A Welcoming Congregation on Lindbergh Boulevard
Concord Trinity United Methodist Church gathers each Sunday at 5275 S. Lindbergh Boulevard in Sappington, on the south side of Saint Louis. The congregation describes itself with a single phrase: "Connecting People with Christ and Community." That phrase captures what Concord Trinity is for. The congregation is intentionally wide in its welcome. The church's own invitation reads, "No matter your race, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual identity, gender expression, or where you are on the journey of faith, we're so glad you're here!"
Behind that welcome is a busy and varied ministry. Concord Trinity is a congregation with two Sunday worship services, a year-round calendar of children's and youth programs, an extensive adult education menu, a music program with choirs and a concert series, and a deliberate two-pronged approach to mission and justice that pairs direct service with advocacy work. The church partners with a long list of local and global organizations and operates its own Community Service Team. Throughout the week, members can find Bible studies, handbell rehearsals, choir practice, card-making sessions, book clubs, and youth gatherings filling the rooms around the sanctuary.
The Sappington campus is set up to make this easy. The main entrance is on the south side of the building, with designated guest parking there and accessible parking reserved by the front doors of the sanctuary. A campus map is posted online so first-time visitors can find their way to the right room. The guests page explains what to expect.
Two Sunday Services: Classic and Casual
Worship is at the heart of life at Concord Trinity, and the church offers two distinct Sunday morning services so that people can find the style that fits them.
The 9 AM service is described as "Classic." Music at this hour is led by the Chancel Choir and often features organ, handbells, and instrumental ensembles. The 10:30 AM service is described as "Casual," with the same preaching and Scripture readings shared between the two services but with a more relaxed feel. Both services are open to all ages, and children are always welcome in the room.
On the first Sunday of every month, both services include Holy Communion. Concord Trinity practices an open table, and children are invited to commune alongside their families. The church's welcome explicitly says the table is open to all who wish to receive.
The 9 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who cannot be present in person. Recordings of past services are also available on the church's YouTube channel, where individual messages and worship series can be watched in full.
Concord Kids and the Prayground
Children have a special place at Concord Trinity. The Concord Kids ministry welcomes children from kindergarten through fifth grade during Sunday Morning Gatherings, which meet during the 9 AM worship service. These gatherings use creative play, developmentally-appropriate Bible stories, games, crafts, and group discussion. Each session reinforces a core set of truths the church wants every child to take with them: God made me, God loves me, Jesus wants to be my friend forever, I can trust God no matter what, I need to make wise choices, and I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
For families whose children are not yet ready for a separate classroom, Concord Trinity has built a Prayground at the front of the worship space. The Prayground is a kid-sized area stocked with coloring materials, blocks, baby dolls, and other supplies so that the youngest disciples can move about and engage with worship while staying near their parents. During both Sunday services, children up through third grade are welcome to use the Prayground.
Safety is taken seriously. Each child is checked in at a Welcome Desk where parents complete a basic information card. Parents and children each receive a sticker with a unique security code, and a secure check-out system is used at the end of the hour. All adult volunteers working with children have background checks and Safe Gatherings certification, and the church follows documented safe bathroom policies. Parents whose children have specific support needs can contact Karen Baldwin, the Kids Ministry staff person, ahead of their first visit to share those needs.
The Kids Ministry also points parents toward Parent Cue, an outside resource with videos and tips for continuing faith conversations at home throughout the week.
CTYouth: Sunday Nights Built for Teenagers
Middle school and high school students have their own space at Concord Trinity. The church's Youth Ministry, branded CTYouth, holds Sunday Morning Gatherings at 9 AM and a Sunday evening program from 6 to 8 PM every week. The evening gathering is the main weekly event, open to students in grades 6 through 12. It is built around games, shared worship, and small group conversation. The program emphasizes creating a safe space where every teen belongs regardless of personality or interests, and any teen is welcome, members or not. Friends are invited, too.
The church also offers a CTYouth Scholarship for graduating seniors pursuing music in college. Applications are released each year.
Classes, Circles, and Conversations for Adults
Concord Trinity believes that people grow in faith together, and the Adult Discipleship ministry offers a menu of weekly and seasonal groups designed to fit a variety of schedules and interests.
The two Sunday morning adult classes meet during the 9 AM and 10:30 AM services. The Christian Living class, meeting during the 9 AM service, focuses on open-minded discussion of difficult questions about faith and the practice of being Christian. The Traveler's Class, meeting at 10 AM, takes a more in-depth look at Scripture, examining meaning and how the Bible applies to life today. Both classes are known for lively discussion and a wide range of viewpoints.
Midweek offerings include a Tuesday afternoon Bible study at 1 PM led by Bob Carpenter, a retired United Methodist pastor, and a Thursday morning Men's Bible Study at 8 AM that works through the Gospels using an Immersion study series. The Men's Bible Study currently meets both in person and on Zoom.
Other regular groups include Sisters Bible Study, with a Monday morning group meeting at 10 AM and a Thursday morning group at 9:30 AM. Sisters Bible Study runs short six-to-eight-week sessions using resources designed to help women grow closer to Christ and to one another. No sign-up is needed; participants drop in.
The Fierce Friends Book Club meets every other Tuesday evening on Zoom, and the Cutting Edge Card Makers Group gathers the second Saturday of each month at 10 AM in Room 223 at the church. Contact information for each group is available through Realm, the church's online community, or by calling the church office.
A Music Ministry for Every Voice
Music is one of the most visible ministries at Concord Trinity, and the Music and Worship Arts program describes its purpose simply: to nurture the spiritual life of the entire congregation. Music here is treated as a relationship as much as a craft, something that flows from each person's connection to God and to one another.
The Chancel Choir is the church's principal music ensemble. It leads worship at the 9 AM Classic service, provides special music throughout the year, and presents concerts at Christmas and Easter. The choir also travels during the summer to share its gifts with other congregations. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, September through May, and new singers are always welcome.
Handbells have their own tradition. The New Spirit Handbell Choir uses five octaves of bells and three octaves of handchimes, and rehearsals are Sunday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:30 PM during the program year. The handbell program is described as a joy-filled ministry and a way to meet new people.
Instrumentalists also have a place. Trumpets, violins, and everything in between show up in worship and concert settings. The church occasionally fields an all-church orchestra, and opportunities exist for pianists and organists as well. Each week a Media Ministry team runs the video screens and sound board, and high school students are welcome to join that team.
Beyond Sunday worship, Concord Trinity hosts an annual Concert Series each season and offers a CTUMC Concert Series Scholarship for college music majors.
Two Sides of One Coin: Mission, Service, and Justice
Concord Trinity describes its outreach work as "Mission + Service + Justice," and the congregation has built a deliberate structure to do all three. The Community Service Team focuses on direct, aid-based ministry, partnering with local organizations to address immediate material needs. The Social Justice Team focuses on education and advocacy, addressing systemic issues of injustice. The two teams are intended to hold each other up: Community Service keeps the work grounded in real people and real needs, while Social Justice keeps the work pointed toward long-term change. Both are open to anyone who wants to join.
The Community Service Team partners with a number of local and national organizations. Home Sweet Home STL receives assembled furniture for under-served families. Feed My People, the St. Louis Area Food Bank, and the church's own food drives provide food and personal care items to neighbors in need. LifeWise STL works on economic self-sufficiency through relationship-based programming. Midwest Mission Distribution Center and UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, extend the church's reach to global humanitarian relief. La Trinidad Hispanic Ministry extends the church's ministry into Spanish-speaking outreach in the region, and Epworth Children and Family Services serves youth in the area.
The Social Justice Team maintains a growing Resource Library organized around themes that include sexuality and gender, disability, racial equity, food insecurity, climate justice, and gun violence prevention. Each section lists partner organizations with brief descriptions. Among the partners are the Metro Trans Umbrella Group, PROMO, GLAAD, the Reconciling Ministries Network, Paraquad, EmbraceRace, Forward Through Ferguson, the NAACP, Urban Harvest STL, Voices of the Food Chain, the Sunrise Movement, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Moms Demand Action, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Connecting Through Realm and Beyond
Concord Trinity uses Realm as its online community platform. Through Realm, members can sign in to give online, view a church directory, post pledges, and connect with one another between Sundays. The church provides video tutorials for getting started, and anyone can request an invite. Realm is also available as a mobile app for iOS and Android.
For those who want to take a next step, the church welcomes new visitors and recent attenders to connect with Nancy Merrell, who helps people find a place in the congregational life of Concord Trinity. Forms for new membership and child baptism are available online, as is a Safe Sanctuary policy document and the church's Emergency Response Guide. Anyone interested in scheduling a church event or reserving space can use the Church Event Request Form.
Generosity is part of the congregation's identity. Giving is described in three words: intentional, cheerful, generous. One-time and recurring donations can be made online through Realm, and the church also encourages giving through a financial institution's online Bill Pay feature to avoid transaction fees. Living Memorials are an additional way to honor loved ones through contributions to the church's ministry.
To visit Concord Trinity United Methodist Church, the address is 5275 S. Lindbergh Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63126, with the phone number (314) 842-2060 and the email address info@concordtrinity.org. Sunday worship is at 9 AM and 10:30 AM, the 9 AM service is livestreamed, and the building is open throughout the week for the many groups that call it home.