If you were fortunate enough to enjoy the Trinity International Church BBQ after the Sunday Service this past week you saw something beautiful. Our Church is happy, healthy and vibrant. It’s quite a significant change from when I first arrived in January 2025. Understandably, there was a heavy sadness within Trinity Church during the early days of last year. Leaders failed to lead well. The congregation was exposed to constant unrest, secrecy, intimidation. Distrust was commonplace. Many people had dear friends leave the church. Trinity had a culture of suspicion, fear, control and division. When I first experienced this deep sadness it became clear that what our Church needed was a culture shift. Culture is defined as: “the shared way of life of a group of people. It includes their beliefs, values, customs, traditions, language, art, laws, social behaviors, and ways of thinking that are learned and passed from one person to another.” Culture shift is not easy, but it is possible.
The first thing we changed was the way the leaders lead. We committed to “transparency and communication” as a rule. Secrecy had become a weapon. Transparency was the balm. Communication was the key. We chose to became open and honest. We used Sunday announcements, the Newsletter, the web site, social media, Business Meetings and Town Hall Meetings to communicate clearly and often. We defined who we were and created a safe place where diversity was celebrated not censured. We began to look forward instead of backward, to live our vision instead of wallow in our past. New leaders were identified and commissioned. Grace became common. Fear began to recede. Within weeks peace and joy began to flow back into our culture.
On Sunday we had yet another powerful reminder that our culture has shifted. At the BBQ there was a spirit of joy and peace. The favor of God was upon us. People were happy and at joy was in the air. Kids were running, laughter was echoing, the food tasted better, the sun shined brighter and we witnessed the power of culture in a good way. As your Pastor I would like to say, “thank you,” to each of you. We took this journey together and we have each had a part to play. Today, we are the church we dreamed we could be. Transparency and Communication are normal. We have a safe, welcoming, culture. We keep it real and we keep it biblical but always blanketed in grace. Leaders lead by serving, with humility. Below you will find the results of our last Town Hall Gathering complete with notes on all of the discussion points. I look forward to our next Town Hall Meeting in September when our Pastor Emeritus, John Johnson, will be present and we will host table talks with the Elders. There is much more to be done at Trinity. We are a Church On Mission, Together. The best is yet to come!
“Trinity International Church is a safe, welcoming, community of Christ-followers who uphold a high view of Scripture, celebrate unity in diversity and participate fully in the abiding Christian life as described in the Bible. We are united by the principle that in the essentials there should be unity, in all else there should be charity.”
Pastor Dan
