Preaching Christ from All Scripture in Petaluma
Trinity Presbyterian Church North Bay meets at 1445 Technology Lane, Unit A1, in Petaluma, a Sonoma County city in the North Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The congregation serves Petaluma, Novato, and surrounding communities, and people attend from Sonoma, Marin, and Solano counties. Trinity is known as a confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian church that teaches the Bible as the inerrant, inspired Word of God and seeks to proclaim Christ from all Scripture. Its identity is expressed through psalms and hymns, Bible reading and preaching, prayer, the sacraments, and benediction.
After gathering in Novato for more than half a century, the congregation moved to its current Petaluma home in October 2022. The move extended a ministry that began as an Orthodox Presbyterian Church mission work in 1970. Trinity's teaching still centers on the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, and the call to make disciples. Its week pairs a simple Sunday rhythm with a substantial ministry of Christian education, fellowship, community service, and worldwide missions.
Sunday School at Ten, Worship at Eleven
A Sunday at Trinity begins with a brief men's prayer meeting at 9:45 a.m. Sunday School follows at 10:00 a.m. with classes for adults and children. Morning Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. These times anchor a gathering designed around hearing the Word, worshiping God, and sharing fellowship rather than a sequence of loosely connected programs.
- 9:45 a.m. Men's Prayer
- 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for adults and children
- 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
The Lord's Supper is typically celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. On that same first-Sunday pattern, a fellowship meal and an outreach prayer meeting are typically held after Morning Worship. The meal gives the congregation a regular setting for conversation and encouragement, and Trinity describes these gatherings as useful opportunities for visitors to get to know the church family. Coffee and other refreshments also follow Sunday worship.
Spanish manuscript translations are available for worship and Sunday School. Hearing assistance devices are available for people with hearing difficulties, and enlarged copies of music can be requested by people who have low vision. Trinity's ministry to families includes nursery facilities and Sunday School classes for children. The congregation gathers in Petaluma, north of Novato and San Rafael and south of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, with people attending from as far south as Mill Valley, as far north as Healdsburg, and as far east as Vallejo.
Reverent and Joyful Worship Around the Word
Trinity describes corporate worship as the reverent and joyful assembly of God's people on the Lord's Day. Its worship includes a call to worship, the reading and preaching of Scripture, singing psalms and hymns, the administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments, and benediction. The stated aim is not merely a service with religious content but the worship of the triune God. Trinity seeks to bring glory to God and to worship him in spirit and truth.
Preaching remains central. Pastor W. Reid Hankins preaches expository, redemptive-historical messages that apply Scripture to life while seeking to show the glory of God's saving work in Jesus through the power of the Spirit. The Bible is read and preached as the church's authoritative rule for faith and life. Trinity summarizes this calling with the words, “But we preach Christ crucified.” Its motto also calls the church to “Teach what accords with sound doctrine.”
The Lord's Supper receives a distinctly Reformed understanding. Trinity teaches that Christ's body and blood are spiritually present to the faith of believers. The service also reflects the church's conviction that Christians gather on the Lord's Day to pray, hear the Word of God read and preached, sing psalms and hymns, and receive the sacraments. Visitors encounter a service rooted in historic Christian worship, with Scripture and the sacramental life of the church held in close relation.
That heritage is especially visible in Trinity's recurring Reformation gathering. Members of different congregations and people from the community gather for an evening of historic hymns and psalms, hearing Scripture opened, and fellowship over refreshments. The gathering recalls the five central affirmations associated with the Protestant Reformers: salvation by grace alone, by faith alone, and in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, and to the glory of God alone.
From a Novato Mission Work to a Petaluma Church Home
Trinity was established in Novato on May 3, 1970, as a mission work of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Rev. Robert H. Graham led the church-planting effort with several members of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Berkeley who lived in Novato. The mission became a particular congregation on May 13, 1971, under the name Novato Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Rev. Richard C. Miller faithfully served as pastor from 1974 to 2006. Rev. W. Reid Hankins was ordained and installed on January 11, 2008, and continues to serve as the congregation's minister.
Trinity defines its continuing mission through the Great Commission: the church is commissioned to proclaim the gospel, make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe Christ's commands. Its message is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners through his life, death, and resurrection, calling people to faith, repentance, and trust in Christ for salvation. Worship, discipleship, and evangelism therefore stand together at the center of the church's work.
The move from Novato to Petaluma in October 2022 brought the congregation into a new building at Technology Lane. Trinity retains the name North Bay because its ministry and relationships extend across Petaluma, Novato, and communities throughout the North Bay. Its history links a denominationally planted church in Marin County with a congregation now based in Sonoma County and connected to people across three counties.
The Reformed Faith Held Confessionally
Trinity identifies its system of doctrine as the Reformed faith, sometimes called Calvinism, and holds it confessionally. The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms provide its principal summaries of biblical doctrine. The church condenses that teaching in the following convictions:
- Scripture. The Bible is inspired by God, entirely trustworthy, and without error. It is the only source of special revelation for the church and is to be believed and obeyed.
- The triune God. There is one personal God, invisible and beyond human comprehension, self-sufficient, unbounded by space and time, perfectly holy and just, loving, and merciful. He exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Creation and sovereignty. God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. He upholds and governs creation according to his eternal will. His sovereignty does not diminish human responsibility.
- Humanity and grace. Because of Adam's sin, all people are corrupt by nature, dead in sin, and subject to God's wrath. God's covenant of grace makes forgiveness and eternal life available through faith in Jesus Christ, the only way of salvation in both Old and New Testament times.
- The person and work of Christ. The Son of God took on a human nature in the womb of the virgin Mary, uniting divine and human natures in one person. Jesus lived without sin, died on the cross bearing the sins of those who trust him, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven as Lord. He will return to judge the living and the dead, bringing his people into eternal life and the wicked into eternal punishment.
- Salvation and assurance. Those whom God has predestined for life are effectually drawn to Christ through the inner work of the Spirit. When they believe, God justifies them by imputing Christ's merits, pardoning their sins, and accepting them as righteous. They are adopted as God's children and indwelt by the Spirit, who sanctifies them. Repentance, good works as the fruit of faith, perseverance, and assurance of salvation belong to this life of faith.
- The moral law. Believers seek to keep God's moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, not to earn salvation but because they love their Savior and desire to obey him.
- The church and its worship. Christ establishes the church and local congregations through the ministry of the Word, baptism of the children of believers and of believers, the Lord's Supper, and the disciplining of members delinquent in doctrine or life. Christians assemble on the Lord's Day for prayer, hearing the Word read and preached, singing psalms and hymns, and receiving the sacraments.
These convictions shape Trinity's understanding of itself as a community called to worship the triune God, witness to the gospel until Christ returns, and engage in worship, discipleship, and evangelism. The church's confession is not separated from its life of prayer, teaching, sacraments, mutual encouragement, care, and service.
Education for Adults, Children, and New Believers
Christian education is treated as a means of grace. Trinity's adult and children's Sunday School classes prepare people to receive the reading and preaching of the Word, and the curriculum covers a range of biblical subjects. The congregation also emphasizes Bible study as an ordinary part of Christian growth, with the goal of deepening understanding of Scripture and its application to life.
Midweek ministry begins with a fellowship hour at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, followed by Bible study and prayer at 7:15 p.m. A portion of the evening is given specifically to prayer. On the first Wednesday of each month, the regular study takes on a different form as the men and women gather in separate groups for study and fellowship. Trinity also has a men's and women's prayer partner program intended to help people pray for and with one another.
Special classes meet as needs arise. The Investigative Bible Study introduces people who are inquiring into the Christian faith to the teachings of Jesus and the gospel. The Profession of Faith Class prepares baptized children to profess their faith publicly for the first time. A New Member Class introduces people interested in membership to the essentials of church membership and the history, faith, and practices of Trinity and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Prayer also extends beyond the regular gatherings. The session of elders may designate a day of prayer and fasting in response to special circumstances, and Trinity encourages regular individual and family prayer. The result is a rhythm that joins formal teaching with the ordinary practice of a congregation learning together in word, prayer, and song.
Spanish Ministry and Careful Safeguarding
Trinity maintains Spanish ministry opportunities for Spanish-speaking people in the community. Spanish-language sermons and Sunday School lessons are available, and Spanish manuscript translations are available for worship and Sunday School. This Spanish ministry forms part of Trinity's commitment to making the gospel and the church's teaching accessible to the wider North Bay community.
Children's participation is supported by a detailed child protection policy covering people under 18. Youth workers must be communicant members in good standing, receive approval from the session, agree to the church's requirements, and undergo screening that includes a professional background check paid for by Trinity. Screening is repeated at least every three years. The policy also establishes specific supervision practices for classes, transportation, bathrooms, nursery care, discipline, medication, and injuries.
A child is not to be alone with one adult during a youth event or children's ministry unless that adult is the child's parent or guardian. Rooms used for children must remain unlocked and highly visible, and a youth worker must be able to be observed or inspected without notice. Elementary children use bathrooms in groups rather than being taken individually. Youth workers do not administer corporal punishment or medication, and they notify parents of injuries and arrange additional care when an emergency requires it.
Nursery facilities are intended for parents and guardians to care for their young children. Approved nursery assistants may help with childcare when parents give permission, but the adults remain on the premises, the nursery stays highly visible and accessible, and an approved youth worker remains nearby and immediately available. These practices place a clear emphasis on the participation of families without treating children's ministry as separate from the accountability of the whole church.
Mission, Mercy, and the Great Commission
Trinity's mission reaches beyond Petaluma. Globally, the congregation participates in worldwide missions through the Orthodox Presbyterian Church's Committee on Foreign Missions. Locally, it seeks to obey the commission of Christ by worshiping God, making disciples, and serving the community. Its involvement in Petaluma begins with prayerful consideration of practical ways to participate in the place where God has placed the congregation.
Worldwide Outreach unites home missions, foreign missions, and Christian education under the denomination's committees. Trinity supports this work through prayer, financial giving, and personal service such as sending care packages to missionaries. The church also receives a special Thank Offering for this work during the season from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. As the Lord directs, members have served in various capacities in these efforts.
Diaconal service is led by the board of deacons under the oversight of the session of elders. Trinity places priority on caring for its own congregation, while also offering support to the wider church and community as needs and resources allow. Its forms of service include financial assistance, meals, budgeting assistance, labor, and support for local relief agencies. The church's mercy is therefore expressed both in fellowship within the congregation and in practical assistance directed toward people beyond it.
Pastoral care is another part of this ministry. The pastor and elders make home visits, visit those in the congregation who are suffering from health problems, provide biblical counseling, offer premarital counseling, and provide pre-baptismal instruction to parents. Trinity also regards church discipline as an essential mark of Christ's church. It describes this discipline as a loving exercise of authority intended to preserve the purity, peace, and good order of the church.
Ordained Leadership for a Presbyterian Congregation
Trinity's local church government is composed of the ordained offices of minister, elder, and deacon. The minister teaches and preaches the Word, the elders share in the spiritual oversight of the congregation, and the deacons lead the church's service of mercy. This ordering reflects the congregation's conviction that healthy church government should follow the pattern set out in Scripture.
Rev. W. Reid Hankins received a bachelor's degree in computer science with a minor in classical and medieval European studies from the University of California, San Diego. He later earned a Master of Divinity from Westminster Seminary California and received the Samuel and Ann Van Til Scholarship Prize in Biblical Studies and the Arthur Forest Wells Memorial Scholarship during his seminary studies. His preaching is expository and redemptive-historical, with application directed toward the lives of those who hear.
The current ordained officers are Rev. W. Reid Hankins, Minister; Jeff Hibbitts, Elder; Marlin Viss, Elder; Jim Wright, Elder; and Diego Merino, Deacon. Together they represent the church's teaching, oversight, and diaconal responsibilities within its Petaluma setting.
Sermons, Study Materials, and Practical Support
Trinity's teaching extends beyond the Sunday gathering through an extensive collection of English and Spanish sermon and Sunday School audio recordings. The sermon archive includes preaching on books of the Bible and recurring subjects such as biblical inerrancy, worship, prayer, church history, covenant theology, and Christian education. Sunday School lessons likewise cover biblical studies and methods for reading Scripture. The recordings can also be followed through Apple Podcasts and RSS subscriptions.
For study, Trinity makes available the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Book of Church Order of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Cambridge Declaration, and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. These resources reflect the church's commitment to a confessionally grounded faith and to the careful interpretation of Scripture. The extensive preaching record also makes the congregation's teaching ministry accessible to people beyond the room in Petaluma.
Financial support for the church's ministry may be given online through PayPal or Zelle, or by check sent to the church treasurer at 1445 Technology Lane, Unit A1, Petaluma, California 94954. Trinity also accepts charitable stock donations. These options support the work of worship, teaching, care, community service, and missions described throughout the life of the congregation.
A Petaluma Congregation Centered on Christ
Trinity Presbyterian Church North Bay occupies a clear place in the life of Petaluma. Its church phone is (415) 897-3410, its general email is info@trinitynorthbay.org, and its gathering place is 1445 Technology Lane, Unit A1, with directions available through maps. The congregation's identity is compact and consistent: a Reformed and Presbyterian church rooted in the inerrant Scriptures, centered on Christ, worshiping in psalms and hymns, teaching with care, and serving the North Bay from its Petaluma home.