Trinity Lutheran Church is a part of the 5.2 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA

• We are 150 baptized members of the Church of Christ responding in faith to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel.
• We desire to unite together to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and carry out God's mission.
• We confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
• We accept the Bible as God’s Word. It is inspired by God's Spirit. It records and announces God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. It is the source and norm of our proclamation, faith, and life.
• We baptize infants and adults.
• We welcome women and men into the ordained ministry.
• We regard ourselves as made holy by Jesus, through whose death and resurrection we receive eternal life.
• We are a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We welcome believers of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

The ELCA is the national church body of which Trinity is a member congregation. The ELCA provides policy and support for its member churches in carrying out the mission of proclaiming God’s saving Gospel, worshiping God, nurturing members in the Word of God, and serving in response to God’s love to meet human needs. The current head of the ELCA is Bishop Mark S. Hanson. For more information, contact the pastor or the ELCA (website: www.ELCA.org)

The ELCA is divided into 65 synods. Trinity is part of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCA. The Sierra Pacific Synod includes churches in northern California and northern Nevada. The current bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod is Mark Holmerud. Each spring the Sierra Pacific Synod holds its annual assembly. One member from Trinity attend. Events at the meeting include worship services, lectures, and voting on various issues. Members who attend report back to the congregation.

Trinity gives 10% of its income to the synod for the mission and ministry of the wider church. For more information, contact the Sierra Pacific Synod (website: www.spselca.org)

Organization

Church Office Manager
The job of office manager is a paid position with a specific job description including answering the phone, printing the Sunday bulletins and other informational fliers, and other office work. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday.

Church council
The church council consists of 9-12 congregation members who take care of the business of the church. Members are elected by the congregation for 3-year terms (the youth member is elected for a renewable 1 year term) and can serve two consecutive terms. 

Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month in the church meeting room from 7:30-9:00 p.m. to discuss and act upon a wide range of matters concerning Trinity. Depending upon the business at hand, members may need to spend time outside the meeting to familiarize themselves with issues and alternatives. Each council member serves as a liaison to one of the committees.
The president of the council is one of the council members elected by council members. The secretary for the council need not be a council member, and  is responsible for accurately keeping the minutes of each meeting, transcribing the minutes, and having copies of the minutes for the following month’s meeting.

Church Treasurer
The treasurer is responsible for tracking income and paying the church bills and keeping the council informed of special financial issues. He/she is a volunteer with the requisite skills for being a treasurer. The treasurer is also a member of the finance committee.

Congregational meetings
A meeting of the congregation members is held twice a year (January, May) to conduct the business of the congregation. The meeting in January features the annual report (written summaries of the past year from the pastor, committee chairpersons, and leaders of other ministries at Trinity) and the budget for the coming year. The congregational meeting in May is held primarily to elect new council members. Both meetings may also include any other issues that need to be brought before all congregation members. The meetings are held following the 10:30 service. All church members are encouraged to attend. The meetings are conducted by the council president, and usually an agenda of business to be conducted is available in advance. Votes are taken (after discussion) on those items that require approval of congregation members.

Financial secretary
The financial secretary keeps records of members’ donations to the church and issues individual quarterly reports and individual year-end statements. He/she also issues a financial report to the finance committee each month. It is a volunteer position, requiring strict confidentiality.

Listening post
Each Sunday, a member of the church council is available during the fellowship time following the service to hear from members of the congregation. The person carrying the “Listening Post” sign is there to listen to your questions, suggestions, complaints, hopes, and opinions about Trinity. These comments are then reported to the council at its monthly meeting, and action is taken as necessary.

Trinity Builder
Trinity Builder is a monthly newsletter e-mailed or mailed to members and friends of Trinity.  Members are encouraged to submit news on topics that affect Trinity members (upcoming events, committee reports, etc.).