About us
vision statement
Following Jesus’ example, Trinity Church welcomes all of God’s children. Young children are enticed with the warm, vibrant colors on the walls and in the play areas. The youth and teens feel comfortable and safe in the connected spaces while the programs remind them that they belong here. We celebrate being an Open and Affirming / Welcoming and Affirming Congregation and being a safe place for everyone whether marginalized or not. Everyone is served equally in our accessible and environmentally friendly building which honors God’s creation.
Trinity fills its people with the love of God through varied, exciting, and meaningful Worship and Music. Music moves us in moments of beauty and thrills us in moments of joy and exuberance. Each week we praise God with a variety of musical styles using the sound of singing, clapping, organ, piano, guitars and other instruments. Our services not only honor our traditions but push us to think beyond our customs with experiences designed for all ages and backgrounds. We encourage and facilitate open and honest conversations in worship as well as in small groups, challenging each other to grow in our faith and in our commitment to Jesus.
Trinity Church has become Northborough’s newest community center meeting the material, emotional, and spiritual needs for the town. We’re a place to come for a hot meal, to purchase affordable clothing, to listen to local music, or to just have a cup of coffee and good conversation, supported by an active and vibrant congregation. We connect to the community to determine needs and how we can help - not only financially, but with our actions and direct involvement. Trinity also looks beyond Northborough to Massachusetts, our country and the world to provide comfort and assistance and spread God’s word.
RACIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT
1 Corinthians 13:1-3: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
For 400 years, racism has been a destructive force on the soul of America. Much of our nation’s prosperity has come at the expense of Black and Brown populations. Social, government, and criminal justice systems have perpetuated racist policies. Racial inequities have hurt Black and Brown communities, not only by limiting access to basic needs such as health care, education, housing, and employment, but also by limiting access to freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed unmitigated injustice, discrimination and racism. We watched in disgust and horror as the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and Ahmaud Arbery were ended in a violent and brutal way, shaking us into a realization of just how dangerous it is to be Black in this country. Let us turn our horror and anger into resolve and action. We must dismantle racial oppression and eliminate race-related violence. We cannot allow ourselves to slide back into repression and denial.
We stand against racial profiling, police brutality, and racially discriminatory criminal justice practices
We call on corporate leaders and leaders of local, state, and federal government to acknowledge the pain in Black and Brown communities, to listen to the needs of people of color, and to make sustainable social changes to combat racism and discrimination.
We oppose symbols and language of white nationalism.
We recognize that a disproportionate number of people of color are affected by Covid-19, and call for a just health care system.
We recognize that during this pandemic, unemployment in the Black population is disproportionately high, and we will advocate for fair and equitable education and work opportunities for people of color.
We will work to collectively deepen our understanding of racism, the different forms it takes, and how it affects us.
We will work to eliminate racial and ethnic prejudice in the realm where we have the most influence – within ourselves and within our church. We will educate ourselves and challenge each other to learn about the roots of white supremacy in our faith and our religious organization, and to work intentionally and actively to dismantle racism in all its forms.
“Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.” Arnold Joseph Toynbee
Trinity Church of Northborough, Board of Deacons
June 25, 2020
Open & Affirming
Welcoming & Affirming
Statement
We, the congregation of Trinity Church of Northborough, Massachusetts, declare ourselves an
Open and Affirming / Welcoming and Affirming congregation.
We will reach out with love to any and all people who enter our doors seeking
God with faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
We recognize all human beings as worthy and loved by God.
We affirm and support all relationships based on love and mutual respect, and grounded in Christian faith.
We declare to the wider community that we are an open and loving community of faith for all people,
of every age, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, cultural background,
socio-economic status, mental or physical ability, marital status, or any other distinctions of society.
We invite all in our midst to fellowship and service in Christ’s name.
We are a people of God and will be led by our faith in Jesus’ teaching of love. We shall be a beacon of light and a place of faithful joy in this community and the world, sharing with and caring for all people.
trinity's core values
WORSHIP: We spend time with God and with each other, growing in our faith, and in our relationships with all of God’s children. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:1-2)
OUTREACH: We support others through building mutual relationships, providing material needs, and empowering each other. “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13)
COMMUNITY: We appreciate the connections we make and the trust that grows as we share our spiritual journeys. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
OPEN AND AFFIRMING: We welcome all people, celebrate our differences, and come together in love. “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1 John 3:18)
history of our church
Our Main Street location attests to Trinity Church’s long-term presence in the Northborough community. Just yards from the site of both the original 1868 town hall and 1894 library, the church building remains a landmark for passers-by while hosting an array of worship and fellowship opportunities for life in the 21st century.
Today’s Trinity is the result of a merger in 1948 of Northborough’s First Baptist Church and Evangelical Congregational Church, which had been established here in 1827 and 1832, respectively. Our church building is the former Congregational meeting house, and the former Baptist house of worship became the home of the Northborough Historical Society.
Trinity Church is affiliated with both the American Baptist Churches,
and the United Church of Christ.
OUR STAFF
Rita Chaousis
Administrative Assistant
Rita has spent the past 25 years in the hospitality business and developed many strong and lifelong friendships from her time in that business. She has lived in Marlborough MA her whole life and she is still there with her husband Danny and her two daughters Kara & Molleigh.
Rita enjoys many hobbies and passions some of which include: Reading, mostly true crime and autobiographies, watching movies, traveling - especially two of her favorite places White Mountains and Bermuda. She loves to feed her creative side with arts & crafts for many different occasions. But her favorite pastime is spending time with her friends and family.
You may contact her at 508-393-8156
Sherry Clark
Director of Christian Education for Children and Youth
Sherry is a wife and mother to 3 children. She has spent her career working with children and families of all ages. She loves both the rewards and challenges of working with kids at all age levels. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, traveling and working with scout troops in town.
She believes life is meant to be an adventure and is very much looking forward to working with all the families at Trinity!
She can be reached at 508-254-2217.
Scott Arnold
Music Director
Scott Arnold began playing piano in second grade and grew up highly involved in church music. During his career in church music, Scott has had the privilege to work with a variety of congregations and choirs.
In 2013, Scott received his Bachelor’s Degree of Music Education from Arkansas Tech University and has taught public school music for 7 years.
In Summer 2020, Scott moved cross country and settled in the “Boroughs.” Most recently, he has served as the Minister of Music for the Elm Street Congregation Church in Southbridge, MA, as well as teaching general music and chorus at Marion E. Zeh Elementary of Northborough. Scott currently resides in Westborough, with his husband, Ben, and two dogs, Will & Gracie.
Scott can be reached at:
trinitynorthboroughmusic@gmail.com or 501-208-4066.