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WHAT WE BELIEVE

Statement of Faith

  1. The Triune God – We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are equal in power and glory. God has revealed Himself to humanity through His creation, His Son, and His inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word—the Bible—which is our final authority in faith and life. (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21)

  2. The Gospel – We believe the gospel is the central message of the Bible: that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again to save sinners. This good news is not only the way to salvation but also the motive and means for all obedience to Christ. The gospel shapes every aspect of Christian life, guiding our worship, ministry, and mission. (Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Galatians 2:20)

  3. Salvation by Grace – We believe that all people are sinners by nature and choice, deserving God’s just wrath. God, in His sovereignty, saves sinners by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—apart from works. Those whom He calls to Himself are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, justified through Christ’s righteousness, adopted as God’s children, and kept secure by His power. (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2:8-9, Romans 3:23-25, John 10:27-29, Titus 3:5)

  4. The Person and Work of Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died as a substitutionary atonement for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, and reigns as Lord. (John 1:1, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Hebrews 4:15)

  5. The Work of the Holy Spirit – We believe the Holy Spirit regenerates hearts, indwells believers, and empowers them for sanctification and service. (John 3:5-8, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 5:22-23)

  6. The Church – We believe the Church is the body of Christ, made up of all true believers and their children, called to worship God, proclaim the gospel, and make disciples. The gospel must remain central in all aspects of the Church’s life and ministry. (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 2:39, Colossians 1:28)

  7. The Return of Christ – We believe in the bodily return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead, bringing His people into eternal joy and punishing the unrepentant. (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 21:1-4)

  8. The Renewal of All Things – We believe that God has promised to make all things new, restoring creation to its former glory. Even now, through the reign of Christ and the work of His Spirit, God is bringing renewal to the world, advancing His kingdom, and calling His people to participate in this restoration until He comes again. (Isaiah 65:17, Matthew 19:28, Romans 8:19-21, Revelation 21:5)

CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT
TCW has adopted the TGC Confessional Statment as a more full articulation of our beliefs.  

OUR DISTINCTIVES

GOSPEL CENTERED

Everything we do at Trinity is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are committed to avoiding the two ditches on the sides of the gospel road: relativism and legalism. We avoid relativism (nothing is truly true) by taking God at His word and humbly submitting to the things He has revealed therein. We avoid legalism (salvation by works) by ensuring the gospel is preached and taught consistently along with regular reminders that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and not by what we do. 

REFORMED

We believe Reformed Theology provides the most faithful articulation of the teaching/doctrine found in God's word. However, we also strive to avoid being dogmatic and rigid. Our goal is to enjoy and promote Reformed Theology while honoring and respecting our sisters and brothers in Christ who hold different (biblically warranted) beliefs.   

MISSIONAL

We believe the primary responsibility of a local church is to preach the gospel and make disciples. And yet, we believe well-made disciples who faithfully live in a manner worthy of the gospel will joyfully and passionately labor to be salt and light in their city. We believe well-made disciples will seek to be a blessing where they live, work, and play. And we believe well-made disciples labor to see mercy and justice prevail within their areas of influence. For these reasons, we are longing and laboring to have a lasting impact on the Twin Cities for Christ.  We do this through our ministries, various partnerships, and church planting.  

WE ARE A CHURCH-PLANTING CHURCH

We believe there is no more effective way to advance the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ than planting new churches; locally and globally. Although Trinity herself is a church plant, we are already dreaming and planning to plant more churches. If God sees fit to bless us with numerical growth, we intend to send out Launch Teams to plant more churches in the Twin Cities. 

DENOMINATION & NETWORKS

 

TCW is currently non-denominational. That is, we are not affiliated with a particular denomination. Our pastor, Matt Ryman, is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America. The Siouxlands Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America has granted Matt permission to minister in a non-denominational church, and they have elected a committee that provides Matt with oversight and accountability (which he desires). 

Although we are a non-denominational church, we intend to utilize a Presbyterian approach to church leadership. This means the church will be shepherded and guided by ordained Elders and Deacons who will address the spiritual and physical needs of the congregation and community respectively. TCW's Elders and Deacons will be nominated and elected by the congregation, trained by the pastor, and ordained by the church. 

The word "Presbyterian" comes from the Greek word for Elder (Presbuteros). Churches that utilize a Presbyterian church governance style benefit from what has been historically been called "the plurality of Elders." This means there isn't any one person in charge. Instead, all of the Elders of the church (including the pastor) operate as a team of shepherds who make decisions that will affect the church by prayerfully discussing the options, seeking guidance in God's word, and taking a vote. We believe this approach is biblically based and helps the church's leadership effectively care for the congregation and bless the community.

We are also part of the Midwest Alliance; a church planting network with a desire to see 140 new churches launched by 2030 bringing the total (number of PCA churches in the midwest) to near 400. These churches will provide critical mass, - the foundation, catalyst, and resource - for long-term, effective church planting. Although we are not a PCA church, we believe the PCA is a great denomination and hope to help plant several PCA churches in the Twin Cities.