A Reconciling Congregation in Lincoln
Trinity United Methodist Church anchors itself in Lincoln, Nebraska, near 56th and Pine Lake Road. Its motto, "Building a community of people who are fully alive in Christ," frames a congregation that calls itself socially progressive, intellectually curious, and spiritually thriving.
The first thing Trinity wants visitors to know is that it is a Reconciling Congregation within the United Methodist Church. The congregation describes itself as a community of United Methodists who "believe and affirm that every person is welcome in God's family." Trinity points to its affiliation with the Reconciling Ministries Network as a public statement of welcome, an identity that shapes the language of the greeters, the partnerships the church builds, and the way the congregation reads itself into the life of Lincoln.
Two Sunday Services, One Sermon in Spirit Hall
Worship at Trinity gathers in Spirit Hall twice on Sunday morning. The 9 a.m. service leans contemporary, with a worship band leading gathering songs. The 10:30 a.m. service leans traditional; the Sanctuary Choir sings weekly from September through May and the hand bell ensemble plays once a month. The preaching is the same at both services, and each lasts roughly an hour.
Worshipers gather first for coffee and conversation, then move into the service, which begins with gathering songs, moves through announcements, and centers on the weekly sermon. For those who cannot come in person, both services are livestreamed on YouTube at 9 and 10:30 a.m., with a phone option at 402-261-0322 for listeners without internet, and an archive of recent services available online.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
Trinity's Family Ministries treat faith and family as partners. Patti Crittenden directs the program, which provides Sunday education and nursery care for children from six weeks old through high school. At 9 a.m., children three years old through fifth grade gather for Bible-story adventures, music, small-group crafts, games, and activities. At the same hour, middle and high schoolers meet in small groups where abstract lessons become concrete through hands-on experience.
From 8:45 to 10:15 a.m., the nursery welcomes babies from six weeks to two years; from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., the nursery serves children through age five. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade gather for a separate Bible-story lesson at 10:30 a.m. in the Youth Room.
During the school year, IMPACT, the middle and high school youth group, meets on Sunday afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Youth Room. The schedule runs August through May and includes a meal, conversation about how faith intersects with current topics, and time for fun. With parental permission, IMPACT also texts and emails youth with inspirational thoughts and encouraging words, with a clear commitment to alert parents if anything raised in those conversations indicates a risk to a young person's safety.
Trinity Child Care at Two Locations
Child care is a major outreach of the congregation. Trinity Child Care operates two full-service centers with their own directors and programs. At the Village Gardens location, 7130 Kentwell Lane, the program runs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and includes infant and toddler care, an integrated preschool, and before-and-after school care. At the downtown location, 1345 South 16th Street, the program runs Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and offers infant and toddler care, an integrated preschool, and a certified kindergarten.
Weekly tuition rates include $291 for infants, $268 for 18 months through age 3, $249 for age 3 through pre-kindergarten, $157 for kindergarten at the 16th and A location, and $125 for before-and-after school care at Village Gardens. School-age care runs $202. There is an annual $120 family fee and a nonrefundable $25 hold fee per family per location that applies to the first week's tuition if a child is enrolled. Trinity's educational philosophy is developmental: children's play is the vehicle for early learning, with teachers offering guidance through an environment designed for exploration, and each room's program built around language skills, social skills, physical coordination, and a positive self-image.
Growth Groups and Adult Formation
The small-group ministry is called Growth Groups. Three six-week sessions run each year in fall, winter, and spring, and each gathering combines Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and encouragement in groups of roughly eight to ten adults. Adult Sunday School meets at 9 a.m. from September through May, with rotating leaders working through various materials.
Trinity Young Adults gathers adults roughly 23 to 33 years old on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Zipline beer hall for casual conversation and community. Dinner groups of eight to ten adults meet at one another's homes for food, fun, and small-group fellowship, with sign-ups available through the church's event registration.
Faith in Action: From Lincoln to Kenya
The Faith in Action team takes Trinity's theology beyond the walls of Spirit Hall. Locally, members serve dinner at the Gathering Place once a month on the second Thursday at 4:30 p.m., providing a meal to people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in Lincoln. The Backpack Program packs bags of food between Sunday services every week for delivery to Hill, Cavett, and Wysong Elementary; volunteers are needed both at the church and for midweek delivery to the schools. Victory Park provides housing for veterans in Lincoln, and Trinity provides holiday meals along with seasonal supply drives.
Nationally, Trinity partners with the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas, a United Methodist school that grew out of Lydia Patterson's 1913 mission to start Hispanic schools in El Paso's barrio and now educates more than 400 young men and women, many from Ciudad Juarez. Trinity sends volunteers at least once each year for projects that maintain the school and support its outreach.
Internationally, the Faith in Action team partners with ministries in Kenya on education and health initiatives for vulnerable communities. Trinity also belongs to Justice in Action, an interfaith coalition of 20 congregations in Lincoln and Lancaster County, supporting work on mental health and criminal justice reform.
Music and the Worship Arts
Music is one of the threads holding Trinity's worship together. Dr. Michael Tully serves as Director of Music Ministries. At the 9 a.m. contemporary service, the worship band leads the gathering songs. At the 10:30 a.m. service, the Sanctuary Choir sings weekly from fall through spring with Wednesday-night rehearsals, and the hand bell ensemble performs monthly with its own Wednesday-night practices. Worshipers interested in choir or hand bell membership can connect through the church office.
Fellowship Across the Calendar
Beyond Sunday morning, Trinity offers a long calendar of small gatherings that knit the congregation together. Women meet in two circles: Harmony Circle on the third Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Symphony Circle on the second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., September through May. The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in Trinity Parlor. A bridge group meets on the fourth Thursday at 1 p.m., a book club gathers on the third Saturday at 9 a.m. at Braeda, and a board-games group meets Sundays at 1 p.m. through the school year.
A social golf league plays Mondays from April through August. Beginner and intermediate exercise classes meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings in spring and fall, with an 8:30 a.m. intermediate session and a 9:30 a.m. beginners session. A prayer chain circulates a biweekly emailed list of prayer concerns.
The Columbarium and Memorial Garden
On the Trinity campus, the columbarium offers interment of cremated remains in a tranquil setting within the church community. Families may also honor loved ones with engraved bricks placed around the memorial garden, whether or not the person is interred on site. Niche and brick reservations are arranged through the church office.
What to Know on a First Visit
Most first-time visitors make their way to Spirit Hall on a Sunday morning. Coffee and conversation are available before worship, the same sermon is preached at both services, and each lasts roughly an hour. Trinity describes dress as anything from cargo shorts and flip flops to suits and ties; the goal is to feel at ease.
Children can be signed in with Patti, the Director of Family Ministries, on the garden level for nursery and Sunday school programming during both services; kindergarten through fifth graders have their own program at the 10:30 service. The church office is reachable at 402-435-2946 and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Trinity's pastoral and program staff includes Lead Pastor Rev. Dr. Jeff Slater, Director of Music Ministries Dr. Michael Tully, Director of Family Ministries Patti Crittenden, Connection and Care Coordinator Amy Holland, and Youth Director Tommi Cox. The congregation has begun fundraising toward a new sanctuary and more children's rooms so that hundreds of children, youth, and adults can keep gathering under one roof. Trinity's vision remains the same as the day the motto was written: building a community of people who are fully alive in Christ.