A Swedish-Rooted Congregation in the Heart of Watertown
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church sits on Madison Street SE in Watertown, Minnesota, a town of just a few thousand people on the rolling countryside west of the Twin Cities. The congregation has been shaped for more than a century and a half by the Swedish immigrants who founded it, by the small-town rhythms of Carver County, and by a steady commitment to welcoming new generations into the life of faith. Walk in on a Sunday morning and you will find children in a Coloring Corner, a choir rehearsing in the balcony, and coffee being poured in the Fellowship Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service. Drive past the building and you will see the cross and candelabras on the altar that were forged from the bell of the original church after it burned in 1948.
The church's motto, repeated across its pages and printed on its materials, is short and direct: "Faithful Living. Changing Lives." Everything from the worship service to the food shelf donations is built around that phrase. Trinity is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of 155 churches in the Minneapolis Area Synod.
A Swedish Beginning on Swede Lake
Trinity's story starts in 1858, when twenty-three charter members organized the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Götaholm Congregation. They purchased three acres on the shore of Swede Lake, just south of what is now Watertown, paying $10 per acre. Within a few years the small congregation moved into town, first to a site in the middle of the present-day cemetery, and then to the location on Madison Street where the church still stands. The move to the current site took place in 1890.
For most of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the church served a Swedish-speaking community. Pastors and members planted daughter congregations in the surrounding countryside, including churches at Moores Prairie, Buffalo, Waverly, Maple Plain, Lyndale, and Nylunda, the last of which would eventually merge back into Trinity in a meaningful way. By 1948, the original sanctuary was ninety years old and the congregation had grown enough to begin raising funds for a new organ.
The Fire, the Rebuild, and the Name Trinity
On Monday, June 7, 1948, the news came over the wires: Götaholm had been destroyed by fire. Smoke poured from the bell tower until the tower itself collapsed into the rubble. When the fire was finally extinguished, the altar and the bell were found in the smoldering basement. The Parish Hall across the street became the meeting place for everything, from Sunday services to choir rehearsals, while the congregation planned a rebuild.
Ground was broken on August 1, 1948, only weeks after the fire. A general contractor was hired, but workers were housed in the homes of church members during construction, and volunteers put in many hours a day alongside the paid crews. The congregation voted to rename itself Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at the 1949 annual meeting. The last Swedish-language worship service was held on January 1, 1949, marking the end of an era. The Swedish church was becoming the Church of the Lord, open to every nationality. The cornerstone of the new sanctuary was laid on May 8, 1949, and by Christmas of that year the congregation was worshiping in the new building. A new organ, finally dedicated on February 5, 1950, was part of the rebuilt space.
The fire is still remembered in the sanctuary. The cross, candelabras, vases, and book rest on the altar today were made from the metal of the bell that rang from the old tower on the morning the church burned.
Adding On: From Nylunda to a 2014 Expansion
Over the decades that followed, the building grew in waves. An Education Wing and Chapel were added in the 1970s. In 1984, the chapel was dedicated as Nylunda Chapel in honor of the nearby Swedish settlement church at Lake Mary, whose congregation had closed and whose furnishings found a second life at Trinity. The most recent expansion came in 2014, when the congregation finished a major project that added an elevator, new office space, air conditioning, and a new gathering hall. Together with air conditioning and improved accessibility, that expansion helped Trinity move forward in its mission "in the light of Christ."
Three capital campaigns made the 2014 work possible. The 2013 "In Christ, New Light" campaign raised more than $681,000. A 2016 follow-up called "Shine Where You Are" brought in over $667,000 to retire debt. A 2019 campaign, "Shine On and Share God's Light!," raised another $382,000. In 2024 the building debt was paid off entirely, a milestone the congregation still celebrates.
Sundays at Nine: Worship and Music
Trinity gathers for a single Sunday worship service each week at 9:00 a.m., both onsite and online via a YouTube livestream. Worship bulletins are posted in advance so online participants can follow along. The service is intentionally blended. Piano, guitar, voice, and worship bands share the music ministry alongside the Worship Choir. Each week the preaching is rooted in scripture, with the goal of staying faithful to Lutheran tradition while also learning new ways of worshiping God. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of each month.
Coffee and refreshments are served in the Fellowship Hall after the service, a tradition the Hospitality Ministry takes seriously. Ushers, lectors, communion assistants, coffee hosts, altar guild members, and livestream/audio techs all serve on a rotating schedule, and training is provided for anyone who wants to join. Online worship archives and recent bulletins are available on the church's YouTube channel and bulletin page.
Visitors are told to dress casually and come as they are. Children are welcome in the sanctuary, where a Coloring Corner and a Children's Moment are part of every service. A supervised Nursery is offered on Sundays in the Fellowship Hall for families who prefer it.
A Choir, a Band, Bells, and Children's Singers
Music is woven through nearly every aspect of Trinity's life. Hannah Rosholt directs the Worship Choir, which sings several times a year and rehearses on three or four Wednesdays before each commitment. A Handbell Choir plays occasionally throughout the year. Worship Bands, led by Penny Koets, lead one Sunday a month. Joy Rundell serves as worship accompanist. Children in Sunday School learn music as part of their faith formation and share their gifts in worship from time to time. Anyone with an interest in singing, playing, or ringing is welcome to join, and special ensembles are formed throughout the year for occasions like Christmas and Holy Week.
Children: Sunday School, Cradle Roll, First Communion, and VBS
Children's Ministry at Trinity runs from birth through fifth grade, coordinated by Chelsea Farniok. Baptized infants are placed on the Cradle Roll and begin receiving monthly mailings with stories, prayers, and family faith resources right away. From age three through fifth grade, children meet for Sunday School each Sunday from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. They are grouped by age into Preschool, Kindergarten through first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade classrooms, where they hear a Bible story, watch a short lesson video, explore the Big Idea through a game or activity, and sing songs of praise. A suggested donation of $20 per child, capped at $50 per family, helps cover supplies.
Fifth graders are prepared for First Communion through a family-centered workshop each year, learning that the meal is "truly given for you for the forgiveness of sins and the new life that follows." Vacation Bible School fills one week each summer with Bible stories, music, games, snacks, science explorations, and friends. VBS is open to children age three through fourth grade, with a family dinner before the evening sessions and a suggested donation similar to Sunday School. Adult volunteers and youth in fifth grade and older run the program alongside Farniok.
Youth: Confirmation and the High School Youth Group
Confirmation at Trinity begins in sixth grade and culminates in the Affirmation of Baptism in the fall of ninth grade. Small-group ministry is at the heart of the program. Students meet in "Huddles" with adult guides, asking questions, talking about how faith is lived out at home, at school, and in the community, and serving as the hands and feet of God in the wider world. Wednesday evening Confirmation classes run during the program year, with an orientation meeting for incoming sixth through eighth graders each fall and a separate orientation for ninth graders and their families.
The High School Youth Group gathers students in grades nine through twelve for fellowship trips, service projects, and casual faith conversations. Past activities have included ski and amusement park outings, service projects with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, and meal-packing sessions at Feed My Starving Children. Trinity also hosts the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) once a month during the school year, opening that breakfast gathering to high schoolers from any area church. Non-members are welcome at youth events.
Adults: Bible Studies, Forums, and Small Groups
Trinity's Adult Ministries revolve around learning, service, outreach, prayer, and fellowship. Priscilla Circle is a women's Bible study that meets on the second Monday of each month at 2:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, exploring scripture and a range of faith topics. Occasional Faith Forums are held on Sunday mornings during the coffee hour, covering Advent and Lent themes, mental health topics, and other issues of faith and life.
Small groups add another layer of connection. The Trinity Quilting Ministry gathers each Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in Nylunda Chapel to hand-make quilts that go to Love INC, the local food shelf, quilt auctions, and other causes. Each graduating high school senior and everyone baptized at Trinity receives one of these quilts as a symbol of being wrapped in the warmth of God's love. The OWLS, Older Wiser Lutherans, fellowship group meets on the third Thursday of the month for relaxed activities and Christian fellowship, with no formal age minimum. The Apostles meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays to tackle light maintenance projects around the church and parsonage. The Heavenly Housekeepers meet on the first Thursday of the month at 9:00 a.m. for light cleaning tasks around the building.
Reaching Out Locally and Around the World
Trinity takes its three-part commitment seriously: being church in new ways, seeing God in daily life, and reaching out to those living on the margins. Locally, the Social Ministry team organizes regular food drives and donations for the Watertown Gather and Grow Food Shelf, which also benefits "The Royal Room" at the elementary school with healthy snacks, warm clothing, and school supplies. Trinity provides onsite storage space for goods distributed through Love INC Heartland, a neighbor-helping-neighbor ministry that serves Delano, Howard Lake, Maple Plain, Rockford, Waverly, Montrose, and Watertown. Members donate personal care items for Love INC's Fresh Start Program through drop-off stations at the church.
Beyond Watertown, the congregation partners with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), which advocates and provides services for adoptive parents, children, homeless youth, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Trinity's youth and adults have organized service projects with LSS, and the church continues to support its work throughout the year.
On the global side, Trinity supports ELCA missionaries Rev. Andrew and Meredith Ronnevik, who serve in Papua New Guinea where Andrew teaches at Martin Luther Seminary in Lae. Congregants can sign up at the Welcome Center to support the Ronneviks for a week at a time with a $25 gift. The church also lifts up ELCA Good Gifts (more than fifty gift options that fight hunger and grow the church), ELCA Disaster Response, Feed My Starving Children, and Water's Edge Ministries (formerly Green Lake Lutheran Ministries), a camp and retreat ministry that Trinity encourages its youth to attend.
Other Ministries: Health, Justice, Hospitality, and Teddy Bears
A handful of smaller ministries add to the texture of life at Trinity. The Parish Health Ministry Team writes a monthly column called Parish Health Matters for the church newsletter and hosts Listen and Learn events on health topics. They run a rest stop on the Tour-de-Tonka bike route and tend Trinity's Giving Garden, which donates fresh produce to the local food pantry. The Racial Justice Committee meets openly and honestly about race in the community and the country, with the goal of raising awareness and moving the congregation forward in justice, truth, and light.
The Hospitality Ministry organizes Advent and Lent suppers, regular meals for the Golden Agers (members seventy and older), and the annual Saint Lucia Tea, a December tradition that will be discussed in its own section below. The Teddy Bear Ministry stocks the church with bears that members can give to anyone going through a difficult time, a small gesture that has been part of Trinity's pastoral care for years. The Stewardship Team helps the congregation see generosity as an act of worship and a discipline of spiritual growth, not just a matter of finances.
The Saint Lucia Tea: A Swedish Tradition of Light
Each December, Trinity hosts its Saint Lucia Tea, a Swedish festival of light held on or around December 13. The event celebrates Saint Lucia, a young Christian from Sicily who, according to legend, brought food and light to villagers during a great famine. In Scandinavia, where winter days are short and dark, she became a symbol of hope at the year's longest night. The Trinity Saint Lucia Tea Open House has been sponsored by the Women of Trinity since 1969. It includes music, candles, traditional Scandinavian treats, and an invitation to bring a non-perishable food item for the Gather and Grow Food Shelf. Volunteers bake, decorate, and serve, and recipes for the Swedish treats are shared upon request.
Trunk-or-Treat and Seasonal Events
Other recurring events mark the seasons at Trinity. Each fall the church hosts Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot, with decorated trunks, apple cider, bounce houses, and treats for the surrounding neighborhood. Advent and Lent bring midweek suppers and seasonal Bible studies. The Foundation offers annual college scholarships to graduating seniors each spring. Periodic adult fellowship events, like a Paint and Sip evening with a local artist, round out the year.
What Trinity Believes
Trinity is a Lutheran church. Members understand their relationship with God as beginning with what God is doing in their lives. They are created by God the Father, reclaimed by Jesus Christ when they wander, and guided by the Holy Spirit in daily life. Baptism claims a person in the body of Christ, and Holy Communion sustains the faith. The congregation worships weekly and finds hope in God's presence in the midst.
Three commitments shape Trinity's life together: being church in new ways, seeing God in daily life, and reaching out to those living on the margins. The phrase "Faithful Living" is not about perfection. It is about doing one's best, making mistakes, being forgiven, and forgiving others. "Changing Lives" is about being church in new ways, seeing God at work each day, and reaching out to those in need, with the recognition that lives are changed around the community even as one's own life is changed too.
As an ELCA congregation, Trinity is part of a denomination of about four million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The ELCA shares a "living, daring confidence in God's grace" rooted in Scripture, Lutheran theology, and Lutheran confessions, while remaining open to being made new in each generation.
Life Events: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Weddings, Funerals
Trinity walks with members through the milestones of a lifetime. Baptism brings the newly baptized into a new relationship with God and into the fellowship of the congregation; baptisms usually take place during a regular worship service, and people of all ages are welcome, though most are infants. Membership of the parents is not required for an infant baptism, and there is no fee.
First Communion is prepared for in fifth grade, Confirmation begins in sixth grade and ends with the Affirmation of Baptism in ninth grade, and weddings and funerals are guided by handbooks available from the church office. Wedding planning begins with a request for a date through the church office, and funeral arrangements are coordinated with the pastor and the Funeral/Memorial Service Team, which provides food and fellowship following the service.
Becoming a Member
Membership at Trinity is not required to participate in worship, communion, or any of the church's ministries, but it is a meaningful way to feel connected. The membership process moves at the pace of the person: learn about Trinity through worship (onsite or online) and conversations with members, learn what it means to be a member by visiting with a council member, the pastor, or a staff person, and finally complete an online or printed Membership Form. Once the form is received, the church welcomes the new member officially into the congregation.
The Pastoral Transition
Trinity is in the early months of a new pastoral chapter. After a season of work by a Transition Team that produced a Ministry Site Profile, and after the Call Committee's work with the Minneapolis Area Synod to screen and interview candidates, the congregation voted at a Special Congregational Meeting on July 12 to extend a call to Pastor Adam Teske as the next solo pastor. Pastor Adam began his service on Wednesday, September 2, and his official Installation Sunday with the congregation and the Synod Bishop took place on Sunday, September 20.
Adam Teske joins a staff that includes Financial Secretary Gail Cassidy, Office and Communications Manager Robyn Behrens, Financial Administrator Mary Jech, Children's Ministry Coordinator Chelsea Farniok, Worship Choir Director Hannah Rosholt, Worship Band Leader Penny Koets, and Worship Accompanist Joy Rundell. The Church Council is led by President Adam Rowan, Vice President Kevin Beck, Secretary Tammy Vraspir, and Treasurer Jim Sandquist, with members Steve Boylan, Corky Ibeling, Nick Neaton, Kari Olson, and Nancy Stello.
Ways to Give and the Trinity Foundation
Trinity offers several ways to give, including online giving through Vanco, the Vanco Mobile App, text-to-give at 833-381-0691, bank bill pay, and mailed offerings. The church's online giving portal also accepts designated gifts to the Building Improvement Fund, special mission support, and the 2026 Intent to Give and Time and Talent forms. Donations of canned goods and personal care items for the food shelf and Love INC can be dropped off at the church's Donation Stations anytime.
The Trinity Lutheran Church Foundation manages an endowment that funds annual college scholarships for graduating seniors, ranging from $300 to $1,000 depending on available funds and the number of applicants. Several named scholarships are awarded each year, including the Trinity Foundation Scholarship, the Trinity Preschool Scholarship (in honor of Trinity Preschool, which operated from 1975 to 2018), the Elsie Sandquist Memorial Music Scholarship (in memory of the church's organist from 1964 to 2001), the Bergstrom Family Memorial Scholarship, the Frank Kaduk Memorial Scholarship (for students active in faith formation), and the C. P. Thompson Scholarship (for students pursuing a career in ministry).
The Trinity Tidings Newsletter
The Trinity Tidings is the congregation's monthly newsletter, available in PDF form for the current and recent months. It carries news from each ministry, the calendar of upcoming events, the Parish Health Matters column, and announcements from the pastor and staff. Online worship bulletins are posted each week and archived, allowing members and visitors to follow along even when they cannot attend in person.
Planning a Visit
First-time visitors who want to attend worship can simply show up at 513 Madison Street SE on a Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m., or tune in online via the church's YouTube livestream. Coffee and refreshments follow the service in the Fellowship Hall. Children are welcome in the sanctuary, where a Coloring Corner and Children's Moment are part of every service; a supervised Nursery is available in the Fellowship Hall for those who prefer it. Sunday School runs from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. for children age three through fifth grade. The dress code is casual. Parking is available on site, and the building is accessible thanks to the elevator added during the 2014 expansion.
For more information or to get involved, the church office can be reached by phone at 952-955-1891 or by email at trinityoffice@trin.org. Pastor Adam Teske can be reached at pastoradam@trin.org. The church office address is Trinity Lutheran Church, 513 Madison Street SE, PO Box 1177, Watertown, MN 55388.