Weddings

Weddings

Congratulations on your recent engagement! At Trinity, we are committed to the design of God Himself for marriage as described in the Bible. We take seriously our responsibilities as a church and as pastors in the wedding process, both before and after the wedding day.

Before contacting us, please take a few minutes to read through the following:
1. FAQs
2. Principles
3. Timeline

FAQs

Below are some frequently asked questions we receive from individuals interested in being married at Trinity or by our Pastoral Staff.

Why does Trinity have a process, rather than simply scheduling weddings?

  1. The Bible requires us as a church to take our entire approach to Christian marriage as a very serious responsibility, and so our process must be consistent with the teaching of God’s Word;
  2. We view the premarital process as a mutual commitment between the couple and Trinity which will continue following marriage;
  3. The ministry calendar necessitates our having a standing policy for handling wedding requests.

Are there guidelines for who may be married at Trinity or by its pastors?

  1. Yes. By definition, a Christian marriage is comprised of a man and a woman who have individually committed their lives to Jesus Christ.  We are not free to perform the marriages of couples who have not made this commitment.
  2. Normally, either the bride or the groom is requested to have attended Trinity regularly for at least six months.
  3. We recommend couples already part of another church pursue wedding plans in that church.
  4. We do not consider conducting mixed-faith marriages (i.e., combinations of Catholic/Protestant/Jewish couples).

How long does Trinity’s process take to complete?

  1. Excluding the initial interview and approval, we typically require a lead time of at least six months.
  2. Start the process by filling out the questionnaire and a member of the Trinity staff will contact you.

Principles

Statement of Beliefs Regarding Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality

  • We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
  • We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25). Trinity Community Church will only conduct a marriage ceremony and recognize the marriage between a biological man and a biological woman.
  • We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
  • We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt 15:18-20;1 Cor 6:9-10).
  • We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).
  • We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated.
  • We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Trinity Community Church as the local Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to the Trinity Community Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Trinity Community Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by the Scriptures and the doctrines of Trinity Community Church.

Marriage is a relationship designed and ordained by God between a man and a woman

Marriage is a relationship designed and ordained by God, and its significance is emphasized repeatedly in Scripture.  In illustrating the relationship of Christ with His bride, the Church, God chose the analogy of the marriage relationship (Eph. 5).  In light of the biblical significance and responsibilities intended by God for marriage, it is essential that the church take seriously its participation in a marriage, as well as its responsibility in preparation.

We have developed a philosophy of ministry to premarital couples which we believe is consistent with God’s Word and reflects the high standard to which God will hold a man and woman as they commit themselves to marriage.  The following are important principles to which we are committed in the conduct of our responsibilities toward God in premarital ministry: 

Principles that we are committed to in the premarital process

  1. Trinity will consider couples who wish to take advantage of our premarital program on a case-by-case basis.  Couples seeking to be married under the auspices of Trinity Community Church must first complete and be approved through the premarital process.
  2. Preference in scheduling will be given to Trinity Community Church members and their families.  The program is intended to provide the first step in an ongoing context for the nurture of Christian marriages at Trinity.
  3. Listed below are some of the reasons that requests for weddings may be denied or delayed.  If, upon reviewing this list, you recognize your relationship to be represented here, please feel free to discuss the issue with us as soon as possible.

We may not:   

  1. Marry a couple if they currently maintain a sexual relationship and are unwilling to abstain for a period of time determined by a pastor; or if they have, in the immediate past, led a lifestyle that does not represent biblical purity.
  2. Marry a couple if we believe the maturity level of either partner is not such that he or she can fully accept the responsibilities of marriage at that particular time.
  3. Marry a couple if the marriage is radically opposed by family members, Christian peers, or pastors. Each case will be reviewed for special circumstances.
  4. Marry a couple if they have not allowed themselves time to build the pattern of a stable relationship.

We will not:

  1. Marry a believer and nonbeliever.  2 Cor. 6:14ff
  2. Marry a couple when a previous divorce situation gives doubt as to the biblical correctness of the marriage.
  3. Marry a couple if they do not satisfactorily complete the premarital counseling requirements or if counselors in the premarital program recommend against the marriage during the counseling process.
  4. Marry a couple if they are found to have represented themselves untruthfully regarding their relationship or premarital issues during the process.

Please consider that the time necessary for completing this premarital process is normally 6-7 months.

Timeline

The following is the typical order and timeline of events that a couple goes through during premarital counseling.

Once a couple is engaged

  1. Read and understand our Principles in the Premarital Process.
  2. Use the link below to fill out a questionnaire.
  3. The questionnaire is reviewed by the Pastoral Staff as well as the Facilities Coordinator (if applicable).
  4. An interview with a pastor will be scheduled.
  5. A tentative wedding date is set on the church calendar.

Once the above steps are complete, the six-month lead time begins.

  1. When approved, the wedding date is confirmed and the couple meets with the Facilities Coordinator (if applicable)
  2. The engaged couple is assigned to one of our premarital counselors, and 6-8 sessions begin when a mutually acceptable schedule is set.

Questionnaire

If you have not read through all the information above, please do so prior to filling out this questionnaire.

Click here for the questionnaire.

Contact

If you have any additional questions, please get in touch with: