Our Beliefs
Trinity is a Christian Church which means we trace our beliefs back to Jesus Christ, who, though innocent, was executed by crucifixion by the Romans around 33 A.D. We believe that in addition to being fully human, this Jesus was also fully God, and on the 3rd day following his death, we believe he rose from the dead. He did all of this to save the world.
Being Lutheran means that we continue to uphold the reforms begun by Martin Luther in the 1500s A.D. These reforms were intended to correct practices of the Church that contradicted the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Our name, Trinity, comes from our belief that the only true God, is Triune. Saying that God is Triune or a Trinity means that there is only one God who exists as three separate persons – the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. We cannot full explain how this is possible, but we believe it is true. Within this Trinity, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son.
We believe that God created the world, that everything that exists comes from him. As the Creator, he designed his creation to work according to his will and purpose, specifically for humans to have a relationship with him based on faith and trust. Humans have disrupted God’s creation by abandoning their faith and trust in God and living according to their own will and purpose. This is called sin, and it has ruined everything God made.
To fix what we have broken, God the Father, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise again. His suffering and death have paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, so that God can offer forgiveness in the name of Jesus. God promises this forgiveness to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Not only that, but everyone who believes will be raised from the dead (called the Resurrection), just as Jesus was, to live with God, without sin, forever.
This is not as easy as it sounds. Because of sin, we cannot believe in Jesus all by ourselves. This is where God the Holy Spirit comes in. He is the one who helps us believe, and we trust that he works through specific means. God’s Word is found in the Bible. Whenever it is preached and taught,t he Holy Spirit is at work creating and strengthening faith in God’s promises. Baptism is water poured over a person along with God’s name (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This practice was instituted by Jesus Christ and according to his promise, we believe that in baptism, God forgives our sins and creates faith in our heart. Jesus Christ also instituted the Lord’s Supper or Communion. Whenever bread and wine are consecrated by a pastor as part of Communion, we believe that we receive the body and blood of Jesus along with the bread and wine. Whoever receives the body and blood of Christ faithfully receives forgiveness, life, and salvation, again, according to the promises of Jesus. We believe that the Holy Spirit works through these means, which we refer to as Word & Sacraments.
So we gather on a weekly basis for worship, which we call the Divine Service because we believe that God is serving us. We hear his Word, we relive our baptisms by confessing our sins and being forgiven, and we take communion each week knowing that God is working through these to forgive our sins, strengthen our faith in Jesus, and lead us to the resurrection to eternal life.
Because God does such great things for us, we gladly offer him our thanks and praise, and we confidently pray to him, knowing that he loves us and promises to listen to us. We also know that in response to the great love from Christ, it is our duty to love others. Trinity exists to do this – to be faithful to God’s Word & Sacraments and faithful in sharing the love of Christ with the people of our community through our various ministries.
Our beliefs are summarized in the Creeds, which we confess at the Divine Service
Much of Luther’s teaching can be summarized in the Solas
Sola Scriptura – Scripture (the Bible) alone is God’s Word. It is therefore the ultimate authority for all we believe and do as Christians
Sola Gratia – we are saved by God’s Grace alone. God’s grace is the forgiveness of our sins, which he freely offers to us even though we don’t deserve it
Sola Fide – we receive God’s Grace through Faith alone. The only we to receive God’s grace (forgiveness) is through faith – that is, by trusting his promises
Solo Cristo – salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Only Jesus Christ was God’s Son and therefore only Jesus Christ was worthy to die and rise again to forgive sins. No other religion or faith has such grace and forgiveness because no other religion or faith has Christ. Only Christ can lead us to eternal life
Our History
The Civil War had just reached its bitter climax when the Trinity congregation had its beginning. In 1864 Pastor William Heinemann traveled to what was known at the time as Cummings Corner, to worship with a small group of Lutherans of German descent. They gathered in a small frame building at the corner of what is now Oak Glen Cemetery. By 1883 the building became too small for the growing congregation. The group divided and some memers moved to the east side of Lansing to form St. John's Lutheran Church. Trinity erected a new church in 1888 on the north side of Indiana Avene, a few hundred feet west of the present property. The church building was moved across Indiana Avenue in 1925. The church building served the congregation until it was torn down in 1968 to make way for the beautiful, modern church we worship in today. The Bell Tower was erected in 1997. Since its origin, Trinity Lutheran Church has baptized over 2700 adults and children, while more than 2800 people have been confirmed. Over 790 couples have been married at Trinity and more than 1000 saints have been buried. God has truly blessed his people!