Frequently Asked Questions
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What time are your services?
Holy Communion or Eucharist (which you may hear called Mass) happens at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings. There is also a Communion service on Mondays at 10 am in apartment 1039 at Evergreen Retirement Community that is open to all. Saturday nights at 5:30 pm there is an Evening Prayer service in the church building. Every Monday through Saturday you can join us at 7 am on Facebook for Morning Prayer. Where do I park?
There are parking lots located to the west of both the church building and the Parish Hall. The parking lot behind the Parish Hall ("lower lot") is accessible via High Street and the lot behind the church building ("upper lot") is accessible via Algoma Blvd. Both lots can be used for events in either building, but the Algoma Blvd parking lot gives easiest access to our handicap accessible door and the elevator. Know that both High and Algoma are one-way streets, with High going toward downtown and Algoma going toward the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. There is also street parking available on High Street, Division Street, and Algoma Blvd. I'm _. Am I welcome in your church?
Yes. We know that there are plenty of churches that turn people away. There are plenty of preachers that are sure they know who's going to hell, and there are plenty of congregations that make it clear who's in and who's out. We try not to be like that. So if you're divorced, gay, unmarried and living with a partner, in recovery, dealing with addiction, struggling with your self-confidence, facing health issues, uncertain about this whole "God" thing, angry at the church, hurt, sad, poor, young, old, or anything, you're welcome here. Lord knows we aren't perfect. If anything, we're a little shy at first, because we know it takes time to feel out a place and see if this community is for you. But ultimately we want to know Jesus, and we want you to know Jesus too. We believe that Jesus loves each of us as we are, and we believe Jesus wants each of us to become more than we are now. It's a pilgrim journey, and we'd love to have you walk with us. Can I fully participate in your worship services and other church activities?
Absolutely. Anyone, non-Episcopal Christians and non-Christians can come and participate in everything the church offers. This applies to worship and non-worship activities. During worship you can participate in every part of the service including communion, although the way that you participate changes a little bit depending on whether you’re baptized or not. Everyone who is baptized in any Christian church in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can come up and receive the bread and the wine. This is true whether you were baptized as a baby in a Roman Catholic Church or as a teenager in a nondenominal church. If you haven’t been baptized, you are still able to come up and receive a blessing from the priest. At the same time, there is no requirement to receive communion or a blessing and if you’re more comfortable simply coming and observing that’s fine too! If you’re not baptized but want to explore what baptism would mean and how to get baptized, Fr. Chris is ready and willing to talk to you any time about it. Will you ask me for money?
We do take a collection as part of the Sunday services. As a guest or first-time visitor, you aren't expected to contribute. This is a spiritual virtue: we give thanks for God's blessings to us, and we freely return a portion of the gifts we have received to aid the work of the the church. Members of the church typically make an annual pledge to support the parish financially (and in other ways). If you become a member, you'll be invited to make a pledge too. You'll not be required to, but those who do often say that they feel a greater depth in their spiritual lives for having made the commitment. We always welcome donations and contributions, of course! 
What accommodations can Trinity make for disabilities?
Mobility concerns: The Church Building is accessible to those in wheelchairs and motorized scooters. An elevator that services both main floors of the Church Building is located at the West Door of the church. Hard of hearing: The Nave (the main worship space) is equipped with a Hearing Aid Loop. Set your hearing aid to T-Coil for services. Gluten intolerances: We offer gluten-free rice wafers and a separate cup of wine for Communion. When you come to the Altar rail, either tell the Eucharistic minister that you require gluten-free, or hold out your hands palms down. |
What is a Sunday morning worship service at Trinity like?
Worship as a community is the centerpiece of Christian life. It’s also probably the strangest thing we do for people with no experience with Christianity. Sunday’s purpose is first and foremost to praise God. It is also a time to learn more about God, read the Bible, and have communion. Through learning about God and by taking communion, we believe that God heals us, brings us closer together, and gives us energy to love and serve the world. If you’ve ever been to a Roman Catholic or Lutheran service, that’s about what you can expect from a Sunday at Trinity. If you’ve been to Methodist or Presbyterian services it’ll still be pretty familiar. You’ll sit in a pew (a long church bench), read from a service book, hear a sermon ( a speech from the priest), and come forward to have a small bread wafer and some wine (communion). People will stand, sit, and kneel at different times. The priest and other people leading the service will be wearing special robes to identify them as having special roles. Worship will probably feel more formal than most other parts of our everyday lives, and, if you’ve never been to something like this it may feel a little wierd or even uncomfortable at first. This kind of worship is like an acquired taste, but like with most acquired tastes people who get past the initial discomfort find the experience really, really rewarding. And if you want to check out what one of our services is like, you can watch them pre-recorded or live streamed. Do I have to wear special clothes?
Trinity does not have a dress code. People can and do come to Trinity in a range of different kinds of clothes, and it is not at all abnormal to see people wearing t-shirts and shorts to church. With that said, historically there has been a tradition of putting on one’s “Sunday best,” of wearing one’s finest clothes, for Sunday worship as a way of showing respect to God. While you really can come in whatever makes you comfortable, if you’re worried about being underdressed and are looking for a rule of thumb then we’d suggest wearing what you’d put on for dinner at a nice restaurant. Do you offer Sunday school?
Yes! Immediately after the service each Sunday, children of all ages gather in the undercroft (lower level of the church building) for children's formation (Sunday school). After communion (which all baptized children can receive), all children are invited to get a snack from the coffee hour table and go with the childcare attendant to this formation time. Formation lasts approximately thirty minutes and focuses on the stories of the Bible and the responses and prayers children need to participate fully in worship, often accompanied by a craft. What about nursery?
We encourage children to come to our liturgies along with adults. Our congregation understands and expects a certain amount of kid noise. It's a sign of a living congregation! We offer childcare during the service for all children four years old and younger. Our childcare attendant stays with children in our “prayground,” a designated area with books and toys where children can be children and still participate in worship. Children over the age of four are welcome in the prayground as well, but will need to be supervised by a parent during the service. 
If your little one is having a melt-down that is making it too difficult for you to stay in the service, head to the lower level of the church (ushers can direct you to the elevator or the stairs). Downstairs you will find:
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