Trinity United Methodist Church (Lafayette, Indiana) facts for kids
Trinity United Methodist Church is a very old church in Lafayette, Indiana. It was actually started in 1824, even before Lafayette became a city! The first meetings were held in an old log courthouse. The church officially began in 1827 with just ten members. Today, Trinity United Methodist Church is located at 314 North Sixth Street in Lafayette, Indiana.
Church History
A Methodist preacher named Eli P. Farmer helped start the first church in Lafayette, Indiana, back in 1824. He was a "circuit rider," which means he traveled around to different towns to preach. This church later became Trinity United Methodist Church.
In 1830, the church built its first building on Sixth Street. It cost about $1,500. A few years later, in 1836, the church moved to a new spot at Fifth and Ferry streets. They stayed there until 1845, when they moved to another building on Fifth Street.
In 1868, the church bought land at Sixth and North streets for $7,000. They built a new chapel there in 1869. This chapel is now part of the current church building. The main part of the church, called the Sanctuary, was finished in 1873. It was officially opened on March 23, 1873. The whole building cost $90,000. In 1869, the church was officially named Trinity because other Methodist churches were starting in the area.
The beautiful stained glass windows in Trinity Church were designed by Edna Browning Ruby. She was a famous artist from Lafayette. She also created stained glass windows for other churches nearby, like Stidham United Methodist Church.
A big change to the church building happened in the 1930s. In 1933, a Sunday school class called "Homebuilders" decided to make the basement bigger. They dug out the entire area by hand and carried out the dirt in buckets! This hard work created the space that now holds the Fellowship Hall, the Friendship Room, and the kitchen. Since then, the church has had many updates and building projects.
What Trinity Church Does Today
Trinity is a "Welcoming and Reconciling Congregation." This means they are part of the Reconciling Ministries Network and work to make sure everyone feels welcome and included. The church offers a mix of worship styles. They sing traditional hymns with a pipe organ and modern songs with a piano. The sermons are based on the Bible and offer helpful advice for everyday life.
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