Trinity Lutheran Church stands along Chapel Road on the north side of Madison, Ohio, just past the former Madison Middle School that now serves as North Madison Elementary. The congregation gathers each Sunday morning to worship the Triune God, to hear the Gospel proclaimed, and to celebrate Holy Communion as a regular part of that gathering. As members describe it, Trinity is a fellowship of committed believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that seeks to receive, share, teach, and practice God's love through Christ.
Sunday Morning at Trinity
Worship at Trinity begins at 10:00 AM each Sunday in the sanctuary. An Education Hour precedes the service at 9:00 AM for those who want to dig into the lessons and texts that will be preached that morning. Holy Communion is celebrated every week, an unusually frequent practice that reflects the congregation's Lutheran conviction that the sacrament is a sustaining gift for the whole people of God, not an occasional one.
Offerings are gathered in the sanctuary as part of the service. A live broadcast of the 10:00 AM worship is carried on YouTube, so members who are traveling, ill, or homebound can join the service in real time. The church also invites online viewers to sign a guest and attendance registry so the pastors and staff can keep track of who is worshiping with them from a distance. Bulletins from recent Sundays and from services stretching back to August 2022 are archived online, giving worshipers a way to follow along with the lectionary readings, hymns, and prayers that have shaped the congregation over several years.
A Lutheran Identity and Statement of Belief
Trinity is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The statement of belief on the church's materials draws on the historic Christian creeds and Lutheran confessions. Trinity affirms that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God, inerrant in its original writings. The congregation confesses one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Trinity teaches the deity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, his vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood, his bodily resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and his personal return in power and glory. Members believe that the lost and sinful are in need of salvation, and that the only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The church practices the holy sacrament of baptism as a sign of the believer's death, burial, and resurrection into new life with Christ Jesus, and celebrates Holy Communion regularly as Christ commanded.
The present ministry and baptism of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life, is part of Trinity's confession, along with belief in the resurrection at the last day and the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.
The Trinity Choir and the Gift of Music
Music holds a central place in Trinity's worship. The Trinity Choir gathers to prepare special music for Sunday services, drawing on a remarkably broad repertoire that ranges from fifteenth-century arrangements through contemporary compositions. Many of the choir's selections feature keyboard and instrumental accompaniment, and the choices are carefully tied to the scripture readings of the day so that the music enhances the worship experience rather than decorating it.
The congregation takes to heart Martin Luther's observation that those who sing pray twice. The choir sees its work as more than rehearsal and performance: singing together is a way to draw closer to the Word and to build relationships with other members of Trinity. Anyone who loves to sing is welcome to join the choir and add their voice to that ministry.
The Trinity Youth Group
The Trinity Youth Group (TYG) gathers middle and high school youth from the congregation and the wider Madison community for fellowship, study, service, and fun. The group has sponsored car washes, planned picnics, held Bible studies, and is constantly looking for new ways to share in the excitement of faith with one another. Members of the youth group have traveled together to Daybreak, a gathering sponsored by the ELCA and held at Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, where they explored the possibility of a mission trip.
The youth maintain a Facebook page where they post updates, and the church invites anyone interested to follow their activities there. Families looking for a Lutheran youth ministry in the Madison area will find TYG to be a steady, year-round presence in the life of the church.
Women of Worship
Women of Worship, known as WOW, was organized to give the women of Trinity a regular place to gather for conversation, prayer, and study. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month, walking through a chosen study together and supporting one another in the everyday work of discipleship. WOW is the kind of small gathering that anchors a congregation: friends catching up, a shared meal or dessert, time in a book of the Bible, and the chance to pray together over real concerns.
Reaching Out to Madison and Beyond
Trinity takes seriously its calling to serve the wider community of Madison. The church supports several partner agencies and ministries that meet concrete needs in Lake County.
The Madison Food Center, a program of the Madison Ministerial Association, provides food and health products to families and individuals struggling financially in Madison. Trinity fields teams of volunteers who stock shelves and assist in the operation of the center, typically serving twice a month. The food pantry is located in the west end of the Phoenix Professional Building at 1954 Hubbard Road and is open Tuesdays 1:00 to 3:00 PM and 5:00 to 7:00 PM, and Fridays 10:00 AM to noon. Two members of Trinity coordinate the volunteer teams.
Project HOPE, located on Freedom Road in Painesville, offers shelter and a path forward for homeless people, including job search training and assistance. Trinity encourages its members to support Project HOPE through its wish list, donations, and volunteer time.
The Madison Salvation Army provides emergency assistance to residents of the 44057 zip code, helping with utility shutoffs, rental problems, and other urgent needs. Trinity has long supported the work of the Salvation Army in Madison.
Through the Madison Ministerial Association, Trinity joins other Madison churches in providing Christmas baskets each December, offering community worship opportunities, and stepping up to meet special needs throughout the year.
Following Along Online
Trinity makes worship accessible well beyond the sanctuary walls. Each Sunday's 10:00 AM service is broadcast live on YouTube, and recordings of past services stretch back to 2022 and are organized by the liturgical Sunday of the church year. The church's podcast archive includes more than 250 sermons from Pastor Jack, each titled to match the lectionary Sunday it was preached on. Recent sermon titles include Jesus Embraced the Cross for You, Not Fair, and God Loves and Helps Us to Love.
The church's newsletter, the Trumpet, keeps members and friends informed of upcoming events, prayer concerns, and ministry news. Members of Trinity can also listen to short Monday Motivation audio reflections posted on the church's podcast feed, designed to carry a word of encouragement into the workweek.
Accessibility and the Building
Trinity's building is designed so that anyone can join the worshiping assembly. The church is wheelchair accessible from the parking lot through a ramp at the entrance, with a number of designated handicapped parking spaces close to the doors. An elevator serves all levels of the building. For those who need extra help, a wheelchair is available inside for visitors to use.
The church office can be reached at 440-428-2473 any time, with a message line that someone checks and returns calls as soon as possible. Office hours are noon to 5 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Members and visitors with questions about ministries, weddings, funerals, baptisms, or scheduling can also email the office at office@trinityonchapel.com.
Finding Trinity on Chapel Road
Trinity Lutheran Church sits at 6345 Chapel Road, Madison, Ohio 44057, just west of the new North Madison Elementary School (formerly the Madison Middle School). From the south, visitors can take State Route 528, also known as Hubbard Road, north to Chapel Road and turn left; the church is just past the elementary school on the right. From the Wal-Mart area, travelers can take Green Road north to Chapel Road, turn right, and find the church on the north (left) side of the road.
From the north, the church's directions are charmingly direct: dock your boat at the North Madison Park and walk down Redbird Road to find Chapel Road. That hint of local flavor reflects the church's deep roots in the lakeside communities of Lake County and its welcome to anyone who finds their way to Chapel Road, whether by car, by boat, or by livestream.
Getting Involved
Visitors who want to make Trinity their church home will find several natural ways to plug in. The Trinity Choir welcomes new voices. The Trinity Youth Group welcomes new students. Women of Worship welcomes new members on the first Tuesday of any month. Volunteers for the Madison Food Center sign up with the congregation's point people and serve a Friday shift together as part of a Trinity team.
Financial gifts and offerings are received by mail, through the church's Simply Giving program, or through the Give+ app; members can also set up an electronic funds transfer or bill pay through their own bank. The congregation encourages worshipers to attend actively, participate in the work and life of the church, and bring their family and friends along.
Come, Listen, Participate
Trinity's welcome puts it simply: Come - Listen - Participate. The congregation describes itself as a mighty family of Christians who meet together to listen to the Word of God, to praise and serve God, and to build a lasting relationship with one another and with their Lord. Members are more than consumers seeking to be entertained; they are active participants in a community that worships, learns, serves, and grows together week by week on Chapel Road in Madison.