College Ministry
Thanks for checking out the college ministry here at Trinity Baptist Church! It’s our hope that college is one of the most exciting times of your life as you study, learn, and grow. We’re here to help you make the most of it.
Trinity is a great place to find a home away from home as a student and to go deeper in your walk with God. Listed below, you'll find some of the ways our college ministry can facilitate just that. You'll also learn more about who we are and what we do as a church.
We hope you’ll visit, stick around, and get to know us. We hope you find a place here at Trinity, and we hope you tell your friends. We can’t wait to meet you!
WHY CHURCH?
Good question! At Trinity we’re convinced that it’s spiritually healthy, perhaps even vital, that students get connected and rooted in a local church body. Sometimes we’re not aware of what a tremendous blessing it is to be involved in the life and community of a local church, but God is constantly using His community of believers to encourage one another and reveal Himself in profound ways. Being part of a diverse body like a local church is a great way to expose ourselves to such a blessing. Furthermore, at Trinity we’re deeply committed to supporting you as a student as you live out your Christian life at college. We believe that learning from Biblical teaching, being involved in close discipleship relationships, and just regularly being among a group of God’s people are the best means of encouragement for our Christian walk together.
WHEN WE MEET: OUR WORSHIP
Every Sunday morning and
evening we come together to praise God, to pray together, and to hear
God’s Word through biblical teaching and preaching.
SUNDAY SCHOOL (9:00 AM)
- A more intimate setting to learn about God and the Bible. Three
classes are offered every nine weeks. Recent topics include: Church
History, Biblical Overview, Prayer, Hermeneutics, and Evangelism.
MORNING WORSHIP (10:00 AM)
- This is our largest gathering where you’ll find a mixture
of traditional hymns and contemporary songs along with dynamic
preaching and active fellowship.
EVENING WORSHIP (6:30 PM)
- Our evening service, like our morning one, is centered around
teaching the word of God, but it has a contemporary flair and a
different sermon series.
TRANSPORTATION
- Need a ride to church? No problem! We’ll make sure you can
get here on Sunday. We regularly arrange pick-ups and rides from the
various campuses in New Haven. Contact Nick Lauer (nicholas.lauer@trinity-baptist.org)
for a ride.
WHAT WE DO: OUR MINISTRIES
DISCIPLESHIP
- Develop an on-going personal relationship with one of our college
ministry staff members that will encourage and equip you in the life of
faith. Meeting times are flexible to work with your schedule.
HOST FAMILIES
- There’s no better way to find a little home away from home
than to sign up for a host family. You and a few of your college
friends will be paired with a family who is excited to welcome you into
their home for some rest, relaxation, and a home-cooked meal.
ONE-TO-ONE
- With guidance from the ministry staff, you’ll partner with
a college friend to develop a lasting and meaningful spiritual
relationship. Through prayer, conversation, and guided readings,
you’ll see a friendship transform into a journey toward
Christ-likeness.
LUNCH FORUMS
- Once a month after the Sunday morning service we share a meal and
delve into the relevant issues confronting faith and life. Here you can
freely share your thoughts, listen to your brothers and sisters, and
join the conversation.
SERVICE & MINISTRY
- Whatever your gifts and talents, there is a place for you to serve at
Trinity. Whether it’s our homeless outreach or
children’s church, our youth group or music ministry, our
hospitality teams or service crews, you can put your faith in action
and see God at work.
CAMPUS FELLOWSHIPS
- God is calling you over these four years to be salt and light on your
campus. Trinity supports the work of many campus fellowship groups that
provide a framework for doing just that. We can help connect you to one
that’s right for you.
WHO WE ARE: OUR IDENTITY
AUTHENTIC FAITH
- In an age of counterfeits, we try hard to ensure that what we believe
is solidly Biblical. This matters to us because we want to
authentically and reliably follow Christ and we think the means to do
this is to listen carefully to what God says in the Bible. Our "Doctrinal Statement"
summarizes the central beliefs of orthodox Christian faith down through
the ages. We stand on the shoulders of historical pioneers and teachers
and apply the Christian truth to the pitfalls and opportunities of our
own cultural context.
AUTHENTIC LIVING
- It’s possible to be creedally accurate but personally
shallow, even disingenuous, in the practice of our lives. Our "Core Commitments"
express our desire to live out the teachings of Jesus in the everyday
world of work, school, relationships, etc. In this process of personal
transformation our lives support, encourage, and intersect each other.
We don’t just 'believe' something, we believe in someone, and
this increasingly shapes us as a community into his image.
OUR CONTACT
NICK LAUER,
College Minister
nicholas.lauer@trinity-baptist.org
nicholas.lauer@aya.yale.edu
ANDREW GILSON
gilsonaj@gmail.com
JANE HENDRICKSON
jane.s.hendrickson@gmail.com
BETH LAUER
elisabethlauer@gmail.com