ALL are welcome to Trinity!

At Trinity we believe God calls us to the sacred work of welcoming any and all we come through our doors. We know that whenever people visit a place for the first time it can feel overwhelming. If you are a first time visitor or someone seeking a church, please let one of the ushers know and we will be happy to introduce you to Trinity. To learn more about Trinity and our ministries, please email Father Kevin or call 630-665-1101

Location:

Trinity Episcopal is located at 130 N. West Street in Wheaton, Illinois.  Our church consists of two worship spaces. The main church is the larger church and is used primarily for worship on Sundays at 10:00 am. The Chapel is the original church and is used for the smaller worship services. The worship spaces are connected. Service schedules typically announce the location of each service. Get Map and Directions to Trinity

Parking:

Trinity offers parking in the rear of the Church. The main entrance to the lot is on West Street. Access is also provided via the alleyway on Gary The alley is located between the main church and the high rise condo building next to the church property. There is also an entrance off W. Wesley Street. Handicapped ramps are located in the rear lot. Handicapped parking spaces are also available near the ramp on the north end of the lot.

Restrooms

One handicap/family restroom is located in the hallway between the church and parish hall. Additional restrooms are available in the lower level of building, under the parish hall. A small elevator is available to travel between floors.

Services:

Each weekend, Trinity typically offers three services of worship with Communion/Eucharist/Breaking the Bread. A Saturday service is held at 5:00 pm in the Chapel. An 8:00 am service on Sunday is held in the Chapel. A 10:00 am service, including Sunday School is held each Sunday at 10:00 am in the main church. A 9:30 am service is also held each Wednesday in the Chapel.

Children at Trinity

Children of all ages are welcome at Trinity. At the front of the sanctuary you will find a "soft-space" designed to help children be comfortable in worship. You will know it when you see it! Activity bags for children containing books and drawing materials may be found outside each entrance to the church.

Sunday School:

Trinity provides age appropriate opportunities for our children and youth to learn about what it means to be people of faith. From September through May our team of teachers uses the Living the Good News curriculum. We also have a number of opportunities for children to be actively involved in the life of the parish.

What to Do During the Service:

Our Chapel and our main church have pews. Please feel free to sit anywhere. Ushers are available at the front and rear of the Church (Ushers wear a white usher pin). Please feel free to use either entrance prior to the service. Once service has started, please enter from the rear of the church. Ushers will hand you a leaflet (the bulletin) that contains special announcements about the service, written copies of the lessons and Gospel, as well as the Psalm. Other announcements regarding church events and social activities will be included in the leaflet.

Each pew contains a copy of the Book of Common Prayer (red hard cover book), the 1982 Hymnal (dark blue hard cover book) and the Hymnal Supplement (green paperback). Please refer to your leaflet to follow along in the service. The leaflet will contain the page numbers for the Book of Common Prayer, the sequence of worship events, the Hymns, and any special worship instructions. The back of each pew contains a Welcome card. Please complete a card and hand it to an Usher or put it into the collection plate when it is passed.

A few minutes before the service the organ or other instruments will play Prelude music to allow people to gather and prepare for the service. Most services start with a hymn that everyone sings while standing. There is usually a procession of the Minister, Deacon, Acolytes, and Choir. Usually the procession is led by the cross and you may see people bowing to the cross as it passes by as a gesture of respect. Once the hymn is over the Minister and the congregation say the Opening Acclamation which is a formal way of greeting one another. The Minister will say a prayer called a collect which is meant to collect us and our thoughts.

We all sit down to hear readings. Most of the time there is a reading from the Old Testament, a psalm a reading from the New Testament and a reading from the Gospels.

Because the Gospel, the stories of Jesus’ life and death, are central to our faith, that reading gets “special treatment.” Normally a hymn welcoming the Gospel is sung and the Gospel book is brought into the middle of the congregation and read by either a deacon or a priest. Everyone stands for this reading and turns and faces the Gospel Book.

Following the Gospel a sermon is preached. The sermon is meant to take what we have heard in the readings and engage those learnings with our current lives. Because we are actively responding we stand up at this point. We say the Nicene Creed, an ancient statement of faith used by most Christian churches which binds us together with Christians of all generations. We pray the Prayers of the People. The Minister then bids “The Peace.” We do that by saying “Peace be with you” to one another. People may shake hands or embrace each other.

The Peace is followed by announcements. This is not a formal part of the ritual but is a chance to let people know what is going on in the community and how to get involved.

Communion

The first part of our worship focuses on hearing the story of God and God’s people. The second part of our worship focuses our attention on Communion/Eucharist. The community gathers together in prayer and song to ask God’s blessing on this shared meal that connects us to Jesus and generations of Christians. To receive communion people generally come forward and stand or kneel at the altar to receive communion. Ushers will guide each pew of worshipers for communion. All are welcome at Christ’s Table. No exceptions. Gluten-free wafers are available upon request. If you have questions about Communion/Eucharist, please feel to email Fr. Kevin or call 630-665-1101.

If you cannot walk to the communion rail, please notify the Usher and they will ask the Minister to bring communion to you.

After Communion

After everyone had received communion we all stand and say a prayer which your service leaflet will either have printed or tell you where to find it. The priest then asks God to bless us. Another song is usually sung by everyone at this point during which the liturgical ministers may process out. At the very end we are dismissed by a deacon or priest, sent out into the world.

Often there is an instrumental postlude played. It is fine to stand up and leave your seat at this point or you may want to remain and listen to the music. Once the service is concluded people can spend some time talking with each other or gather in Millet Hall for coffee and refreshments. People leaving customarily greet the Minister at the door and you might want to introduce yourself as a newcomer.

(Source: Based on "What to Expect When You Visit" written by the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia.)