Our faith family at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is blessed with young families, youth, young adults, singles and seniors, with cradle Lutherans, Christians from other traditions, and brothers and sisters of other faiths. Having received God’s welcome in Holy Baptism and holy nourishment at the Lord’s Table, we are called upon to share the wealth. As congregation, we believe our life together is energized by worshiping, learning, serving, enjoying fellowship, and beautiful music. Come experience our Holy Trinity faith family and make a difference with us. See how faith is active in love here in Manasquan, our beautiful Jersey Shore hometown.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
Since our founding over 100 years ago, Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church has striven to extend its welcome to include all people, offering holy hospitality through ministries of caring, compassion, service and social justice. As a continuation and natural outgrowth of our welcome to all who seek God’s love and grace, we are committed to affirming and embracing people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, age, faith history, economic status, marital status, physical and mental ability, and education. We are committed to eliminating racism in all its forms and to racial equity. As Jesus welcomed us, so we, as members of Holy Trinity’s faith family, are ever mindful to joyfully and unconditionally welcome all.
Testimonials
My wife, children and I started attending Holy Trinity about 16 years ago. We were warmly welcomed from the start and we are now a part of this active faith family. Our 3 children have attended Sunday school, made their First Communions, and have all been confirmed. The youth programs were always something they looked forward to attending. I have served on the Finance committee for over a decade and also have been on the Church Council, for those who are looking to volunteer, there are many opportunities regardless of the time you have available to give.
I've attended for more than 40 years. This church truly is a family, and everyone is welcome. I especially love the music and singing in the choir. To keep busy after retirement, I started working on Sandy relief projects and The Furniture Bank was born. This is one of many outreach ministries of our church. If you want to join a family, give back to the community or get closer to God, this is the place for you. Give it a try!
As a relatively new member, I was attracted to Holy Trinity because they seem to take seriously the commandments to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. In that sense, they not only "talk the talk" but they "walk the walk" as well. Having previously attended a worship setting where "Holy ground" was limited to the confines of the church, I was pleased to see that HT takes a more expansive view. To them, all of creation is Holy, especially where ever our brothers and sisters tread as each one is created in the image and likeness of God. They really mean it when they say "all are welcome here."
My life-long church family from Sunday School to Confirmation, to volunteering as an acolyte and communion assistant, to now volunteering on the Evangelism committee, I am blessed to be a part of this community. All are welcome!
It’s truly a family here! As a younger adult, it’s so great to be apart of a church that offers so many volunteer opportunities, fun activities like movie nights, book clubs, and both in person and online services. If you’re ever interested in getting involved there are numerous committees. You will always be heard here. This church community is very accepting of ALL. They truly mean it when they say ALL are welcome.
It is a vibrant community that feels like home as soon as you walk through the door. From exceptional pastoral leadership to bold community outreach, from vibrant youth and family ministries to passionate pursuit of justice and peace, Holy Trinity offers something for all.
I started going to Holy Trinity about a year and a half ago, shortly after I moved to Manasquan. A friend of mine told me that I had to check out Holy Trinity, that it was really special. So, I went the next weekend, and from the moment I walked in, I felt I belonged. I was enthusiastically welcomed, by both the pastor and the congregation.There is a warmth at this church that I have not found elsewhere. In addition, the message of loving God and your neighbor is clear. The pastor’s sermons are thought-provoking, inspirational, and relevant. For those who want to be more involved, there are many opportunities for volunteering: committees, choir, helping with the services, book groups, There are many ways to get involved at church - committees to join, volunteering to help with the services, choir, book club, and much much more. I encourage you to come to a service at Holy Trinity. All are welcome!
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church checks all the boxes on my list of things I desire in a faith family. First and foremost: this is a no judgment zone. All are welcome. No exceptions. The congregation is shepherded by a vibrant woman of faith who models for us what it is to be a Christian. There is no doubt in my mind that Pastor Mary cares deeply for each member of her multi-generational flock. She takes the time to learn every member’s name. She is personally accessible and when she meets with a member she is generous with her time. She sends hand-written notes to let people know she is thinking of them, praying for them, there for them, whether they are celebrating a birth or grieving a loss.
Holy Trinity members have innumerable opportunities to use their God-given talents to serve Our Lord and the community. One can sing in the choir, assist with worship services, landscape the grounds, teach Sunday School, visit the sick … the list goes on and on. The Holy Trinity website includes this statement: “Our vision is to continually build a spiritual community in which faith is active in love as we worship God and serve our neighbor.” I have found that to be true and encourage you to attend a service and see for yourself.
What a special place! I first set foot through the doors of Holy Trinity Manasquan some seven months ago and my life changed. I wasn't really looking for a place of worship, just for a place to make myself useful. Was I in for a surprise! I immediately felt that I belonged. I marvelled at the simplicity of the sanctuary. A warmth and love enveloped me I had never experienced before. I had been handed a bulletin for the service to follow every word, reading and prayer for the service, and every note sung by the wonderful choir and the congregation. Everybody was involved. What a joy! The sermon was most relevant and inspirational, relating to everyday situations and occurrences of the past week. And then the phenomenal organ postlude. I haven't looked back since. The church has boundless opportunities for helping the needy, for outreach ministries in the community. I have joined their choirs, their Furniture Bank, their caregivers circle, and their book study group. Come and take a look. All are welcome! Experience the warmth and love. You will be surprised too!
A congregation that welcomes all with open arms and allows you to explore the endless ways to worship God & serve the community.
Warm and inclusive community, inspiring pastor, active ministry, spine-tingling choir.
Marvelous family atmosphere. Wonderful community.
My name is Ana Klement, and my wife Carol and I happily and gratefully became members of Holy Trinity this past summer. I want to share our story of how we came to Holy Trinity and why we feel so fortunate to have found a faith community that has welcomed us with grace and love.
I guess I should start with how we became Lutherans. Carol and I both grew up as Roman Catholics, from baptism to confirmation, but as the years passed and we grew to live our lives as our true selves, we began to feel that the faith that we grew up with no longer provided a space for us to worship as full participants because of who we are.
Twenty years ago, Carol searched online for a “gay-friendly” church and found Emanuel Lutheran in New Brunswick. We decided to give it a try and attend a Sunday service. Unbeknownst to us, that service happened to be a Reconciling in Christ Sunday. Emanuel had been an RIC church for several years by then. We couldn’t believe our luck, or maybe it was divine intervention that brought us there that Sunday, but we knew we had found a home.
After moving to Point Pleasant in 2010, we continued to drive up to New Brunswick every Sunday for worship, but we knew we would eventually need to find a new faith community closer to home. Another internet search led us to Holy Trinity, right next door in Manasquan. From our first visit, we knew we had found another special place. We were impressed by the feeling of community, the beautiful sanctuary, the music, and of course, Pastor Mary. We felt so welcome, and we returned several times as we considered the decision to leave Emanuel and join Holy Trinity. Each time we visited, our decision became clearer as we learned that Holy Trinity, through its messaging, mission and works, was a truly welcoming faith community that provided a safe space for all of God’s children. Carol and I feel truly blessed to be a part of Holy Trinity’s faith family.
I can’t say it any better than the lyrics to a hymn we sang several weeks ago: “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea; there’s a kindness in God’s justice which is more than liberty…For the love of God is broader than the measures of our mind, and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.”
My name is John Ploetz. My husband Jim and I started coming to Holy Trinity in the winter of 2023, I have been singing in the choir since last fall, and we became members this past spring. I want to share my personal experience with religion, to illustrate why the RIC designation can be so important to certain communities.
I was born into a family of 6 children, and at our parents urging, were very active in the Lutheran Church. As a young child I loved going to Sunday School, singing in the children’s choir, reading Arch illustrated biblical storybooks, doing crafts in Vacation Bible school, and dressing up for Christmas pageants. What’s not to love?
But as I approached confirmation, my attitude shifted. You see, we were Missouri Synod Lutherans, and about the time I realized that I was gay, I also realized that this was not OK with the church.
This was further reinforced by the Baptist Aunts and Uncles on my mother’s side of the family, who took it upon themselves to anonymously send me and one of my sisters, who also happens to be gay, books about Christian conversion therapy.
Needless to say, once I was out on my own, I was convinced organized religion had no place for me. So, for over 3 decades, I only went to church when I was home visiting my family.
What this meant was that I had no church family or spiritual guidance when I went through the deaths of both of my parents, through the fears of 9/11 and COVID, through the shock of Jim’s near-fatal heart attack, or to share in the joy of our City Hall wedding two weeks after he got out of the hospital.
Fortunately, God guided me to this building, to this vibrant congregation, to Deacon Ned, to Pastor Mary, to all of the people who have made us feel so welcome, accepted, and at home.
The RIC program, which has been in existence since 1974, is an attempt to ensure that my journey will not be repeated by others. By formally welcoming people, who for much of their lives have been told they are either merely tolerated by their religions, or worse, are not welcome at all. Given this history, a special, explicit invitation and welcome is needed.
Thank you for providing Jim and I such an amazing spiritual home.
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