What is membership?
A member of Trinity is someone who participates actively in the life of this community, who supports the mission of the church by attending worship, participating in formation, serving the community, and sustaining our mission financially. If you are interested in becoming a member, please reach out to our clergy to learn more, or contact our Parish Administrator, Mary Katherine Williams. We are happy to answer any questions and offer guidance about baptism, confirmation, reception, membership transfer, and making a financial gift to support our mission.
In the Episcopal Church, we believe that the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us by God. The Episcopal Church experiences the fullness of God’s grace through the Sacraments. The Book of Common Prayer describes Holy Baptism as "full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body, the Church. The bond which God establishes at Baptism is indissoluble" (p. 298).
Enduring, imperishable, and eternal, one’s baptism cannot be tarnished or repeated. As adoptees into the body of Christ and the Church, the newly baptized, whether infant, child, or adult, are reborn and receive new and unending life in Christ. The baptismal candidate, or their parents and godparents on behalf of a child who cannot speak for themselves, vows to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, to trust in his grace and love, and to follow him as Lord (BCP, pp. 302-303).
Infant and Child Baptism
Infants and young children are baptized in front of the congregation as parents and godparents make vows to raise the child in the Christian faith and show by their example their own commitment to being disciples.
To have your child baptized at Trinity, one parent should be an active parishioner participating in worship, service, formation, and stewardship at Trinity. Attendance of a Baptism Workshop is required in the time preceding the baptism to prepare as a family.
Adult Baptism
Baptismal candidates should take time to prepare through prayer, the study of God’s Word, and by reflecting on their faith journey. Trinity’s clergy are available to provide spiritual support and guidance as you discern God’s call to the waters of baptism. Adults and children, who have not been baptized previously and can speak for themselves, do so at their baptism. Candidates are encouraged to have a sponsor (who has already been baptized) present at their baptism, ready to support them along their faith journey and within the body of the Church.
As disciples, adults are active in all of the transformational areas of life at Trinity– worship, service, formation, and stewardship–as they live into the mission of the church.
Godparents / Sponsors
The responsibility of godparents and sponsors is to support, by word and by example, the baptismal candidate as they grow and mature in the Christian faith. Godparents should be prepared to share their faith and guidance and to pray for and with the child. Sponsors of adult baptismal candidates carry the same responsibilities, sharing prayer and support for living into one's baptismal promises.
Baptism Workshop (Prerequisite)
This workshop is for expectant parents, new parents, godparents, grandparents, and any others in a family's orbit supporting the spiritual life of the child. It is also for youth and adults curious about baptism. Godparents attend via Zoom if they live out of town.
This workshop includes community building, storytelling, and discussion. Childcare is provided by request. Older siblings are welcome to participate in the workshop.
To select the dates for a baptism and workshop, please visit Trinity’s Baptism Registration page or email Ashley Bond.
Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which the candidates “express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (BCP, p. 860). At Confirmation, a person claims ownership of the promises made by their parents, godparents, and the church at their baptism. That person is expected to live out their Baptismal Covenant with the spiritual gifts and resources God has given them.
Each year, confirmands gather in advance of the bishop’s visit to attend classes together and to prepare for this milestone in their faith journey. These classes discuss the significance of Scripture to Christian life and what it means to follow Jesus. During this formative time, we also explore the following topics: how to incorporate prayer and spiritual practices in our daily lives; the history and theology of the Sacraments; the history of “the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement” as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls it.
Youth Confirmation (High School)
If you are in high school (grades 9-12) and are ready to make a mature affirmation of your faith, please email Ashley Bond, Director of Formation.
The 2024 Confirmation Sunday date is Sunday, September 29. For more information, and in order to prepare, confirmation candidates should contact Ashley Bond.
If you are ready to take the next step to membership at Trinity Church, please fill out the form below. A member of our clergy will reach out to you to get started.
