Our intern:

The Londons are from Ontario, Canada, and have been living in the United States since July 2020, when they moved to Indiana. Jacob graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary (MARS) in May 2022. Prior to their move to the States, Jacob was studying part-time with the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary while pastoring an RCA congregation in Whitby, Ontario, for nearly five years. 

Jacob and Lisa were both raised in the Free Methodist Church of Canada and met at an FMCC campground. They have been married for five years (2016) and have two children: Calvin and Elizabeth. They have enjoyed living in the United States and are getting to know Michigan now too. 

Jacob London

Seminarian Student

Mid-America Reformed Theological Seminary

What to Expect:
Trinity United Reformed Church is a community that meets with and is served by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. We also serve one another with our spiritual gifts as the Body of Christ. At Trinity, you can expect to hear God’s Word of forgiveness and grace given freely, through His Son, to all who believe in Him. You can also expect to find a community that loves and cares for one another, encouraging one another and building one another up in the faith. And you can expect to witness our love and care for the world in the name of Christ as we seek to do good to all, help those in need, and lead people to Him.
 
The Reformed Faith:
Trinity URC holds to the historic Reformed Faith. You can expect our worship services, our beliefs, and our practice to reflect this. The word “Reformed” essentially means “biblical.” During the Middle Ages, the Christian church in the west became increasingly corrupt in its beliefs and practices. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the church experienced a great reformation, being reformed according to Scripture.

The term “Reformed” refers to the biblical standards confessed during the Protestant Reformation. As a Reformed church, we seek to be biblical in everything: our beliefs, how we worship, and how we live. We believe that Scripture alone is our guide for faith and life. We believe that we are saved from sin and God’s eternal wrath by God’s grace alone, which is received not by our good works, but through faith alone in Christ alone. We believe our worship and life are now to be lived to the glory of God alone.

To summarize the doctrines of the Reformation and the truth that unifies us, we confess the “Three Forms of Unity,” which are the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort. We wholeheartedly believe these confessions, along with the creeds of the ancient church, faithfully summarize “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). To read these confessions, visit our We Believe page.
 
The Worship Service:
You can expect a reverent, simple, and biblical worship service at Trinity. We gather together at 9:30 am and 5:00 pm every Sunday not to be entertained, but to meet with God and receive from Him through the preaching of His Word and the administration of His sacraments. In worship, we enter a dialogue with God in which He speaks to us through His Word and sacraments and we respond to Him in prayer, song, confession, and giving. Please visit Our Worship page for more information.
 
The Sacraments:
Trinity URC celebrates the two sacraments appointed by God, The Lord’s Supper and Baptism. The Sacraments are visible signs and seals appointed by God to declare the promises of the gospel, along with the preaching of his Word. According to the New Testament, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only two sacraments given to the new covenant church.  Christ appointed these means to accommodate our weakness with elements that touch our senses: ordinary water, bread, and wine. The sacraments are not magic, but signs that point us to the reality they signify: the finished work of Jesus Christ. At the same time, the sacraments are not mere object lessons. The Holy Spirit uses them to strengthen those who receive them in faith.

Who may partake in Communion at Trinity? If you are not a member of Trinity URC and wish to partake of the Lord’s Supper, you must be able to answer ‘yes’ to the following questions:

• Have you been baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, either as an infant or adult?

• Have you publicly professed your faith in Christ and embraced the Christian faith as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed?

• Are you presently a member in good standing of a Protestant church that bears the marks of a true church, that is, a local church that preaches the gospel faithfully, administers the sacraments as instituted by Christ, and has governing elders who exercise church discipline?

If you are able to affirm these questions sincerely, the elders welcome you to the Lord’s Table.

If you are not a member of a local church and accountable to no one, please abstain from the Table when you visit Trinity, but speak with the pastor or an elder after the service to discuss your relationship with Christ’s church. We are eager to share the good news with you.
 
Infant Baptism:
Trinity URC baptizes children of believers because they are members of Christ’s visible church and covenant people. We do not believe in baptismal regeneration or presume that every baptized child is elect. Rather, our children are included with us in the covenant community and brought up as disciples in the Christian faith, because that is God’s design in Scripture.

In Question 74, The Heidelberg Catechism asks, Should infants, too, be baptized?   The Answer: Yes. Infants as well as adults belong to God’s covenant and are His people. Through Christ’s blood the redemption from sin and the Holy Spirit, who works faith, are promised to them no less than to adults. Therefore, by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, they must be grafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the old covenant by circumcision, in place of which baptism was instituted in the new covenant.
 
Childcare:
While Trinity URC provides an optional nursery for children aged two and under. The Bible teaches that the children of believers are part of Christ’s visible church. We believe that children should be included in the worship service, and certainly not removed to a separate “children’s church.” Children are welcome to participate in the worship service.

If, however, you desire a place to train your little one on how to participate in the service without the fear of an unexpected meltdown, you may utilize the “cry room” which is equipped with Bibles, hymnals,  and a window into the sanctuary with the sound from the worship service provided.