Our Story

The Church of the Brethren traces its beginnings to Schwarzenau, Germany in 1708 when 8 incredibly brave adults baptized each other in the Eder River. The basic tenants of our faith include believers baptism, the priesthood of all believers, and claiming no formal creed but the New Testament.

The Trotwood Church of the Brethren has been in the city of Trotwood since 1900. We have prayed together, had meals together, and served the community together for over one hundred years. We are looking forward to knowing you!

For more information about the Church of the Brethren please visit brethren.org or visit us on Sunday!

How We Worship

At Trotwood Church of the Brethren worship is at the center of our lives together. On a Sunday morning, we worship in a traditional style with bursts of creativity and contemporary flavor. When you worship with us, you can expect:

Music - We enjoy singing together accompanied by our talented pianists and organists. Every other Sunday our 4 to 6 piece orchestra shares their gifts, and our choir always has a meaningful anthem to offer. Occasionally, we invite the children’s choir to sing and often create space for members of our community to share whatever musical talent they wish.

Sharing - We are a smaller community who values relationships. During worship you will hear stories of joy and stories of struggle or concern as we choose to lift one another in prayer. One of our most loved practices is our Prayer Blanket Ministry. During our time of sharing we may gather around a warm and fuzzy blanket to pray for the person it will later be delivered to so that that person knows how loved they are.

Scripture - We are a people who deeply value scripture and how it speaks into our lives. We are people of the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Old Testament.)

Sermons - Pastor Jen, as well as the occasional guest preacher, offer Biblically grounded sermons intended to create space for God to speak to the individual and the community.

Accessibility - Our building is equipped with an elevator on the south side of the building for easy access to all the floors, hearing devices for use during the service, and space to accommodate wheelchairs.

First Time Visitors

If you are considering worshipping with us for the first time:

• We have our own parking lot which makes parking easily available.
• We have two entrances to the building, please use the entrance located under the awning on the south side of the building for elevator access.
• Child Care is provided during both the Sunday School hour (9:30am - 10:30am) and the Worship hour (10:45am -12:00pm).
• All ages are welcome to worship!

Church Life

We offer Christian Education classes for all ages on Sunday mornings with additional Bible Studies and Theological Study groups during the week based on the season and congregational interest. Currently, we gather each Tuesday at 10am for a study called, “Scripture Chat.” This study focuses on the scripture Pastor Jen will preach about the following Sunday and offers the sacred space to engage with the text at a conversational level.

Service: We engage with our community through partnership with Trotwood Neighborhood Transformation, a local group geared toward helping neighbors know their neighbors. Each Christmas we set up a “Mitten Tree” to gather cold weather accessories for Trotwood’s Early Learning Center.

Community and Global Partnerships: We support local and global service/justice organizations such as:
Christian Peacemaker Teams - cpt.org
BEAMS: Guatemala - link to facebook page - www.facebook.com/BEAMSinGuatemala
Heifer International - heifer.org

Fellowship: We strengthen relationships in our congregation through our weekly “Lunch Spot,” monthly Carry-Ins, Christmas Caroling, Backyard parties, and more!

Denominational Ministries: Mission and Ministry Board
Southern Ohio/Kentucky District - http://www.sodcob.org

Camping and Retreat Ministries - http://www.sodcob.org/empowering-existing-ministries/camping-and-retreat-ministry

Brethren Retirement Community - http://www.bhrc.org

Bethany Theological Seminary - http://www.bethanyseminary.edu

Manchester University - http://www.manchester.edu

On Earth Peace - http://www.onearthpeace.org

Brethren Disaster Ministries - http://www.brethren.org/bdm/

Partnerships With Other Churches: We celebrate an ongoing relationship with Happy Corner, Salem, and Lower Miami Churches of the Brethren. Our cohort often gathers for Kick Ball games, Fall Love Feast (Communion), Easter Week Services, and Christmas events.