The question of whether women may occupy offices in the Church like that of the Deacon, though addressed repeatedly throughout Church history, has become a perennial question in our modern era. This post hopes to provide clarity into a confusing topic.
One issue that divides the American church is the use of wine in the Lord’s Supper. Here, we will survey biblical teaching on wine and the Lord’s Supper, along with what the church has practiced and taught historically.
To the Christian, marriage is a God-ordained, God-controlled, God-directed way of life created for the glory of God and the good of mankind. The following are the principles that govern a good and proper Christian marriage.
Excommunication can be a confusing concept for Christians, both in its nature as discipline by the Church and because of its natural ramifications for personal relationships. This report gives a brief summary of Christian doctrine surrounding excommunication, its reasons, its aims, and its ends.
Since the means of grace feature so largely into our understanding of what the church is, it is crucial that we have a clear grasp of what the worship service is so that we are properly fed with Christ and so that God is properly honored.
In our circles you will often hear people talk of God’s “Dominion” or “Cultural” Mandate for Christians. This refers to the original commission God gave to Adam in the Garden. However, there is disagreement over how that applies to Christians today. How are we to understand this “mandate” that God has given?
Assignments: Fellowship & Outreach
Loïc joined Trinity in 2022 and was elected to the diaconate in 2025.
He holds firmly to the truth of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and John 5:39, that all Scripture is God-breathed, pointing to Christ Himself and equipping God’s people for every good work.
Assignments: Logistics & Transportation
Jacob McKinley has been a member of Trinity since 2013 and has served as a deacon since 2025. Professionally, he has experience in agriculture, carpentry, grounds care, mental health work, teaching, and managing, all of which he brings to his role with diligence and care. He is married to his loving wife Kadi: they have four children.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is Ephesians 2:10, which affirms the sovereignty of God and the believer’s call to serve with faithfulness and order.
Assignments: Administration & Budget, Mercy & Congregational Care
Ryan Leif has been a member of Trinity since 2023 and has served as a deacon since 2025. Professionally, he has experience in finance, which he brings to his role with diligence and care.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is Galatians 5:13: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another," which affirms the sovereignty of God and the believer’s call to serve with faithfulness and order.
Join a small group of Trinity's women on Tuesday mornings for a time of fellowship and prayer. We meet online every week at 5:30 AM during the school year and 6:00 AM during the summer. For details, contact Lauren Everhart.
Being a mother is a difficult, all-encompassing calling. We have many families at Trinity, particularly families with young children. As such, we started Moms Coffee + Conversation (MC2) as a forum where moms can be in fellowship and discuss (or not discuss) the challenges that they face and receive spiritual counsel and encouragement.
MC2 happens every other month, hosted by a Trinity family generous enough to open up their home to the mothers of the church. Some snacks and drinks are provided, though we often ask attendees to bring refreshments to add to the spread. The goal is create an atmosphere where our mothers can enjoy rich fellowship, ask hard questions, and receive loving support from their sisters in Christ.
We occasionally have a program -- a guest speaker or one of our members speaking to a specific topic (educational choices, parenting techniques, and more). These topics can be helpful and stimulate conversation, but we encourage mothers to come with fellowship and rest in mind.
While location and timing varies, these events usually occur from 7-9 PM. For news of the next MC2, check our events or calendar page.
Join us September 19-21* for a weekend of study, song and fellowship! *Option to arrive on Thursday, September 18, for added time of rest and fellowship.
This year, Allison Clapp will be leading us through Richard Sibbes's "The Bruised Reed." In it, Sibbes expounds on Isaiah's prophecy about Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, showing how he provides tender care for those who are weak and struggling. We'll be dipping our toes into the Puritans with this short and beautiful book. It's available in a modern English version to make it more accessible.
Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice."
Cost:
$200/person for 2 nights in a double room
$280/person for 2 nights in a single room
$315/person for 3 nights in a double room
$425/person for 3 nights in a single room
Meals Included:
Thursday: Lunch and Dinner (for 3 Night Option)
Friday: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Sunday: Hot Breakfast at 8 a.m.
Location: Shrine Mont Conference & Retreat Center (Shenandoah County, Va.)
Invitees: All Trinity women age 16 and older; friends of TPC welcome as space allows. Infants under six months old are welcome but note that no formal childcare will be provided. If you need help finding coverage for infants older than six months, please let us know.
Registration: Registration for Trinity women will open on June 1; registration for friends of Trinity will open on July 1. Registration for everyone closes on July 15.
Schedule: Check-in begins at 4 pm on either Thursday or Friday, but feel free to come early to enjoy lunch at 12:30 p.m. Program will begin Friday evening and conclude on Saturday evening. There will be no formal retreat activities on Thursday or Sunday.
Contact Lauren Everhart with any questions or request for scholarship funds.
Women's Fellowship Nights are informal times of fellowship that occur every other month, hosted in homes by women of the church. Some snacks and drinks are provided, though we often ask attendees to bring refreshments to add to the spread. The goal is to create an atmosphere where women can have true community among Christian sisters, knowing their days can be spiritually and physically challenging, as well as emotionally draining.
These evening events are child-free.
We recognize that our men are called to serve God, the church, and their family. As leaders in their household and in the church, men frequently shoulder burdens on behalf of others. As a result, our men need rest, while others need encouragement. Some may need advice, or simply an opportunity to engage with other men familiar with their circumstances. At Men's Fellowship Night, we aim to provide all of these things.
Men's Fellowship Night happens on a monthly basis, hosted by a Trinity family generous enough to open up their home to the men of the church. Some snacks and drinks are provided, though we encourage men to contribute beverages (alcoholic beverages are generally welcome) to share. When the weather permits, there may be a bonfire as well as cigars. The goal is create an atmosphere where men can have true community among Christian brothers.
We occasionally have a program -- a guest speaker or one of our members teaching a lesson. These are usually only a portion of the evening, as we want to stress building friendship and brotherhood at these events more than any particular doctrine.
While location and timing varies, these events usually begin around 8 pm and continue late to the evening. Men should come prepared to be outdoors, particularly if the weather is reasonably good. For news of the next Men's Fellowship Night, check our events or calendar page.
The sheets below give information on 4s-1st and 2nd-5th Sunday School classes, along with the memory verses and catechism questions/answers for the month. The current month is bolded, but we maintain an archive of past sheets for reference as well. The Sunday School teachers also distribute these sheets to students each month.
To encourage our children to hide God’s Word in their hearts and learn the tenets of our Reformed faith, we maintain a Memory Prize System that rewards children who can recite verses and catechism answers at church on a weekly basis.
Any child up through 5th grade can participate in the prize box system. Participation is not mandatory, but all children through 5th grade are welcome.
Points each month can be earned by:
Each verse, catechism, and sermon page for the month will be worth 1 point (9 or 10 points possible per month). Students will receive a sticker each Sunday that they recite their verse/catechism or turn in their sermon sheet.
Alexis Zintak and Esther Doolan will be taking turns with this responsibility. Every month we will send out an email with the catechisms and memory verses and also note who will be handling prizes that month.
Students can receive stickers for reciting verses/catechisms and turning in sermon sheets to Alexis or Esther:
On the last Sunday of the month only, students will be able to turn in their points for prizes. Students are also welcome to save their points to earn a larger prize the next month.
TPC provides Young Worshipper in Training (YWIT) twice a month during a portion of the worship service. While many churches offer a full service for children each week, we want children worshipping with their families routinely. Families are not required to use YWIT, and we do not view children as a nuisance in the service. On the contrary, we value children (even infants) participating simply by being exposed to corporate worship with their families.
YWIT is currently offered on the first and third Sundays of each month. YWIT is intended for children at least 3 years old but not yet 6. After the children's message, parents should quietly escort their children to the 4s–1st grade Sunday School classroom. YWIT volunteers will return children to the sanctuary after the sermon. Parents should tell children to find their seats quietly.
The primary purpose of YWIT is to train children to worship well and understand our liturgical practices. While children benefit from worshiping alongside their parents, YWIT provides an opportunity to engage children with tailored material that increases their understanding of our spiritual practices. The YWIT liturgy mirrors the adult service, including children’s hymns, Scripture memorization, a catechism, and a Bible lesson. YWIT volunteers lead children through this material, teaching them what these activities signify and why we do them.
YWIT also provides an opportunity to engage our children in a manner that increases multi-generational interaction. Members who teach YWIT are helping raise the next generation of Christians in accordance with their membership vows, and for some, this is an excellent introduction to spiritual instruction or a model for family worship with children.
Assignments: Mercy & Congregation Care, Administration & Budget
Brad Tatum has been a member of Trinity since its inception in 2014 and has served as a deacon since 2022. Professionally, he has extensive experience as a music educator and performer, which he brings to his role with diligence and care. He and his wife Julie have three children.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is Mark 10:45, which affirms our calling to serve others selflessly just as Christ gave his life for us.
Assignments: Communion, Administration & Budget
Head of Diaconate
Logan has been a member of Trinity since 2014 and has served as a deacon since 2015. Professionally, he has experience in construction and engineering, which he brings to his role with diligence and care. He and his wife Kait have four children.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is 1 Peter 4:10-11, which affirms the believer’s call to serve one another to glorify God through Jesus Christ.
Assignments: Mercy & Congregational Care (Chair), Logistics & Transportation
David was a founding member of Trinity and was elected to the diaconate in 2015.
Assignments: Technology & Communication, Fellowship & Outreach
Ben has been a member of Trinity since 2015 and was elected to the diaconate in 2016.
Joshua has been a member of Trinity since 2017 and has served as a deacon since 2022. Professionally, he has experience in teaching students in Special Education which he brings to his role with diligence and care. He and his wife, Bridget, have two children.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is Philippians 2: 1-11, which points towards the servant nature of Christ and calls us to serve others in view of His perfect example.
Assignments: Mercy & Congregational Care, Administration & Budget
Matthew has been a member of Trinity since 2015 and has served as a deacon since 2022. Professionally, he has experience in Data Science and numbers, which he brings to his role with diligence and care. He and his wife Amanda have one child.
A verse that informs his understanding of service is John 21:15-19, which affirms to love Christ is to love his Church.
Assignments: Technology & Communication, Communion
Wes was a founding member of Trinity and was elected to the diaconate in 2017.
Kendrick was a founding member of Trinity and was elected to the diaconate in 2019.
Ministry Areas: Administration, Community Groups, Women's Ministry
Born into a Christian home, Ben came to Christ at a young age in the Chicago suburbs. God's irresistible grace preserved him through his time at the US Naval Academy, at graduate school in the UK, and in the Navy. In 2015, he settled down in the Annapolis area and promptly began attending Trinity. In 2017, he met and married his wife, Alexis, whose work took them abroad to Trinidad from 2019-2020. They now have three children and a Trinidadian cat.
Ben was elected to the session in 2022. He currently serves as the admin elder and oversees the church's community groups and Women's Ministry. Ben enjoys church history, teaching youth and adult classes, and debating the relative merits of each week's hymns with his fellow saints. A passage that speaks to his calling is Philippians 3:13-14: "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Ministry Areas: Currently on sabbatical
At around age 10, Andy confessed Christ and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church in the Deep South, later joining a Presbyterian church. He and his wife Cindy have been members of Trinity since 2018.
Andy was elected to the Session in 2019. Before his recent sabbatical, he served as one of the worship elders, oversaw the women’s ministry, and coordinated adult Sunday school and new members’ classes. Most anyone will tell you that Andy enjoys reading and watching classic films, and always has a book or movie recommendation. He also enjoys writing and working on challenging jigsaw puzzles.
One of Andy’s favorite scripture passages is Psalm 121, a reminder that God is always in control.
Ministry Areas: Adult Education, Missions
Jim has been a member and elder of Trinity since 2014 (when Trinity was founded), having previously been an elder at Annapolis EP (our planting church).
Having served in the U.S. Navy for almost thirty years, Jim and his wife Leslie have been members of 4 different PCA churches over more than four decades and served in various ministry leadership positions in each. They have five sons, five daughters-in-law, and sixteen grandchildren (six of whom live locally). Outside of his role at church, Jim enjoys water-related activities and pretending to be a boat mechanic.
One of his favorite verses is Romans 5:8 -- “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” as it points us to the freedom that we have in Christ: that He is the author and finisher of our faith.
Ministry Areas: Worship, Outreach
Joe became a member of Trinity in 2016 and was elected to the session in 2017. In addition to serving on the session, he plays guitar for the worship team.
Ministry Areas: Children's Education
Clerk of Session
Chris was a founding member of Trinity and was elected to the session in 2021. In addition to serving on the session, he leads our Building Committee. Chris is grateful to be serving the Lord in this calling. He met his wife, Missy, while at Grove City College, and they have four daughters.
Ministry Areas: Youth Ministry, Men's Ministry
Originally from North Carolina, Terry has lived in Maryland since 2011 with his wife and four children. He was a founding member of Trinity and was elected to the session in 2023. As an elder, he provides oversight for both men's ministry and youth ministry. In his free time, he enjoys golf and following UNC basketball.
Julie serves as the Church Music Coordinator, leading and organizing the music ministry to enhance worship and glorify God through song. With a deep love for sacred music and a commitment to spiritual excellence, she organizes and practices with volunteers weekly to create meaningful worship experiences. She thoughtfully blends traditional hymns with modern worship songs, creating a dynamic musical experience that honors the church’s heritage while adding new music. Additionally, Julie organizes and supports our music volunteers to ensure smooth and impactful worship services. She also arranges our Tenebrae and Christmas services, which feature many musical numbers and scripture readings.
Originally from North Carolina, Julie has been part of the Trinity community for eleven years and brings a lifetime of musical experience to her ministry. She holds a degree in Music Education from Shenandoah University and has a background in Instrumental and Choral programs, harp performance, and primary education. In her free time, Julie enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three children.
Missy serves as the Church Administrator, overseeing the daily operations and administrative functions that support the mission and ministries of Trinity. With strong organizational skills and a heart for service, she coordinates between elders, deacons, and congregants to ensure the smooth functioning of church activities and events. Missy is a founding member of Trinity and has served as administrator since 2016. She holds a degree in Molecular Biology and Physician Assistant studies and enjoys gardening in her free time.
Esther serves as Trinity's Specialty Care Coordinator, providing compassionate support and care to individuals in need within the church community. With a heart for service, she coordinates programs and resources for those facing physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges, ensuring that everyone feels valued and supported in participating in church life. Esther works closely with church staff, volunteers, and local organizations to meet the unique needs of individuals - offering buddies for students with disabilities, modified church materials, and volunteer training. In addition, as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator, she puts together the children’s curriculum and shares ministry and prize system oversight with the Children's Ministry Administrator. She has been a part of the Trinity community for seven years and brings ten years of experience in care coordination and working with children. In her free time, Esther enjoys reading, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her husband Kendrick.
Lauren serves as TPC's Women’s Ministry Coordinator, a ministry she helped launch with Trinity that provides Trinity's women with regular opportunities to connect through study and fellowship. She has a passion for connecting women via God's Word and has led Bible studies in churches for over twenty years. She established Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS -- now MomCo), at TPC and then transitioned it to Moms Coffee and Conversation (MC2), a smaller, TPC-based ministry. Outside of TPC, Lauren works in nonprofit communications, serving on the Partner Engagement team at International Justice Mission (IJM), a global nonprofit protecting people in poverty from violence. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the UNC Chapel Hill, where she studied news editorial and vocal performance. Lauren also recently completed a content writing certificate from Cornell. Hailing from Prince George's County, she is a mom of four, an aspirational jogger, and a lover of crosswords and cold brew.
Rae serves as Trinity's Social Media Manager, overseeing the church’s digital presence and communications across various platforms. With creativity and purpose, she develops content that reflects the church’s mission, engages the congregation, and reaches the wider community with the message of hope and faith we find in the gospel. She manages posts, updates, and online interactions to ensure consistent, welcoming, and informative communication. Rae has been part of the Trinity community since January 2022 and brings over a decade of experience in digital media and marketing. Although originally from New York, she met her husband Benjamin in Florida. Together they have three children: David-James, Griffin, and Josie-Grace. Rae holds a BA in History from USF, and as a result, you can always find her getting lost in a good book or story.
Alexis serves as our Children's and Youth Ministry Administrator, bringing dedication, warmth, and a deep commitment to nurturing the spiritual growth of TPC's children. With a focus on creating safe, welcoming, and faith-filled environments, she oversees volunteers, organizes events and activities, and is the point of contact for Children's and Youth Ministry. Originally from the Great State of Texas, Alexis has been a valued member of the Trinity community for 8 years (with a brief stint overseas). She holds a degree in Public Policy from Vanderbilt University and has served on the TPC staff for 3 years. In her free time, Alexis enjoys reading fiction, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her husband and 4 young children.
Social Media Manager