On a single block of North Miami Street in Trenton, Ohio, St. Peter Lutheran Church has gathered for worship since the 1860s, making it the oldest church in the city still worshiping in its original building. As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Peter centers its common life on word and sacrament while running an open-handed outreach to neighbors through the AGAPE Free Store. Visitors arrive on Sunday mornings to a sanctuary that has been carefully updated with plumbing, electricity, heat, and air conditioning, and they are welcomed into a community that names its mission simply: to know and share God's grace through Jesus Christ, the good news of the world.
Sunday Mornings at 10:00 AM
Weekly worship takes place Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM in the main church building, the 1860s sanctuary at the heart of the property. The order of service follows the classic Lutheran pattern of singing, prayer, scripture readings, and preaching. Holy Communion is shared on the second and fourth Sundays of every month.
The welcome at the table is intentionally wide. "The Lutheran Church is centered on word and sacrament. All God's children are welcome at the meal. Jesus Christ is the Host; he invites you!" At the altar, the church teaches that Jesus's body is present in the bread, and his blood in the wine or grape juice. Children are invited to come forward to receive the sacrament in either form, or to receive a simple blessing if their family prefers to wait.
First-time visitors are greeted as members of the family of God. "We gather this morning as the family of God, a family without borders. We hope you feel welcome. Worship with us again, and invite others!"
For those who cannot join in person, holiday services, seasonal reflections, and sermons are shared on YouTube. Weekly announcements, lectionary readings, and reflections appear on the church's Facebook page, where the congregation stays in touch with neighbors both near and far.
An 1860s Sanctuary, Refreshed for Today
St. Peter's main church building dates from the 1860s, a piece of Trenton's living history the congregation is glad to maintain. "Our beautiful and historic building dates from the 1860's but includes modern amenities like plumbing, electricity, heat and air conditioning!" The result is a worship space with the character of a small Ohio town sanctuary and the practical comfort of a contemporary church. St. Peter is the oldest church in Trenton still worshiping in its original building, and the building's continued use is part of what makes the congregation who it is.
The same Miami Street property also houses a separate church office building, where the AGAPE Free Store runs. Together, the two structures support both worship and outreach in the heart of the city.
Word and Sacrament at the Center
St. Peter teaches from both the Old Testament and the New Testament as the foundation for faith and the inspiration for daily life, putting those teachings into practice at home and at work. The congregation confesses belief "in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a God who created and redeems and sustains us and all creation."
Core values flow from the Beatitudes. "Just as Jesus said in the Beatitudes, blessed are the poor and the hungry. Our mission is not just to love one another, but to make sure we spread the love of the Gospels everywhere."
A single sentence has come to sum up the community's purpose: "We come together to worship and glorify God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Comforter." At the close of every service the same invitation is extended to guests: worship again, and invite others.
As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Peter is connected to a wider tradition whose roots reach back to Martin Luther's Reformation.
The AGAPE Free Store: Love That Doesn't Ask Back
Wednesday afternoons at St. Peter take a distinctive shape. From 1:00 to 3:00 PM, the AGAPE Free Store opens its doors in the church office building at 311 N. Miami Street, offering clothing, shoes, toys, bed and kitchen linens, light household items, decor, and hygiene items at no charge. The store pauses for a few days around Thanksgiving and the year-end holidays and resumes its regular Wednesday hours after each closure.
The name captures the spirit. "Agape means love. But not just any love. Agape love is the kind of love that God has for us! The kind of love that doesn't ask for anything in return. That's why St. Peter's AGAPE Free Store offers you what you need at no charge...because God gives us what we need at no charge!"
The Free Store welcomes any adult who needs what is on hand. Children under 18 are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Shoppers may come as often as needed; the doors open weekly on Wednesdays, all year long apart from a handful of seasonal closures.
Donations of clean, good-condition clothing and household goods keep the shelves full. The store accepts new or nearly new underclothes and socks, shoes, boots, purses, backpacks, towels, blankets, sleeping bags, curtains, sheets, comforters, toys in good condition, light household items, small appliances such as toasters, coffee makers, and mixers, decor items, and new or nearly new hygiene items. Items can be brought in during store hours, and there is a donation box outside the door during store hours. The Free Store does not accept furniture, large appliances, food, or supplements.
Beyond the Free Store, St. Peter supports missions with the Edgewood Ministerial Association (EMA), the food pantry at Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church, Matthew 25 Ministries, and Goodwill. Worship, teaching, and free-store work move together as one expression of the congregation's calling to share what has been given.
Walking the Church Year Together
St. Peter marks the seasons of the Christian year with reflections, services, and an active lectionary practice. Each week, lectionary readings for every day from Sunday through Saturday are posted to the church blog, so members and visitors can read along at home or follow the same texts the wider church uses around the world.
Advent at St. Peter opens with a series of weekly written and video reflections. Deacon Tammy Eady has drawn connections between popular Christmas films and the gospel story, inviting the congregation to think of beloved movies as modern parables. Drawing on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, she reflected on Scrooge's transformation by the Spirits of Past, Present, and Future, writing that "we may begin our journey in the darkness of disease, apprehension, and unrest, but the light of the star is near." Through A Charlie Brown Christmas, she pointed to Charlie Brown's question, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Through Home Alone, she turned to the moment when the neighbor Mr. Marley tells young Kevin that the church is "the place to be if you are feeling bad for yourself." And through It's a Wonderful Life, she wrote that the arrival of Jesus "provides us with a new worldview establishing a vision for the Kingdom of God in the present." Christmas Eve worship takes place in person and is shared online through YouTube, with bulletins and readings available as downloads for those following along from home.
Lent brings a fresh weekly set of reflections, with recent series unfolding under the theme of the table and inviting Jesus to the table. Each week, Deacon Tammy invites the community to "pause each week and reflect with us on your relationship with Christ on the journey we walk together." Lenten Bible study sessions gather on Saturdays during the season. Maundy Thursday worship takes place in the sanctuary, with bulletins to download for those following the liturgy. Good Friday is observed with an open church and prayer stations from noon to 3:00 PM, giving visitors a quiet space to walk the way of the cross. Easter Sunday worship returns to the regular 10:00 AM hour.
Sermons, reflections, and seasonal services remain available on YouTube after they are first held, so the rhythm of the church year can be joined in person, online, or both.
Deacon Tammy Eady
Worship leadership at St. Peter rests with Deacon Tammy Eady, who joined the congregation in a long-term supply position. "Deacon Tammy Eady is thrilled to join St. Peter in a long-term supply position." She writes and presents the weekly Advent and Lenten reflections, and her voice and writing appear throughout the blog on both written reflections and short videos. The blog also preserves older posts from the COVID-19 pandemic, when the congregation gathered online to worship from home, a practice that continues today for those who cannot attend in person.
Visiting, Connecting, and Staying in Touch
St. Peter Lutheran Church is at 311 N. Miami Street, Trenton, Ohio 45067. The mailing address is PO Box 65, Trenton, Ohio 45067. The church office can be reached at (513) 988-6195 and by email at office@stpetertrenton.org.
Sunday worship is at 10:00 AM. Holy Communion is celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. The AGAPE Free Store is open Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the church office building. Christmas Eve services, Maundy Thursday services, and seasonal reflections are shared on YouTube. Weekly lectionary readings, blog reflections, and announcements appear on Facebook at St. Peter Lutheran Church.
Visitors who would like to lend a hand are welcome to bring donations to the AGAPE Free Store on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM or to leave them in the donation box outside the office door during store hours. Anyone interested in learning more about the congregation, the Lutheran tradition, or getting involved may reach the office by phone or email.