About Trinity
What We Believe
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
The Human Condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
The Work of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Living
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ's Return
We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
Response and Eternal Destiny
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace.
Leadership
Staff & Elders
Tim Etherington
Pastor
About Pastor Tim
Tim grew up near Detroit and entered the Air Force after high school. He came to know the Lord through the witness of a friend in his squadron at RAF Bentwaters, England. While stationed at Edwards AFB, Tim completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He grew in faith over the years, and was asked to serve as an elder at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church in Lancaster, CA.
God began to call Tim into full time ministry, so in 2002 he retired from the Air Force. He and his family moved to the Chicago area to work on his Master’s of Divinity degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. After graduation, Tim served as an elder at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, IL. In 2009, he was asked to join a team that planted LifeSpring Community Church in Spring Grove, IL. The church officially opened on 10/10/2010, and after serving with the team for three years, Lancaster EFC asked him to return to be their pastor. He and his wife Lisa feel well suited to the serve the people of the Antelope Valley and Edwards AFB. The church’s enthusiastic decision to rename Lancaster EFC to Trinity Community Church reflects both the dedication to historic Christian doctrines, as well as an emphasis to serve the community where God has placed them.
Pastor Tim and Lisa have three grown children who still live in the Midwest. They own Linus, a golden retriever and good dog.
In His mercy, God has taught this congregation and its pastor a lot about Himself, His passion for people, and His ability to cause all things to work together for good. We want to invite you to learn along with us and with Pastor Tim. He blogs (occasionally) here.
Dan Stromberg
Elder Chairman
About Dan
Dan was raised in a Christian home and came to Christ at an early age. He was lovingly discipled by his parents and grew up attending Grace Community Church. While in the U.S. Air Force, he met his wife Kathy and they were married in 1980 in Athens, Greece. Returning to the U.S., the Strombergs started a family, having three wonderful children, all who love the Lord and desire to serve Him.
Before coming to Trinity, Dan served as chairman of the Trustees (Deacons) at White Oak Evangelical Church in Reseda, CA. The family then moved to the west end of the San Fernando Valley and became members of Cornerstone Christian Church, where Dan also served as Deacon, then Deacon Chairman. After moving to the Santa Clarita Valley, the family joined Faith Community Church where Dan served on the board of Elders for over 21 years, two years as Chairman of the Elders. He taught a home Bible study once a week and taught Adult Sunday school classes continuously for approximately 12 years.
God put in motion an opportunity to serve here at Trinity, and Dan & Kathy were able to relocate to Lancaster a few years ago. Dan teaches Adult Sunday school and a mid-week home group Bible study. Kathy is involved serving in Trinity’s children’s ministry teaching a young girls Sunday school class.
Dan and Kathy have three grown children and four grandchildren. They currently live and work in Turkey, Texas, and Tanzania. Dan and Kathy’s middle child, David works as a webmaster for a software firm.
Steve Carlson
Elder
About Steve
Steve was adopted and raised by a loving Christian couple. Through their nurture and teaching, he came to know Christ as his savior at the age of 4. He grew up in Santa Barbara where the family regularly attended and served in Grace Baptist Church. Prior to leaving for college, he served as a bus ministry captain, youth leader, and church custodian. Steve completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Thought: Philosophical Studies and English at Liberty University in Virginia. He then earned a Master of Education degree in English Education from Lynchburg College (Virginia). After returning to California, Steve served for a time as the Baptist Student Union director at UC, Santa Barbara. During a residence in Missouri, he also taught at Southwest Baptist University and Baptist Bible College as well as a Sunday School class for 5th grade boys. After moving to the Antelope Valley, Steve served as an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Palmdale, where he also taught adult Sunday School classes.
Steve and Jennifer have been public school teachers in the Antelope Valley for about two decades each. Dedicated educators, they recently both completed Master of Arts degrees in School Leadership. They enjoy spending time with family, including church family but especially their grandchildren, and exploring the magnificence of God’s creation.