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Trinity UCC FAQ

Church Membership
What must I do to become a member?

To be a member of Trinity Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ, you can join in one of the methods listed below. All ways of joining the church include standing before the congregation and stating or re-stating baptismal vows (see below under baptism)

Letter of Transfer
Baptized persons active in another UCC church, can transfer their membership to Trinity without having to take the full three week membership class. Baptized persons transferring from other denominations are still encouraged to take the three weeks of membership classes to help them assimilate to the new denomination. Letters of transfer must be received in the church office one week before the service.

Reaffirmation of Faith
Baptized persons who are not actively involved in a church can join by reaffirmation of faith. To join in this manner you should be an active participant in the life of the church, including worship and education programs, for at least three months before joining. You must also attend three membership classes with a pastor, with classes being offered on an as needed basis – usually three times a year.

Baptism
In the United Church of Christ we recognize One Baptism in Christ and do not ask persons who have been baptized in other denominations to be rebaptized. If you have not been baptized, in addition to the three membership classes above, you will have one private interview with a pastor explaining the meaning of baptism.

Baptism
What must I do to have my child baptized?

We believe that baptism is a grace-filled gift from God, not a human good work, and as such it is not our intent to deny baptism to any child. However, we also feel that it is important that parents not make vows in vain, or that we ask our congregation to take vows of sponsorship that they aren’t given a chance to fulfill. So generally, to have a child baptized one or both parents must be an active member in the church. The parent/s must meet with a pastor to discuss the vows of baptism and their plans for fulfilling their vows with their child.

The questions and vows of baptism are as follows:

1. Do you desire to have your child baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ?
2. Will you encourage this child to renounce the powers of evil and to receive the freedom of new life in Christ?
3. Will you teach this child that s/he may be led to profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
4. Do you promise by the grace of God, to be Christ’s disciple, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you are able?
5. Do your promise according to the grace given you, to grow with this child in the Christian faith, to help this child to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, by celebrating Christ’s presence, by furthering Christ’s mission in all the world, and by offering the nurture of the Christian church so that s/he may affirm her/his baptism?
6. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?

Except in emergency situations, baptisms in the United Church of Christ occur during worship before the congregation, who take vows along with parents and sponsors to rear the child in the Christian faith.

Do you baptize older children and adults?
Yes, and in increasing numbers. The vows of baptism for older children and adults are very similar to the ones listed above, but directed at the individual rather than at the parents. Meetings similar to what take place for membership and infant baptism are required.

Communion
How often do you celebrate Holy Communion?
We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month at the 8 am service and six times a year at the 10:15 service. We also have a walk-in communion service 4-6 pm on New Year’s Eve and two evening communion services on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter).

Who may take communion?
We view communion as Christ’s table, not ours. All are welcome.

Weddings
We are interested in having our wedding at Trinity. What do we need to do?

If you are a church member, or the child of a church member, you should call the church office 610-326-2243 or email the church and tell us your wedding date. It is important you get your wedding date on the calendar as soon as it is decided so that other events and weddings aren’t planned for the time you want.

If you are a non-member searching for a church home, you should plan to attend worship (8 am and 10:15 am Sunday) to decide if this is a church you want to be a member of and then contact one of the pastors to discuss becoming a member of the church. Only in special circumstances do we perform weddings for non-members.

Before your wedding, you will have three, hour-long meetings with the pastor who will perform the service. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss details of the wedding, but more importantly to provide pre-marital counseling. The pastors bring up with the couples their most likely sources of future conflict based upon answers to a questionnaire and provide a forum for discussing these very important issues. Persons living outside of the area can substitute an equal number of counseling sessions at a church or counseling center in their area.

What does it cost to have our wedding at Trinity?
Basic fees for use of the sanctuary and for the pastor’s time is provided at no cost to active members. There is a cost of $50-100 for the church custodian and $100-200 or more for the organist depending upon the amount of work they will need to do for your wedding. An additional fee may be added for people holding a reception at the church.

Other questions?
Call or e-mail the church with your questions, or to request a copy of our visitor information packet and three copies of our newsletter, The Herald. You can find our contact information on the contact page.