Two Sunday Services, One Church in Southeast Huntsville
Trinity United Methodist Church sits in southeast Huntsville, in one of the city's most active areas, and on a Sunday morning it runs two very different services back to back. At 9 am in the Sanctuary, the Traditional service opens with classic Methodist liturgy, a full choir, and the steady rhythm that long-time members have known for decades. At 11 am in The New Room, Cross Connect offers a contemporary experience with a band, updated language, and the feel of a community gathering rather than a formal service.
Between those two services, from 10 to 11 am, the entire church opens up for Sunday School. Adults, youth, and children all have age-appropriate classes, and a nursery is available for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from 8:45 am to 12:15 pm. For visitors still figuring out the rhythm, this is the easiest hour to slip into a small group, meet a few people, and see what Trinity is like outside the Sanctuary.
Both services are livestreamed at 9 am and 11 am, and recordings stay available around the clock through the church's online media library.
Traditional at 9, Cross Connect at 11
The two services are intentionally distinct. The Traditional service uses printed bulletins, hymnody, and a robed choir, with acolytes and crucifers taking part in the opening. Cross Connect uses a contemporary band, updated words on screen, and a more casual setup in The New Room, the church's flexible worship space. The same sermons are preached in both, just in very different settings.
Visitors who want to explore before stepping inside can fill out a short online card to let the church know they are coming. A greeter team meets newcomers at the door, and the Director of Hospitality and Engagement follows up during the week with information about classes, small groups, and ways to serve.
A Conservatory of Music
Music is one of the things Trinity does at a high level, and the schedule reflects it. The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8 pm and provides music throughout the year, including a "Carols of Christmas" event that has become a Huntsville favorite. The Cross Connect Band, led by Contemporary Worship Director Brian Westbrook, rehearses Wednesdays from 6 to 7 pm in The New Room and leads contemporary worship each week.
For singers looking for a smaller ensemble, the Trinity Vocal Ensemble is an auditioned group that performs special music across the year. The church also runs a handbell program with Carillonneurs rehearsing Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in Room 197 and the auditioned Trinity Handbell Quartet meeting as needed. A youth choir, Trinity Singers, and a youth band round out the program and occasionally lead worship at the 11 am service on fifth Sundays.
Shane Kennedy serves as Director of Worship and Fine Arts, with Christopher-Joel Carter as Associate Director and Organist, Brian Westbrook as Contemporary Worship Director, and Scott McCauley as Coordinator of Worship and Fine Arts. The team keeps a long list of volunteer roles open, including acolytes, crucifers, lay readers, communion celebrants, ushers, audio and video techs, and stage designers, and trains anyone who wants to learn.
Children from Crib to Fifth Grade
Trinity treats children as full members of the church. Lindsey Edmondson directs the Children's Ministry, and her team has built a full weekly rhythm.
Sunday morning begins with nursery care for infants through preschoolers at 8:45 am and continues through the 11 am service. Sunday School for preschoolers and elementary children runs from 10 to 11 am, with hands-on Bible lessons, music, and small-group time designed for each age. In the evening, Trinity Explorers in Faith gathers children from toddlers through fifth grade from 5:30 to 7 pm for worship, Bible stories, small groups, games, crafts, and music, broken into four age groups: toddlers, Pre-K and Kindergarten, first and second grade, and third through fifth grade.
The church also partners with parents. A weekly "Home Connect" email sends out parenting tips and ministry updates. A Safe Sanctuaries policy screens every volunteer who works with children, and an annual medical and permission form is required for every child. For families with new babies, the staff will announce the birth to the congregation if parents want that. Infant and child baptisms are scheduled through Executive Pastor Rev. Carrie Jones.
Cub Scout Pack 364, which serves boys and girls ages 5 to 10, meets Wednesday nights from 6 to 7 pm on the Youth Hall, sharing the building with the older scouts.
TUMY and Converge: Youth in Grades 6 to 12
The youth ministry, known as TUMY, is led by Kristi Sanford, Director of Youth Ministry, and is open to students in sixth through twelfth grade. The weekly rhythm starts on Sunday morning at 10 am, when middle and high schoolers gather in Room 232 in the Epworth Wing for Sunday School that walks through the Bible using The BibleProject videos. The room stays open until 11 am, so youth can attend either morning service.
Sunday nights belong to Converge, a gathering from 5:30 to 7 pm in the youth space with games, worship, a lesson, and small groups. Youth and children eat free at the 5 pm Sunday Night Fellowship Meal in Wesley Hall, which makes the evening easy for working parents. Trinity also runs Boy Scout Troop 364 for boys ages 11 to 17, meeting Wednesday nights from 7 to 8:30 pm in the Youth Hall.
The youth have their own social presence on Facebook (TUMYbook) and Instagram (TUMYgram) and stay connected through retreats and trips scheduled throughout the year.
Adult Discipleship and Small Groups
Adults have several on-ramps at Trinity. The 10 am Sunday School hour is one of them, with classes that line up across the building for the in-between hour between the two services. Outside of Sunday morning, the church runs a Fall Discipleship season of small groups, organized around a sermon-based study guide, that runs through November each year. The guide includes weekly Scripture readings, reflection questions, and prayer practices, and is offered for both personal and group use.
For newcomers, Trinity 101 meets a few times a year, including a Sunday morning session with Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Dedric Cowser, where the pastor and a few lay leaders share the story of the church, an introduction to John Wesley and the United Methodist tradition, and answer questions. Childcare is offered.
Trinity+ is a separate ministry for retired adults 60 and up, organized by Charlotte Hudson and Jeanie Glynn. The group plans social outings and mission projects and is open to anyone 60 or older.
For adults who want to engage with the church outside of Sunday morning, the E-Team is a volunteer hospitality and engagement group led by Director of Hospitality and Engagement Becky Shores. Members welcome guests, support events, and help newcomers feel at home.
Fourteen Mission Partners Across Madison County
Trinity's Missions and Justice ministry, led by Director Amanda Lowe, supports 14 mission partners with regular financial gifts and volunteer time. The list reads like a snapshot of Madison County's safety net: The Cornerstone Initiative, which mentors people through jobs, finances, and faith programs; Eighth Street Community, which provides homes and programming for adults with disabilities; Enable, which builds wheelchair ramps and helps the aging live at home; First Stop, which serves people moving from homelessness to independent living; Habitat for Humanity, where Trinity volunteers work on construction Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; the Huntsville Assistance Program, which provides emergency financial help; Interfaith Mission Service; Jesus Library, which places Christian children's books in thrift stores; Meals on Wheels; Second Mile Development in the Terry Heights neighborhood; and others.
Several partners are food-focused. The Food for Thought program collects non-perishable items from bins throughout the church building in support of Trinity's food pantry partners at St. Paul UMC and New Market UMC. Meals to Grow, started by the Susanna Wesley Circle, packs more than 1,500 weekend food bags each month for students at Whitesburg, Chaffee, and Sonnie Hereford Elementary. First Stop hosts a community breakfast that Trinity volunteers prepare and serve every third Monday and first Wednesday of the month.
Trinity Friends is a monthly gathering on the fourth Tuesday for 150-plus adults with special needs, complete with a meal, entertainment, and crafts. Volunteers are always needed.
The church also runs an Adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program as a Mission and Justice initiative, with classes meeting through the academic year. On the denominational side, Trinity supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) with financial gifts, mission trips, and volunteer days at the UMCOR Warehouse in Decatur. The Christmas Eve offering goes to Embrace Alabama Kids.
United Women in Faith
The United Women in Faith chapter at Trinity is one of the most active in the area, with eight Circles that meet at different times during the month. The chapter is led by President Kay West, with Vice President Lane Neill, Secretary Melody Herrmann, Treasurer Paula Distler, and Secretary of Program Resources Dixie Distler. Circles include the Circle of Friends (third Tuesday at 1 pm), Hope Circle (third Wednesday at 6:30 pm), Joy Circle (third Monday at 12:30 pm), Lisa Mapes Hargrove Circle (third Wednesday at 9:30 am), and Susanna Wesley Circle.
The biggest event of the year is Trinity Market Place, held the first Friday and Saturday in March, with more than 70 vendors, a lunch cafe, and a bake sale. Proceeds support Trinity programs and local missions, and the event has become one of Huntsville's most popular. The chapter also runs the Meals to Grow School Backpack Program, a Memorial Prayer Service each year, a Christmas toy collection for the United Methodist Church Upper Sand Mountain Parish, and the Campbell's Soup Labels program in support of The Opportunity Center.
A Six-Day Media Library
Trinity's Media Library is one of the most developed resources at any church in the area. It holds more than 4,000 items, including Bibles, references, biographies, fiction and non-fiction for all ages, extensive Christian titles, DVDs, books on tape, audiovisual materials, storytelling books, UMW Reading Program resources, Christy Award winners, and devotional materials. Free wi-fi, coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate are available, and the room doubles as a quiet space for anyone who wants to sit with a phone or tablet.
The library is open six days a week: Sunday from 8 am to 9 pm, Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 4:30 pm (Tuesday and Thursday are Library Team work days), and Friday from 9 am to noon. The library also provides a free online streaming account through Amplify Media, which Trinity members can use to access thousands of study, worship, and devotional videos on any device.
Weddings and Facility Rentals
Trinity hosts weddings in the Sanctuary, with a bride's room and Wesley Hall available as a reception space. The church publishes photos and policies for florists, photographers, and videographers, and couples begin by reaching out to one of the pastors to discuss plans.
Outside of weddings, the church's rooms and auditoriums are available for community rental. Spaces accommodate small to large groups, with food services and technical support available on request. The Church Administrator handles booking.
The Pastoral Team
Trinity is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Dedric Cowser, with Rev. Carrie Jones as Executive Pastor and Rev. Katie Dobbins as Pastor of Discipleship. Rev. Dr. Jonathan Watts serves as Scholar in Residence. The full ministry team includes Director of Children's Ministry Lindsey Edmondson, Director of Youth Ministry Kristi Sanford, Director of Missions and Justice Amanda Lowe, and Director of Hospitality and Engagement Becky Shores. Worship is led by Director of Worship and Fine Arts Shane Kennedy, Contemporary Worship Director Brian Westbrook, Associate Director of Worship and Fine Arts and Organist Christopher-Joel Carter, and Coordinator of Worship and Fine Arts Scott McCauley. The communications team includes Ministry Communications Developer Dee Ann Henderson and Media and Graphics Coordinator Leslie Franklin.
Trinity United Methodist Church is at 607 Airport Road SW in Huntsville, with the main office open Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. A Clergy On-Call line is available around the clock for emergencies, hospitalizations, and prayer needs.