The Trinity Story
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here!
Trinity strives for the extraordinary in everything we are, say, and do as a church and congregation. We proclaim that loudly and boldly because we believe that it is true. On the outside we don’t look much different from any other church. We do many of the same things. What makes Trinity unique is a very simple process; three steps that we encourage for every member of the Trinity family.
LOVING
Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and love neighbor. The first step in our process is to fall in love and that begins with worship. Worship is the primary entrance into the life of the church. Most people begin their journey at Trinity by attending a worship service. The goal of worship is to deepen our relationship with God and with the congregation. We believe worship should be that place where every person has the opportunity experience the unconditional love of God
GROWING
Worship is the primary entrance into the church, but it is not the primary vehicle for spiritual growth. Spiritual growth happens in small groups designed for intentional study. We have many small group opportunities, and it is our goal that every person connects with a small group like Sunday School, Disciple Bible Study or Apprentice. God does amazing things in our lives when we commit to small groups for spiritual growth.
SERVING
Serving – Ultimately the Christian faith is not just about a personal relationship with Jesus and individual growth, it is about making a difference in the world by building the Kingdom of God. The third step in the process is finding a place to serve. We have many opportunities to be in mission to the world, but service also includes ministries within the church. We were created to give of ourselves. We believe that church is not simply a place we come to be fed, but a training center to serve the Kingdom of God. If you are looking for a church where you can fall deeply in love with God, experience spiritual growth and participate in serving the Kingdom of God, then we invite you to Trinity United Methodist Church. It will not be an ordinary experience.
The Trinity Story
In the summer of 1962, with significant support from Salina’s First United Methodist Church and the Salina District of the Kansas West Conference, a new church was planted in south Salina. Land had been purchased by the Conference Board of Missions on East Neal and a parsonage had been built in the Bonnie Ridge addition of south Salina. The Rev. Jay B. Schwartz was appointed as the first pastor and began meeting with families in the church parsonage. On September 9, 1962, the first worship service was held at Grace E. Stewart School. At the close of the service, the hymn “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” was sung by the congregation and 79 persons answered the call for membership in the new South Salina Church.
On October 14, 1962, a Church Conference was held following worship to select a name for the new church. Eighteen names were proposed and a ballot was taken to narrow the choices to three. The top vote getters were Faith and Aldersgate with Agape and Trinity tied for third. Each subsequent ballot eliminated one name until Trinity won the election over Aldersgate by 2 votes. Trinity United Methodist Church was chartered on January 20, 1963 with 136 members.
The church grew quickly and a building committee was formed to plan a facility to be constructed on East Neal. The congregation took trips to Wichita, Wellington and Beatrice Nebraska to look at various churches to determine what type of building was most desired. The preliminary plans providing for a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, class rooms, office and rest rooms were estimated to cost $135,000. After many attempts, Lee Spellman was able to secure a loan from Homestead Savings for $110,000.
On a cold day with the temperature hovering around 12 degrees above zero and a 40 mile per hour wind, a ground breaking ceremony was held on January 12, 1964. It was necessary to hold most of the ceremony inside, but nearly 100 people braved the cold for the ground breaking itself. The most memorable moment came when the ground breakers had to unite their efforts to pull the shovel out of the frozen ground.
The new church building was completed in November of 1964 and the first service in the sanctuary was held on Thanksgiving Sunday. A service of consecration was held on January 10, 1965 with Salina District Superintendent Dr. Glenn Matthew preaching on “The Dimensions of Trinity church.”
The sanctuary has a very unique design. As one sees the building, the roof is spread out like the wings of a hovering bird. It symbolizes the hovering presence of the Holy Spirit over the place of worship. The three crosses on the outer and inner forward wall of the worship area represent the three crosses of Calvary. The semi-circular seating arrangement of the nave and the free standing altar with congregation, choir and pastor surrounding it symbolize the unity of the worshipping family and signify that God, His love, His grace, His word and the sacraments are available to all people.
On September 9, 2012, Trinity United Methodist Church celebrated her 50th year in ministry. Since those early years, Trinity has continued to grow in both spirit and size. Two new additions were built onto the original facility to accommodate the need for classroom space and fellowship area. A major renovation of the sanctuary was completed in 2007. Choir seating was expanded to accommodate more than 50 singers. New and improved technology was added to enhance the worship experience. As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration in 2012, Trinity embarked on the largest building expansion in her history, a 2.5 million dollar addition that included new Sunday school and office space, a new kitchen, additional parking and a 6,600 square foot multipurpose room. The addition was completed in February of 2014.
Trinity has grown into a vibrant congregation of more than 800 members and averages around 400 in worship on Sundays. It is a progressive community of faith that values education, mission, music and an inclusive spirit that welcomes all people seeking answers to life’s questions.
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