The Trinity Congregation comprises members of a series of other Brighton Churches which have closed over a long period of time as well as those who have been long term members of the Black Street congregation. These other congregations included Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches. (For more details see the History page.)
Our membership is currently made up of mostly older people who are both very faithful in their witness to Jesus Christ but also very welcoming of newcomers who arrive at worship.
In the early 1990's the Church building was beautifully restored, the interior was remodelled and the new name of 'Trinity' was chosen. The Church, the Pipe Organ which was built by George Fincham in 1884 at a cost of £420 and refurbished in 1991, and even some of the trees, particularly
the large Moreton Bay Fig in front of the church have Heritage Protection Orders on them. While the task of Christians is primarily to care for people, the people of Trinity also take good care of our property as it has been the base from which the Church's ministry to the people of God has taken place.
The congregation has a special ministry of music led by a fine musician in our Organist and in a small but energetic choir under the direction of our Director of Music. Both organ and choir have an important role to play in leading the worship of God. Our worship could be described as traditional and liturgical.
But with strong preaching and an interest in trying new music and fresh hymns the intention is to motivate the worshippers to make a difference to the world and, in particular, the people who live in our community of Brighton. We are not living in the past; we want to be a lively part of God's future. This is the ministry of Jesus Christ to which we are committed and to which we invite you to join.
In a day when many churches no longer have a choir, Trinity has been able to continue to give the musical leadership to the congregation through having a choir. This gives both the opportunity to introduce new hymns to the congregation but also to enhance the worship with anthems chosen to reflect the theme of the worship of the day.
God is still speaking to hymn writers and musicians in modern days and the opportunity to praise God in 'fresh words and deeds' (to quote the Basis of Union of the UCA) has not ceased. The heritage of hymn singing is one of the great strengths of the Protestant Church. The reformers put their theology into the words that the ordinary members sang and so the knowledge and understanding of God and God's purpose for the world was enhanced.
The witness to the Holy Trinity of Wesley, Watts and countless others remains strongly remembered in the modern church but new hymns also have a place, because every hymn was new once. New hymns, like the old favourites, become popular through the way that they speak to us about God and our place in God's world.
Our choir would welcome new members who love music and like to sing. Practice is normally held at 8:00pm on a Thursday night. Please come and join us.
The UCAF in this congregation works differently to many other groups in the Australian Church. We have 5 Fellowship Luncheons during the year during which we often have a special speaker or presentation in the Church followed by lunch in Trinity House next door. The proceeds from these events are then sent off to some special mission opportunity in the church.
This group is one which came to Trinity from the New Street (formerly Methodist) Church. In early 1969 the need for an evening group was felt for those women who worked throughout the day or had young children to mind. Alpha Zeta was the resulting group which has the aim, "to enable more ladies to be linked together in Christian Fellowship and to enable them to explore together new areas of culture, education and service within the life of the (New Street Methodist) Church."
Meetings are now held monthly (except in December and January) on the 4th Monday evening at 8:00pm in Trinity House at 15 Black Street, Brighton. Mostly attendance is limited to ladies but occasionally open meetings are held. The current average attendance is over 20.
There are two tennis courts on Lindsay Street at the back of the Church. The Club has a small number of members and would welcome newcomers. A professional coach uses the courts and they are used on some parts of most days of the week.
To make contact please ring the President: Mr. Robert Swift, tel: 9592 3898.
Within the Church there are a variety of memorial plaques. Two commemorate the respect that the congregation had for Mr Legge and Mr Rickard as ministers. The bronze plaques similarly record the long service of a number of key lay people.
Twenty eight members of the congregation served during the Great War and their service is commemorated on the plaque on the east wall of the Church.
At the rear of Trinity Church is our Memorial Garden. It was dedicated by the Rev Ross Carter on the 18th September, 1994. The ashes of deceased members may be interred here.
The Trinity Uniting Church is a congregation of The Uniting Church in Australia. This new Australian church was inaugurated on the 22nd June, 1977 as a union between the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches. The Church is arranged in what are called a series of 'inter-related councils' each of which has its own responsibilities in governing the Church. The local congregation has a Church Council responsible for the pastoral and administrative running of a Church such as Trinity.
The regional council is the Presbytery of Nepean which encompasses congregations from East St.Kilda in the north to Mordialloc in the south and from Port Phillip Bay in the west to Clayton Road in the east. The Presbytery provides oversight and support for local congregations.
The Nepean Presbytery is grouped with 13 others to form the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. The Synod provides Administrative support and facilitates other areas of ministry which neither congregation nor presbytery can do.
Click here to connect to the Synod website.All Synods are connected to the pre-eminent Council - the Assembly. The Assembly is the Council responsible for all issues which affect the whole Church.
Click here to connect to the Assembly website.
Currently nine Churches in Brighton ranging from Catholic to Anglican, Uniting, Churches of Christ and the Assemblies of God have covenanted together to work together in a series of specific ways. This is following the "Lund Principle" which states that "the Churches should agree to act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately." This suggestion came from the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in 1952.
The Brighton CovenantIn 2005 the Covenant Churches began what is hoped to be an annual event in the "Good Friday Walk of Witness". Members of all the churches walk the streets of Brighton between various church buildings following a cross with banners aloft. A short service is held at each of the places we stop at. Not all churches are visited and the route changes each year. In 2006 we started at St. Peter's Anglican Church, Brighton Beach (see picture above), moved to St. Leonard's Uniting Church and then to St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church.
Another important event is the Christmas Countdown designed to tell something of the Christmas story to primary aged children. In recent years it has been held at St. Andrew's Anglican Church near the busy shopping centre of Church Street, Middle Brighton.
In the Christmas 2005 event children and their families were able to have their photographs taken in a Nativity Scene.