Trinity Church sits on Miami Road in South Bend, Indiana, and reaches the broader Michiana area of Mishawaka, Granger, and the surrounding communities. A congregation of the Evangelical Free Church of America, Trinity is built around the motto, "Everyone a Disciple. Everyone a Disciple Maker," a phrase that shows up on signage and shapes nearly every ministry the church runs. The building is busy almost every day of the week. On Sunday mornings the Sanctuary fills for a traditional service and the Gym hosts a more contemporary one. In the evenings, students return for youth group, women and men gather for their own Bible studies, and an indoor walking track stays open Monday through Friday for anyone in the community.
The church's mission statement captures the heart of the place: "a community of believers committed to knowing and loving God while bringing all people to maturity in Jesus Christ." Trinity's values are simple and ordered: the Bible as the foundation for life and ministry, prayer as the first resort, life together in authentic community, mission to Michiana and beyond, and the multiplication of disciples and disciple-makers.
Two Sunday Services, Traditional and Modern
Trinity offers two Sunday services that look and feel quite different, both about an hour long and both centered on congregational singing and a Bible-based message.
The Traditional service meets at 9 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Music mixes classic hymns with contemporary songs, so an organ may give way to a worship band and back again across the same hour. The Modern service meets at 10:30 a.m. in the Gym and has a more casual atmosphere, with music led by a worship band and a relaxed, come-as-you-are feel. Both services are livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
First-Time Visitors and the Practical Details
Trinity works to make a first visit feel easy. There is no dress code, not even a suggested one, and some members show up in suits and ties or dresses, others in business casual, and many in jeans and t-shirts. The welcome team is trained to spot new faces, and visitors who register ahead online are contacted in advance so any questions can be answered and any children can be checked in more smoothly.
Parking is organized by service so greeters can connect with guests quickly. Those attending the 9 a.m. Traditional service should park in the North lot and enter through Door A. Those attending the 10:30 a.m. Modern service should park in the South lot and enter through Door C. Families with children should use the South lot and Door C regardless of which service they attend, since Trinity Kids check-in is on the lower level near Door C.
Inside either service, attendees will find roughly an hour of singing and a practical, Bible-based sermon that applies to everyday life. There is no expectation to give; offering plates are available for those who want to participate, and online giving is also available.
Trinity Kids from Birth Through Sixth Grade
Trinity Kids serves children from birth through sixth grade every Sunday morning from 9:00 to 11:45 a.m. The ministry's mission is to "guide children to learn, believe, accept and share Christ" through age-appropriate worship and Gospel-centered teaching.
The nursery, for children under two, provides a safe and loving environment where each child can feel happy, cared for, and valued. Worship rooms serve children ages three through sixth grade with interactive, fun teaching in a safe environment. A separate team called Unlimited provides one-on-one support for children with special needs so their families can attend the worship service together.
Children are checked in at the Trinity Kids Welcome Desk on the lower level using a secure kiosk, and all volunteers are background-checked and trained. A dedicated Safety and Security team serves on-site every Sunday. The Kids Ministry is led by a Director and Assistant Director, who can be reached through the church office for more information.
Student Ministries for Seventh Through Twelfth Grade
Trinity Students exists to develop junior and senior high students in their Christian walk. The main weekly gathering is youth group on Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. for students in grades 7 through 12. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and students enter through Door C. Each week features music, a Bible-based teaching, and games.
The students ministry organizes a steady calendar of seasonal events, including outreach days at Cultivate Food Rescue in South Bend, holiday parties, and student-specific retreats. A weekly email goes out with what is coming up. The ministry is led by the Pastor of Student Ministries.
Young Adults, Women, and Men
The Young Adult group meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Room 216. The group studies the Bible and builds friendships, and is open to anyone in that season of life. It maintains its own pages on Facebook and Instagram under the name Trinity Young Adults.
Women's ministry at Trinity centers on Thriving Moms, a community for moms with children from birth through kindergarten age. Thriving Moms gathers for practical teaching, small group conversation, and a hot meal, while children enjoy Thriving Kids in a separate room with games, songs, playtime, and a Bible story. The annual cost is $60 and registration is open. Thriving Moms is open to women regardless of whether they attend Trinity, and moms who are not part of any church are explicitly welcome.
Men's ministry includes the early-morning "Guy Talk" gatherings, men's Bible study groups that several board members have been part of for nearly two decades, and short-term missions trips that have included work in Honduras. Men's ministry is also expressed through an annual Gridiron Gathering for football fans.
Bible260: Reading the New Testament in a Year
Bible260 is Trinity's flagship discipleship program, and it is woven into nearly every ministry area of the church. It is a 260-day reading plan that takes participants through the entire New Testament in a year, beginning with Luke 1 on January 1. Each day's reading takes about five to ten minutes and follows a simple rhythm: pray, read the day's passage, and respond by putting what God has shown into action.
Around the reading plan, Trinity organizes Bible260 Groups that meet in focused "sprints" throughout the year. Each sprint centers on a New Testament book or group of books and runs for several weeks. Recent sprints have included Acts, 2 Corinthians, the Prison Epistles of Galatians through Colossians, and John. Groups meet either by text or in person for about an hour each week and are explicitly designed to be guilt-free; no one is shamed for missing a day.
Bible260 is meant for everyone, from those who have never opened the Bible to those who have read it daily for fifty years. There is also an Individual Track for those who want to do the reading plan without joining a group. Stories from participants describe how the program gave them "fresh hunger for God's Word" and helped them move from feeling overwhelmed by the Bible to feeling equipped to read it.
Groups, Rooted, and the Membership Path
Small groups meet in homes and at the church throughout the year, including men's, women's, and mixed groups that often align with the Bible260 sprints. Rooted is a ten-week small group experience designed to build a stronger foundation in the Christian faith and deeper connection to the Trinity family. Rooted meets in Room 216 on Sunday mornings.
Those interested in deeper commitment can attend Exploring Membership, a three-part class that walks through Trinity's mission, vision, and what membership looks like. The class meets in Room 205 across three weeks. Participating does not commit attendees to becoming members, but serves as a thorough introduction to the Trinity family and what it means to link arms with it in a more intentional way.
The Walking Track on Miami Road
A unique ministry of Trinity is its indoor Walking Track, open to the community Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walkers park in the South lot and enter through Door B, where an office team member shows them around the track and answers any questions. The track is described as a vibrant ministry, open without strings attached to anyone who wants to stay in shape, recover from surgery or injury, or simply meet people.
Closings for holidays are posted in the café several days in advance. In the case of inclement weather, the track follows the Penn-Harris-Madison school system. If PHM is closed, the track is closed; a PHM two-hour delay does not affect the track's schedule.
Serving Together
Trinity describes serving as essential to a believer's identity and offers a wide range of opportunities across all ages and abilities. The serving teams are organized into four broad areas.
First Impressions teams include Greeters, Ushers, and a Coffee Crew. The Kids Ministry needs Teachers, Assistants, and Unlimited team members for children with special needs. The Students Ministry needs Small Group Leaders and Event Support volunteers. The Worship team needs Slides, Lights, Sound, and Livestream Producers, plus members of the Modern Worship Band. Care ministries include Helping Hands, which provides small home repair projects for those in the church and community, and the Meals Ministry Team, which provides meals to families in crisis. Facilities teams handle chair set-up and take-down for the Modern service in the Gym and snow removal on Sunday mornings.
Trinity also offers a Spiritual Gifts Discovery assessment based on 1 Corinthians 12 to help members identify how the Holy Spirit has gifted them and connect those gifts to a serving role. The church has compiled descriptions of sixteen spiritual gifts, from administration and discernment to shepherding and wisdom, to help people explore where they might fit.
What Trinity Believes
Trinity is affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, a fellowship of evangelical churches that share a common statement of faith. The church's beliefs cover the historic Christian teachings: one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the Bible as the verbally inspired, authoritative Word of God without error in its original writings; the human condition as fallen and in need of redemption; Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate, and bodily raised from the dead; salvation by grace through faith in Christ's atoning work; the Holy Spirit who regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers believers; the church as the body of Christ manifested in local congregations whose membership is composed of believers; the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper; the personal and bodily return of Christ; and the bodily resurrection and final judgment of all people, with the redeemed entering eternal life and the unredeemed facing eternal conscious punishment.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper are observed as ordinances that visibly and tangibly express the gospel without being the means of salvation themselves. Members are expected to have made a personal profession of faith, and members and attenders are encouraged to live out their faith through care for one another, compassion toward the poor, and justice for the oppressed.
Leadership and the Board
The pastoral staff is led by Joshua Brooks as Senior Pastor, supported by a team of pastors overseeing specific ministry areas. Jason Kelley pastors Young Adults and Discipleship; Jeremiah Clapper pastors Multiplication; Eli Niemi pastors Student Ministries; Paul Hagberg pastors Administration and Equipping; and Nate Harrison serves as Executive Pastor. Worship is led by Geri Cerling for the Traditional service and by Anne Herbert for the Modern service and Communication. Craig Clapper, who is the father of Pastor Jeremiah, serves as Pastor Emeritus and still preaches occasionally. Children's ministry is led by Alissa Ryder, Director of Children's Ministry, with Laura Horvath as Assistant Director. Lynn Olson leads the Welcome Ministry and Trinity Cares.
The Board is chaired by Rob Miller, with Bryan de Varona as Vice Chair, Eric Larson as Finance Chair, and Joe Durand as Secretary. Elder Board Members include Doug Haller and Leon Liggitt. Board Members-at-Large include Cyndi Leamon, Stacy Willis, and Michelle Pittman. Joshua Brooks also serves on the Board. Several board members have been part of Trinity for decades, with one connected to the church for more than 46 years.
Reaching Out in Michiana and Beyond
Outreach is built into Trinity's identity and expressed through several ministries. The Meals Ministry Team provides meals to families in crisis. The Helping Hands Team assists people within the Trinity family and the surrounding community with simple home repair projects they may not be able to do themselves. Student ministry groups serve regularly at Cultivate Food Rescue in South Bend. Trinity also supports short-term missions trips that have included Honduras, and individuals in the congregation have been part of longer-term mission work through EFCA connections.
For biblical counseling, Trinity recommends two local organizations offering biblically-based counseling to the community: Michiana Biblical Counseling Center in Osceola, and Wright Directions Counseling Services in South Bend. A collection of curated books, podcasts, and video resources on parenting, marriage, missions, theology, and dozens of other topics is also available for anyone looking to dig deeper.
Giving, Livestreaming, and Staying Connected
Trinity offers several ways to give. Online giving is available through a secure portal, cash or check can be given during services, and gifts can be mailed to the church office. The church also accepts appreciated assets such as stocks, mutual funds, and cryptocurrency, and a guide for those donations is available for download. An annual report summarizes the impact of giving in the previous year and is posted publicly.
Sunday services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon archive is available for past messages. Trinity also offers free access to RightNow Media, a streaming library of more than 10,000 Bible studies, leadership videos, and kids' shows, to anyone connected with the church. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be reached at (574) 291-4741 or trinityc@tefs.org, or in person at 61770 Miami Road, South Bend, IN 46614. Trinity's mission - everyone a disciple, everyone a disciple-maker - shapes every part of the church's life from Sunday morning services to small groups to the walking track.