A Story of Belonging
Trinity Reformed Church began as a group of families gathering together in the chapel of Hope College in 1911.
Trinity's first church home was on the corner of 20th Street and Central Avenue. A beautiful building with stained-glass windows that told the gospel story of Jesus. Many generations of children were shaped and formed by the stories told in those windows while the congregation sang around them. The walls of that building held many prayers and weddings and funerals and baptisms over the years.
As the family of Trinity Church grew and expanded in both numbers and in mission, the conversation turned toward where God was leading them next. With much discussion and discernment, Trinity Church packed up the stained-glass windows and their memories, and made their home on Apple Avenue in 1984.
In the decades since, Trinity Church has filled this new home with even more memories and with the same stained-glass windows for even more generations of children to learn the story of Jesus while their church family sings around them. All to the glory of God.
As Trinity Church marks 40 years on Apple Avenue this September, we look forward to seeing where God is leading us in this next chapter…
A Story of Reaching Out
For over 100 years, Trinity Church has followed the prompting of the Spirit to reach out and bless others both near and far.
From the very beginning, Trinity sought to support and encourage the work of missionaries and ministers around the world. At one point in our history, TRC cared for and financially supported over 40 missionaries serving around the world!
One of the most striking works of art you'll find at TRC is a beautiful large-scale wood carving of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This work of art was hand carved and gifted to TRC as a thank you from one of our missionaries serving in Japan.
Closer to home, Trinity supported new church plants and ministries here in Holland. Knowing how important a place to belong is to a new church family, TRC helped many congregations in our area get started with necessary funds and people as they got their start. At one point, Trinity was the largest congregation in the Holland area and out of that abundance, Trinity sought to encourage and support the ministries and sister-churches around them.
Trinity continues to help support new church plants and local ministries with the resources God has blessed us with. As our own congregation waxed and waned, we found that we had more room than we needed in our beautiful church home on Apple Avenue. Rather than letting rooms sit unused, TRC has welcomed another church family into our building. Since 2020, The Bread House, a Pentecostal congregation, has made their home with us.
So, now, a century-old Reformed congregation has become ecclesiastical housemates with a young Pentecostal church plant with all the joys and challenges that come from living together in the same house. What a delightful way to enjoy and embody the beauty and difference found in the Body of Christ!