Trinity Lutheran Church stands at 701 E Florida Avenue in Urbana, near Florida and Vine. It is known for two complementary worship gatherings and for Wee Disciples Preschool, a Christ-centered early-education program connected to the congregation. Trinity's ministry also extends to Haiti through Trinity Hope, where the congregation sponsors two schools.
Saturday Liturgy and Traditional Sunday Worship
Trinity's Saturday worship begins at 5:30 p.m. and is described as liturgical worship that is informal. Sunday worship begins at 9:00 a.m. and uses a traditional liturgical form. Its worship includes traditional liturgical and contemporary services. An Adult Bible Class follows the Sunday service at 10:15 a.m., with fellowship around the class. The 9:00 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed, allowing people to participate in worship from beyond the church building.
Getting to Trinity is straightforward: the church is at 701 E Florida Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801. Parking is available in the lot behind the church or on the street, and Trinity is also on a CUTD bus route. The church office is open Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for those who need to reach the congregation or seek assistance finding the building.
Trinity is a welcoming and loving environment where people can come and grow in the love of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes a safe and nurturing setting for young and old, families and singles. People who do not have a church home are welcome to grow with the congregation.
Teaching, Serving, Reaching & Sharing Christ
Trinity is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and belongs to the synod's Central Illinois District. Its mission statement is "Teaching, Serving, Reaching & Sharing Christ!" The mission calls for connection and involvement in the community and beyond, accepting all in the love of Christ. Members are to be "ablaze" with the message of Jesus Christ, equipped, nurtured, and released to reach their families, neighbors, and community.
The mission points to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:17-19, asking that Christ dwell in hearts through faith, that believers be rooted and established in love, and that the church come to know the wide, long, high, and deep love of Christ. The prayer concludes with the hope of being filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Law and Gospel at the Center of Teaching
Trinity believes and teaches the Bible as the Word of God. It describes Scripture as authoritative and completely reliable, inspired by God, with the authors receiving real words from God and the Holy Spirit keeping the Word pure. The church also teaches that every Scripture passage is useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval.
Teaching centers on two central points, Law and Gospel. God's Law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, shows that every human being falls short of perfection. The Gospel is that Jesus Christ kept every commandment perfectly. He offered his perfect life for humanity on the cross, which paid for sin, and rose from the dead after three days to prove that he had won the victory. Trinity teaches that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that people are saved.
The congregation also believes the Holy Spirit works through God's Word whenever it is preached, taught, studied, read, learned, or meditated upon, leading people from sin and drawing them to Christ. Its teaching connects the word of Christ with peace, gratitude, wisdom, psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and the shared life of the church.
Wee Disciples Preschool: A Christ-Centered School
Wee Disciples Preschool was founded as a response to Christ's command to "Go and make disciples of all nations." The school serves, supports, and reaches out to the church and community with the love of Jesus, seeking to bring children and families into a relationship with the Lord. The purpose of the school is to provide a quality, Christ-centered program in which the love of Jesus is experienced in many ways.
The program offers a two-day Tuesday and Thursday class, a three-day Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class, and a five-day class. Classes meet from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Families can arrange early drop-off beginning at 8:00 a.m. and after-preschool care until 12:15 p.m. Children must be at least three years old and are expected to be potty trained and self-sufficient in the washroom. The school welcomes children of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin.
Learning Through Play, Bible, and Daily Rhythm
Wee Disciples uses self-directed, play-based learning as its basic instructional principle, paired with direct instruction from experienced teachers. Bible study and thematic units guide teaching. Children make choices and explore at their own pace, while teachers reinforce and extend their discoveries. The program follows five broad areas of growth: spiritual, social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development.
Learning centers fill the classroom. Children can move among blocks, housekeeping, math and manipulatives, a library, a sensory table, water play, clay or play dough, science, art and easel painting, and computer and technology activities. The curriculum balances large and small groups, indoor and outdoor play, and child-centered and teacher-directed learning. It also covers Bible stories and worship, language arts and emergent literacy, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, Christian values, music and creative movement, art, fine and gross motor work, and dramatic play.
- The morning begins with arrival, washing hands, check-in activities, and quiet play.
- Large Group brings children together for a welcome song, calendar, weather, songs, finger plays, and discussion of the current unit.
- Table Time and Free Choice support art, journal pages, fine-motor work, and independent exploration at learning centers.
- Bible Time includes a Bible story, songs, Bible verses, and prayer.
- Snack begins with prayer and follows hand washing.
- Story and Music Time and daily gross-motor play complete the morning rhythm, with outdoor playground time when the weather cooperates.
Teachers plan the curriculum after assessing student skills and interests. Families receive assessment information through parent-teacher conferences and written progress reports. The school eases the transition into preschool with a home visit from the lead teacher, a new-parent orientation, and an open house before the school year begins.
Special activities extend learning throughout the year. They include parent-child activity nights, field trips, student birthday celebrations, chapel, a fall party, a Christmas program, a Valentine's Day party, and a Moving Up and Moving On celebration. The rhythm combines structured teaching, free exploration, worship, movement, and sustained time with families.
Experienced Leadership for Children and Families
Preschool Director Karen Rohrer has taught in the Champaign-Urbana community for more than 20 years. Her experience includes 17 years in Lutheran preschools and 15 years as a preschool director. She earned an Advanced Certificate in Education, Organization and Leadership, a Master of Education in Early Childhood Special Education for birth through age five, and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education for birth through third grade, all from the University of Illinois in Urbana. Her Illinois credentials include the Type 75 Administrative Certificate, Early Childhood Special Education approval, and the Type 04 Teaching Certificate. Julie Elsts serves as teaching assistant in all classes and has worked at Wee Disciples for 13 years.
Safety, Meals, and Family Support
Children entering preschool for the first time must submit a completed health exam and immunization records before attending, as required by Illinois law. Families also provide enrollment, medical emergency, child pick-up authorization, consent, and food-allergy forms before school begins. The school asks families to notify a child's teacher about allergies and to complete a food allergy agreement. When medication or an EpiPen is prescribed, families submit a physician-signed emergency action plan and provide the medication for the child.
Wee Disciples follows a safe-snack list for children with allergies involving eggs, milk, peanut, tree nuts, and sesame seeds. A daily snack includes 100 percent real fruit juice along with a fruit, vegetable, or grain item. Families provide a daily snack when a child has a gluten allergy. Birthday food may not be brought from home for snack or treats. Families may instead send an optional non-food party favor, such as a book, bubbles, a small toy, or stickers.
Haiti Ministry Through Trinity Hope
Trinity's work beyond Urbana is organized in part through Trinity Hope. The congregation sponsors two schools, Yahve-Nissi in Bainet and Institute Olivier in Port-au-Prince. Trinity asks people to pray for the students, their families, the teachers, and the feeding program directors in Haiti. This partnership connects the congregation's emphasis on sharing Christ with service and prayer for communities beyond Urbana.
Women's Service, Fellowship, and Vacation Bible School
Trinity's women meet to quilt blankets that are donated each fall to Orphan Grain Train. The congregation also holds an annual LWML rummage sale with a bake sale on Friday and Saturday. Vacation Bible School provides another setting for children and families to gather around Christian teaching. Along with the worship services and Adult Bible Class, these activities create many opportunities for fellowship during the week, combining shared learning, hands-on service, fundraising, and fellowship.
Joyful Response Giving and Pastoral Care
The Joyful Response giving program is managed by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Trinity offers it to help people prepare and fulfill a stewardship plan and share their generosity efficiently and predictably. The program is designed to be simple, safe, convenient, and cost-effective to Trinity and its participants. Offerings transfer directly from bank to bank on a schedule selected by the giver, without handling cash, checks, or passwords.
Trinity's pastoral team includes Chaplain Bob Frank, who serves as visitation pastor; Pastor Cluver, who serves as a pastor; and Ruth Benton, who serves as parish nurse. These roles reflect the congregation's commitment to shared care for people across generations. Together with worship, teaching, preschool, fellowship, mission, and generous giving, they shape Trinity Lutheran Church as a community centered on Jesus Christ in Urbana and beyond.