An Open Door on Darley Road
On a quiet stretch of Darley Road in northern Wilmington, Trinity Presbyterian Church has made itself into the kind of place where a favorite hymn begins, "All are welcome in this place." Members describe themselves as young and older, single and married, longtime Delaware residents and newcomers still finding their footing, and they mean it. With roughly 300 members, Trinity is large enough to sustain a full slate of programs and small enough that regular worshipers know one another by name.
The church's rhythm is captured in a three-word motto repeated throughout its life together: Gather, Grow, and Go. Members gather for worship, grow through education and fellowship, and go out to serve their neighbors near and far.
Sunday Morning at Trinity
Sunday worship at Trinity begins at 9:30 a.m. and is offered both in person and through livestream on the church's social media channels. The service follows a Presbyterian pattern that includes prayer, Scripture reading, preaching, congregational singing, and the sacraments. Members can also revisit past services through the sermon archive and follow along on SoundCloud, where weekly Bible readings are recorded by a member under the title "Bible by Heart."
Parents of young children find the morning well supported. Nursery care is available from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. for infants through age 3 in a space the church describes as peaceful, safe, warm, and loving. Children ages 4 through fourth grade begin in worship with their families for the first fifteen minutes and then head to Children's Church for an interactive program of their own. After worship, the morning continues with Church School and Music Enrichment, both running from September through April. Children's Church Coordinator Suzanne LeComte and Nursery Coordinator Lindsay O'Brien help keep the youngest worshipers cared for, while Amy Vitsorek oversees Church School and Vacation Bible School.
A Welcome That Spans Generations
"Trinity is always helping others, letting actions speak louder than words," and "This church brings out the best in each person and teaches children and youth how to live as God would want us to." That ethos of inclusion shapes how the congregation organizes itself. Trinity names every kind of person who finds a home here, and a recurring refrain among newcomers is the song "God Welcomes All."
Faith Formation for Every Age
Education at Trinity is organized around the same Gather-Grow-Go rhythm as the rest of church life, and the calendar reflects it.
Children move from the nursery into Children's Church, Church School, Mission Possible Kids (a monthly service group for ages 3 through fifth grade), Children's Choirs, and a summertime Vacation Bible School that runs a week of evening programming. Recent VBS themes have included "Rainforest Falls." Recent Mission Possible Kids projects have included packing lunches for the Emmanuel Dining Room, making Valentine cards for a local senior home, and assembling "snowman soup" packets for Stockings for Soldiers.
Youth in grades 6 through 8 meet for confirmation with Joe Ross, while older youth gather for Church School discussion and activities led by Chris. Youth Choir is open to grades 6 through 12 and rehearses right after worship on Sunday mornings. Mission work is woven into the year: youth have packed food for the Claymont Food Pantry, staffed the church bazaar and yard sale, traveled to Trade, Tennessee for the Appalachia Service Project, and attended the Massanetta Springs Middle School Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Adults have a quieter but steady menu. The Covenant Group meets at noon on Tuesdays for a multi-week study, most recently Adam Hamilton's DVD series "Why? Making Sense of God's Will." Women's Circles, including the Elizabeth and Rebecca Circles, meet at varying times in members' homes or in the church's conference room. A Book Discussion group gathers on a weeknight once a month to talk about a current novel.
A Music Program That Resonates Beyond the Choir Loft
Music is one of Trinity's most distinctive gifts. The Chancel Choir, the congregation's senior choir, leads worship and sings special music from September through May, rehearsing Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. The Alleluia Ringers, an adult handbell choir that rings both bells and chimes, rehearses at noon on Sundays. Both ensembles are non-auditioned and open to new members.
What sets the program apart is the Choral Scholars, an auditioned ensemble of eight college music majors who serve as section leaders in the Chancel Choir each week. The scholars provide special music, solos, duets, original compositions, and instrumental pieces throughout the program year, and they are equipped through the experience to step into worship-leadership roles in future ministries. Director of Music Alexis Ward leads a children's choir ladder that begins with the Cherub Choir (ages 3 through first grade) and continues with the Children's Choir (grades 2-5) and Youth Choir (grades 6-12), all of whom occasionally lead worship and prepare larger intergenerational pieces for Christmas, Holy Week, and the church's annual children's musicals.
Gather, Grow, and Go: The Mission in Practice
The third movement of Trinity's motto is its expansive mission work, and the congregation takes the word "Go" seriously. The church supports a wide network of local, national, and international partners, with particular depth in a handful of long-running relationships.
- Appalachian Service Project (ASP). Trinity has sent mission teams, including youth and adults, to Central Appalachia since 1984, helping to make homes warmer, safer, and drier. Katie Oliver serves as ASP Coordinator.
- Claymont Elementary School. Trinity partners with the school through clothing and supply drives and mindfulness programs for students and teachers.
- Claymont Food Closet. Members collect and deliver food to the community center pantry, which provides fresh, healthy food to neighbors experiencing hunger.
- Emmanuel Dining Room (EDR). A Trinity team prepares and serves a hot lunch to more than 150 people in Wilmington each month, joining more than 90 faith and civic groups who rotate through the kitchen.
- Friendship House Clothing Bank. Trinity collects clothing donations and delivers them to the Wilmington clothing bank.
- Rise Against Hunger. Since hosting its first meal-packaging event in 2013, Trinity has packaged well over 125,000 meals for the international hunger-relief agency.
- Mission Possible Kids. The children's mission group carries the same values into a younger age range, with monthly projects like lunch-packing for EDR and cards for senior homes.
Other supported ministries include Habitat for Humanity, Urban Promise, The Open Door, NCP Guatemala Partnership, Plant with Purpose, Presbyterians for Earth Care, Doctors Without Borders, eduKenya, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s three annual offerings: Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing, and Peace and Global Witness.
What Presbyterians Believe at Trinity
Trinity teaches the basics of the Reformed tradition: confessing the Christian faith, trusting in Christ as a forgiving Savior, following Christ's example for living, and faithfully attending worship and serving Christ in the world. Members worship weekly and celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The church teaches that believers grow together through study, fellowship, and service.
Staying Connected Through the Week
The church office at 1120 Darley Road is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., reachable at 302-475-5495 or office@trinitypresby.org. Members receive The Triangle, Trinity's monthly newsletter, and have access to a password-protected online directory. Trinity is also active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and SoundCloud, where livestreamed services, sermon excerpts, and recordings of the weekly Scripture reading can be found. Giving is available online through a secure portal that supports one-time donations, recurring gifts, and contributions to specific ministries and funds, including the Choral Scholars scholarship program.
For those who want to see Trinity in action, the simplest first step is a Sunday morning at 9:30, either in person on Darley Road or online, where the livestream carries the same music, prayers, and sermon into living rooms across the region.