Here are answers to commonly asked questions about Trinity - from what to expect on a Sunday morning to how to get better connected.
1. When and where is the worship service?
Currently we are meeting Sunday mornings at 10am at Barnes Elementary, 7809 East 76th St N, Owasso, OK 74055.
2. Why don’t you meet in a church building?
We are a currently in the midst of construction for Phase 1 of Trinity's building on 15 acres. Drive by 7660 N. Memorial Dr and take a look and visit our RISE site to read the vision and see construction updates.
3. What is the worship service like?
The best way to answer that is to come see it for yourself. We don't easily fit into the "contemporary" or the "traditional" scene. Our worship service is intended to connect Christians and non-Christians to God by engaging their imaginations to see holiness of God and the beauty of God's love for sinners.
If you grew up in the church, Trinity may feel different, but after a couple of services, people say they like the way the service is arranged to promote the glory Christ not self. If you're new to church, we want our service to invite you to be honest about the brokenness you've experienced and the healing you long for. We hardly have the market cornered on how to worship God, but we want to experience a sense of transcendence (God is grand, beautiful, and worthy of our utmost respect, for He is holy) and imminence (God is close, personal, intimate, and draws near to His people, for He is love).
4. What is your music style like?
We are big on the congregation singing and measure the success of a song by how loud the congregations sings. Several highly talented musicians lead us with guitars, keys, a parish drum set, violin, bass, and occasionally a mandolin or trumpet. Our songs have an acoustic classical Americana feel. We want our songs to be theologically rich, yet singable.
5. Do you have a good children's ministry?
Yes, and we want to point children to Jesus with excellence. We have lots of kids for the size of our growing congregation and think your son or daughter will make friends here fast. Our 9am children’s education classes are for all ages. The vision for TrinityKids is led by Joann DesLauriers, a veteran school teacher, former OSU professor, and early-childhood-education consultant. TrinityKids operations is led by Mishelle Thomas, a gifted mom with a passion for childhood development. All TrinityKids volunteers are vetted through a nation-wide program called Ministry Safe which includes a background check, training, and a thorough interview by our staff. Nursery and children’s discipleship classes for all ages through fifth grade are available beginning at 9a.
6. Where do the children go?
You may check your children in at our TrinityKids registration kiosk (follow the signs or just ask a greeter!). New parents or guardians will see the TrinityKids registration sign and our greeters will be glad to show them the way. During the worship service, nursery care is available for infants through three years old. Children four and five years old will be invited back to the children’s area before the sermon, but you can keep them with you as long as you would like. We love seeing families sitting together in worship, singing together, repenting together, and growing in faith together. A TrinityKids hostesses who will show them the way to their classes where they will hear the gospel through an age appropriate lesson from God’s Word. They will return to the worship area at the end of the sermon.
7. Is there Sunday School?
Yes, we offer adult morning discipleship classes at 9am in the hallways of the school. These courses are taught by our pastors, elders, or trained teachers. They are open for anyone to join at any time.
8. How will I know where to go?
Greeters will welcome you at the entrance. If you have special needs, please let the greeters know; our services are handicapped accessible and a wheel chair is available if needed.
9. What do people wear?
We are relaxed in attire. You'll see a spectrum from jeans to business casual. In the summer, you'll see shorts and flip-flops. Some who work the night shift at the hospital may come in scrubs. Come as you are. You don’t need to clean yourself up - let Jesus do that.
10. What if I need to step out of the service?
You are welcome to step out when you need. Moms and dads, we don’t mind crying babies (signs of life and joy!) but if you would like to step out, we have a "Moms' Room" available in the TrinityKids area.
11. How can I get better connected?
The first step to getting connected in a meaningful way is to fill out a Trinity Connect Card during the service. You can also get connected by signing up our "This Week at Trinity" emails, or liking our Facebook page. If you would like to get connected, go ahead and introduce yourself here.
12. Where do people who go to Trinity live?
Great question! We have members who live Owasso, Tulsa, Collinsville, Bartlesville, Sperry, Muskogee, Broken Arrow, and other places throughout Tulsa Metro. An increasing number of people drive more than 25 minutes to worship at Trinity. A good way to get a sense of where people live is to see the locations of our community groups.
13. What if I’m single?
Singles are a crucial to Christ's church and a gift to the body of Christ! We have a number of singles who live in Owasso and Tulsa that find Trinity a breath of fresh air. We believe singles and married folks have a lot to learn from one another. We think you'll enjoy Trinity's community as you plug in and serve.
14. What does "Presbyterian" mean?
"Presbyterian" simply refers to the way the church is governed. In Greek, the word "presbeuteros" means elder or shepherd (Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1; 1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 15; Acts 16:4; Acts 20:17; James 5:14). Our pastor is held accountable by other pastors in the region who make up a presbytery. Many current elders and deacons didn't grow up Presbyterian but find freedom in being held accountable so the gospel remains central. Trinity is grateful for our polity and yet especially sensitive to those who come from other denominations or none at all. Don't let the funny name keep you from coming. On any given Sunday, we will have athiests, skeptics, Baptists, Methodists, non-denominational, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, cynics, and lots of people who have no clue what any of these terms mean.
15. How is Trinity governed?
We are lead by a group of elders (called a session or an elder board). Our current session is comprised of teaching elders (Pastor Blake) and ruling elders (men chosen by the Holy Spirit and elected by the congregation to shepherd and help pastor them) (1 Tim 3; Titus 1). These elders are part of a regional church court called a presbytery. Trinity is part of Hills and Plains Presbytery. Each year, all of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) ministers and Ruling Elders come together to make important decisions at the General Assembly of the PCA.
16. What is the PCA?
The PCA is a group of gospel-centered local churches who are faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission. You can read about one person's journey here. In our context today, there are two major Presbyterian denominations in the United States: the mainline PC(USA) and the more conservative PCA. Simply put the PCA is committed to the great commission, the authority of Scripture, marriage between one man and one woman, sex within marriage only, and a complementarian view of church leadership (men serve as elders and deacons). We don't think we have it all figured out, but we strive to keep the good news of Christ central in every aspect of life. If you want to read more about why the PCA began, you may enjoy reading its history here.
Have another question?
Anything is fair game. Fire away. Contact us at connections@trinityowasso.com. We look forward to seeing you soon.