in faith is meant to be joyful. We laugh (often at ourselves), we love, we celebrate. We remember that we are not God! We are not perfect, nor do we agree on everything. It’s not our own achievement that makes us God’s people—it’s the gift of God in Jesus that makes us the hands and feet of God in the world.
What We Believe:
Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus. It is living a Christian life because of Jesus Christ. We believe that Christians are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live our lives in service to the world. Through acts of love and justice, worship and witness, we share God’s boundless love with the world.
As members of the ELCA, we share with all Christians a worldwide community of faith. Through Christ, we are united with other Christians and we recognize a wide fellowship of churches. We work alongside them in ecumenical ministry and service, both in the United States and across the globe.
When Lutherans talk about faith, we are talking about the relationship God’s Holy Spirit creates with us. It’s a relationship where God’s promise of steadfast love and mercy in Jesus opens us to a life of bold trust in God and joyful, generous service to everyone we know and meet in daily life. Source: www.elca.org
We hope this site offers you a window into Trinity Lutheran Church: who we are, what we believe, and how God brings us together as a welcoming faith community living together in God’s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ.
On behalf of the congregation, we invite you to visit Trinity for worship or for any of our events—visitors are always welcome! As Trinity’s pastors, we’re also glad to connect with you by phone, over email or in person to get to know you better and answer any questions you might have.
Whoever you are and wherever life has taken you, know that you are loved by God, and you are welcome at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Trinity Lutheran Church is a congregation of the ELCA.
What is the ELCA?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with about 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. For us, as the ELCA, this faith comes through the good news of Jesus Christ and gives us the freedom and the courage to wonder, discover and boldly participate in what God is up to in the world.
We are a church that is always being made new, and at the same time, is deeply rooted in Scripture, Lutheran theology and Lutheran confessions. We are also rooted in the vibrant, diverse communities and rich histories of our congregations. It’s through these roots that the Holy Spirit guides and nourishes us so that we can be a church that is both resilient and always new.
We welcome you to join this community of faith — the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — regardless of your age, race, gender, life experience, complexities and questions. You have a unique story that can only add to the richness of the larger story that makes up the ELCA. There is a place for you here! - See more at: http://elca.org/en/About#sthash.rWHRCdJj.dpuf
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. For us, as the ELCA, this faith comes through the good news of Jesus Christ and gives us the freedom and the courage to wonder, discover and boldly participate in what God is up to in the world.
We are a church that is always being made new, and at the same time, is deeply rooted in Scripture, Lutheran theology and Lutheran confessions. We are also rooted in the vibrant, diverse communities and rich histories of our congregations. It’s through these roots that the Holy Spirit guides and nourishes us so that we can be a church that is both resilient and always new.
We welcome you to join this community of faith — the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — regardless of your age, race, gender, life experience, complexities and questions. You have a unique story that can only add to the richness of the larger story that makes up the ELCA. There is a place for you here! - See more at: http://elca.org/en/About#sthash.rWHRCdJj.dpuf
What Do Lutherans Believe?
- Lutherans, together with most Christians, believe in the Triune God: one God who creates, restores, and sustains all things.
- When we gather for worship, we connect with believers everywhere and of every time
- When we study the Bible and pray, we are drawn more deeply into God’s own saving story
- When we serve others and address social issues that affect the common good, we live out our Christian faith
- The ELCA invites you into this community of Christian faith. Welcome, and explore
Why "Lutheran?" Who Was Martin Luther?
Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483 – 1546). Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church at that time. On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University, titled “95 Theses” (to debate 95 theological issues). His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.
What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
- We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do
- Our salvation is through faith alone -- a confident trust in God, who in Christ promises us forgiveness, life and salvation
- The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged
Are Lutherans Also Christians?
Lutherans are part of a reforming movement within the whole Christian church; as a part of practicing their faith, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its predecessors have engaged in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades. In fact, the ELCA has entered into cooperative "full communion" agreements (sharing common convictions about theology, mission and worship) with several other Protestant denominations, including:
- the Moravian Church
- The Episcopal Church
- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
- the Reformed Church in America
- the United Church of Christ
- the United Methodist Church
How Do Lutherans Identify with Catholocism Today?
The ELCA has an ongoing dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, and in 1999, representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. This represented a historic consensus on key issues of faith and called for further dialogue and study together.
Can I Become a Lutheran?
Lutheranism is a faith tradition that is open to all, regardless of background. The ELCA alone is almost five million members strong, with nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
For more information visit: www.elca.org