Membership at Trinity means belonging to a local congregation gathered around God’s Word and Sacraments and sharing its confession of faith. It is more than having your name on a church roster. Members worship together, receive Christ’s gifts together, care for one another, and publicly confess the Christian faith together.
A Shared Confession
Trinity is a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. We confess the Holy Scriptures as God’s inspired Word and the Lutheran Confessions as a faithful statement of what Scripture teaches.
Membership therefore involves more than general agreement that Christianity is true. Members receive and confess the doctrine taught at Trinity as their own. This does not require mastering every point of Christian doctrine before joining. Christians continue learning throughout their lives. It does mean being willing to be taught from Scripture and to live within the confession of this congregation.
Life Together at Trinity
Members gather regularly for the Divine Service, where Christ serves His people through His Word and Sacraments. They continue learning through Scripture, the Small Catechism, Bible study, and other opportunities for Christian instruction.
Membership also places Christians in a particular life together. Members pray for and encourage one another, serve their neighbors, support the congregation’s work, and live under pastoral care. Christian stewardship belongs to this common life as members support the congregation with their time, abilities, prayers, and financial gifts according to their circumstances.
Interested in Membership?
If you are considering membership, you do not need to wait until everything is settled before becoming involved in the life of Trinity. Come regularly to the Divine Service, attend Bible study or Sunday school, take part in congregational activities, and get to know the people of the congregation. These are good ways to learn how Trinity worships, teaches, and lives together.
You are also encouraged to speak with the pastor. He can learn about your church background, answer questions, and help determine what instruction would be appropriate for you. If you are not yet in altar fellowship with Trinity, you should refrain from receiving the Lord’s Supper while that process is underway.
Becoming a Member
You do not need to have grown up Lutheran to become a member of Trinity. Those coming from another Christian tradition, returning to the Church, or learning the Christian faith for the first time are welcome to inquire.
Because membership includes a shared confession of faith, those seeking membership receive appropriate instruction before being received into the congregation. Trinity’s Faith Foundations course is one of the primary ways we provide this instruction.
