"...upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not overcome it"
Established in 1876, La Trinidad United Methodist Church today is 132 years old and has more than 600 members. Started as a mission to respond to the needs of the growing community around Produce Row near the downtown Market Square, the church later moved to the property it now occupies. The original buildings have been renovated and expanded over the years to meet the growing needs of its members and the community around the church. Because church members live in every part of the city, in 1968 the congregation entertained the idea of moving the church to a different location within the city. However, the congregation decided that the church's mission could better be served from the downtown location. In 1986, a gymnasium was constructed to minister to youth within the congregation and community, and to serve as a meeting place for larger functions. Today, La Trinidad continues to grow in membership, expand its ministries and reach out to the surrounding community.
La Trinidad is a church that is still very much alive and active in many areas of ministry. Our church is blessed with an Adult Choir that performs at some Sunday morning services and at special musicals throughout the year. Our church is also blessed to have a praise band that performs for us during Sunday morning services and special services. LT Praise (our praise band) is a well known group in our church conference and is often invited to go and lead worship at many conference functions. We are also proud to proclaim that we have a strong Fine Arts Ministry that allows our congregation to express their love for the Lord with their talents. Two drama productions are presented each year including our Easter Season and lastly our Annual Three Nights of Christmas. The Fine Arts Ministry also allows our members to showcase their talents for the Lord through our Liturgical Dance Program. Our church is also organized and equipped to meet the needs of all our saints through varied ministries and divisions. The groups are: United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Young Adults, United Methodist Youth Fellowship and a Children's Division. These groups meet and work in their specific interest areas, have fellowship and contribute to the life of the church.
Our Beliefs
We have inherited our central beliefs from Christians who have
gone before us and we respect diversity in theology. As long as our
different beliefs are rooted in the essentials of the Christian faith
and are consistent with the Scriptures, then these differences will
enhance our understanding of God and challenge us to grow in Christ.
Much of the distinctiveness of the Methodist movement begun by John
Wesley in 18th century England grows out of Wesley's insight into GRACE.
Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace
we mean the powerful, undeserved, loving activity of God in human
existence. We understand that grace is expressed in our lives in three
basic ways: bringing us to faith (preceding grace) and transforming us
(justifying grace), then nurturing us and drawing us toward perfect love
(sanctifying grace).
First, we believe divine love surrounds all humanity at all times. This
grace prompts our first wish to please God, our first glimmer of
understanding concerning God's will, and our first inkling of having
sinned against God. Long before we reach out to God, God is seeking us
with love.
Second, we believe God reaches out to the repentant believer with
accepting and pardoning love. A decisive change in the human heart
occurs under the prompting of grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit
to bring us into a right relationship with God. This change is often
called "conversion" or "new birth," and the new relationship with God is
called "salvation." Such a change may be sudden and dramatic, or gradual
and cumulative. It marks a new beginning, yet is part of an ongoing
process.
Third, we believe faith in Christ is bound to be expressed in outward
works of love; that personal salvation leads us into a mission of
evangelical witness, caring service, and social action for human
liberation, reconciliation, justice and peace. The underlying energy of
the Wesleyan theological heritage stems from an emphasis upon practical
Christianity: the realization of authentic discipleship in the daily
lives of believers. When faced with a decision, we are to ask ourselves:
What would Jesus do? And then, as God gives us guidance, we are to do
it!
John 17:20-26
"I am praying not only for these disciples
but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony.
My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I
are one, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they
will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me."I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are-- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began!
"O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them."