What to Expect

First of all, welcome to Trinity. The essence of the Church’s mission is that it is exists for others … that is why as our guest, you are important to us.

We know - it's not easy visiting a new church for the first time. Sometimes you feel like a nonmember visiting a country club. Do I belong here? Am I really welcome? Will the people be unfriendly, or too friendly? Will I be conspicuous? Will it be easy to leave if I don't enjoy it? Will they ask me for money? Will my kids enjoy it? How should I dress? Am I welcome if I don't believe?

If I were visiting a new church for the first time, I'd like to know what to expect, so here's a brief overview.

When you arrive at Trinity on on the SAIT Campus in the Orpheus Theatre, for our 10:30am service, you'll park in the parking lot labeled P1 (see this map for directions) and make a short walk to the Campus Centre building (labeled V) where the theatre is located. There is good signage to help you find your way.

At the front door, there should be some friendly people (we call them "Pastor's Partners") to say hello, answer any questions you have, and direct you to our worship space. You'll be given a copy of our “Celebration Folder" which has the week's announcements and an agenda for the day's service.

You'll notice that everyone is dressed comfortably, in anything from "office casual" to jeans and sneakers. If you see some middle-aged guy with a white robe on (called an “alb”), this is probably our pastor, Terry. This type of clothing connects our worship to the great traditions of the Christian faith (see the Happenings “Seasons of Faith” section of this website)… and, to be honest, they also prevent us as worshippers from being distracted by his loud taste in ties!

When you come into our worship space, feel free to find a seat. Our celebrations often reflects the classical “fourfold” pattern of Christian worship: gathering together, hearing the Word (the Bible), receiving communion around the Lord’s Table, and being sent out to have a positive, Christlike influence in the world. Our ways of worship incorporate the most beautiful elements of Christian spirituality down through the centuries, and as such are often called “liturgical,” another word for “worship.”

Interestingly, the word “liturgy” actually means “the work of the people” in Greek. When Christians and friends gather together to worship God, there is “work,” in a sense, to be done. Our celebrations honour this fact through a variety of sacred actions. Don’t worry if this seems new or strange, though, we are learning too, and you will find most things are usually explained. If you do have a question, don’t hesitate to ask a pastor's partner, pastor, or celebration team member.

The service usually begins as people gather in with some upbeat music, followed by a welcome and prayer inviting the Spirit’s presence. Music and other elements such as reading Scripture and prayer follow smoothly, without a lot of excess chatting. This is because as a community, we want to keep God as our focus for this time.

We often share an early Christian greeting, a practice we call “Passing the Peace.” This is where the worship leader says, “May the peace of the Lord be with you,” and the congregation replies, “and also with you.” (Don’t worry, though, all the necessary words are on the screen). People then take a few minutes to share this greeting (and often handshakes and hugs) with those around them.

Often “The Peace,” is followed by “Kids Corner,” a special time for a pastor to share with the children. Usually a story or an object lesson conveys the meaning of the week’s Scripture passages with the kids. Every Sunday we make a point of praying for them, because we love them. At Trinity, children are important to us, and it shows in the quality of our Kids teaching time, “Trinity Street,” to which children are invited after Kids Corner.

Our communal reading of the Bible, another central “act” in the “work of the people” is guided by a resource call the Revised Common Lectionary. This arrangement of readings, which is shared by Christians of most traditions worldwide, provides a three-year cycle in which we hear many parts of the Old and New Testaments. By using a lectionary, the church gets to encounter a wide-ranging variety of Biblical passages and stories. Many people remark how much they encouraged by the stability and variety of this approach, and use the lectionary as a guide for their own personal reading of the Bible.

After the Scriptures are read, a pastor will speak, offering a practical, Christian reflection on the Bible passages that apply to real life. If they do their job right, you'll hear solid Christian theology in intelligent, understandable, relevant terms. And hopefully, you'll laugh at times and maybe feel a tug at your heart too.

A prayer and song will follow the message, and then we celebrate communion (usually every other week). Communion (also known as the eucharist or the Lord's Supper) is perhaps the greatest celebration of Jesus love for us. All who truly desire to follow him are welcome at the Table. For many at Trinity, this time taken in receiving communion and in quiet prayer is the highlight of our celebration.

After another song, we give back to God financially for the work of his Kingdom. It is the privilege of Trinity’s members and regular attenders to give generously to the church, so, as our guests, feel free to simply pass the plate along.
A pastor will conclude the service with a blessing about 75 minutes after it began (and believe it or not, the time will fly). Please do come up and introduce yourself to a pastor or a member of the celebration team afterwards.

After the service, you'll pick up your kids from “Trinity Street,” our Kids Program, and then we hope you'll stay around, meet some people and enjoy some coffee or tea. Church is about God and worship, but it's also about community and friendship, so we hope people really experience warmth and friendliness at Trinity. As we rent the Orpheus Theatre, we have to leave, but often people will hang out in the atrium area or make lunch plans for afterwards. Don’t be surprised if you receive an impromptu invitation!

That's about it. People constantly tell us that they really felt comfortable - "at home" are the words we hear most frequently. We hope you'll stop by this Sunday. And if you do, please say hi, and tell Terry that you found out about Trinity on the Internet.

Thanks for your interest.