WHAT TO EXPECT
We know that a church can be an intimidating place to walk into, especially if you have never been to one before. We sincerely hope that you will feel a sense of welcome to the community. Here are some things you may want to know.
Everyone is welcome to attend and experience our worship service. It doesn’t matter if you have no religion, are of another religion, or if you’ve simply never been to church before. You will be greeted warmly, treated with dignity, and your privacy will be respected. No one will try to “convert you” to Christianity or to our particular form of it.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
You are encouraged to dress comfortably – whether for you that means a suit, dress or jeans. There is no dress code at Trinity.
ARRIVING
When you arrive, you will be met by a few greeters and you will be offered a bulletin. The bulletin outlines the order of the worship service (what happens and when it happens) as well as other programs taking place throughout the following week and month. You can sit wherever you like, there are no reserved pews. While you wait for the service to begin, you may chat with others around you, or sit quietly.
ATTENDING WITH CHILDREN
We warmly welcome children and their families to join us for worship. At the entrance to the sanctuary there is a basket full of tote bags containing small toys, books and coloring materials to help keep young children occupied when they get restless. Please do not be too self-conscious about your children in worship. We want them to be there, and we understand that children are not always silent.
HEARING IMPAIRED
We have an excellent Hearing-Assist technology. Just ask a greeter or walk over to the table set up in the lobby area and ask for assistance. If your hearing aid is equipped with an induction loop, then it will work everywhere in the main body of the sanctuary.
COMMUNION
We usually celebrate the sacrament of holy communion on the first Sunday of each month. We do so to commemorate Christ’s final meal with his disciples and to celebrate his resurrection. Everyone is welcome to participate in this sacrament, however if you are not a Christian or you really don’t feel like you understand it enough to do so, you are perfectly welcome to stay in your seat. Instructions as to how to go up to communion, what to do with the bread and wine (juice) and what to say, will be explained at the time. When you receive the piece of bread/cup an appropriate reply is “amen”. We use a pasteurized grape juice instead of wine.
THE SERVICE
At 10:00 am worship usually begins with a hymn. All our hymns, prayers and other responses are all on PowerPoint screens at the front of the Sanctuary to ease your ability to follow along.
For the next hour or so the service unfolds, often including a short children’s time when they are invited to the front of the church for a story, song or blessing. After this time, children and youth are invited to move down the hall for Sunday School with their teachers where they will look at Biblical stories through activities, play, crafts, games, and fun.
After the children leave, you will be invited to engage with a selection of music offered by the choir, a passage from Scripture, and a reflection on the intersection of faith and life known as the sermon which is about 15-20 minutes long. If you want a sample of what they are like, we have recent ones on our website available in both text and audio versions.
Following the sermon, collection plates are passed around and members contribute financially to the life and work of the church in the community. Feel free to give whatever you can to support the church’s mission but there is absolutely no requirement that you donate. No one will be looking over your shoulder to see what you put in the plate! If your donation is a minimum of $20.00 you can put the offering in the envelope found in the pews and we can mail you a tax receipt.
AFTER THE SERVICE
If you are able to stay, please join us afterwards for coffee and refreshments in the church hall. It is an ideal time to meet others within the congregation.