FAMILIES ARE THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH
Strong parishes and Catholic schools are made up of holy families. But teaching families the content of the faith isn’t enough. They need to relearn how to live the faith daily—how to make home a taste of heaven.
Trinity House offers an inspiring yet practical model for Catholic family life. Plus the community support families desperately need.
“The Trinity House approach to finding ‘heaven in your home’ is grounded on two profound truths … The first truth is that God, the Holy Trinity, is a communion of persons. The second truth is that the family is also a communion of persons."
Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington
TRINITY HOUSE IS THE MISSING LINK
Your parish has a faith formation model. Trinity House completes it.
Whether your parish does full family formation, traditional religious education, or something in between, Trinity House bridges the gap between knowing the faith and living it out.
The Problem Is Real
Catholic families didn’t mean to lose their traditions. Secularism happened. Consumerism happened. Mobility pulled them from extended family and community.
The practices that once came naturally? Gone.
The Opportunity Is Now
Families are waking up. They see the damage. They want to recover what’s been lost.
And it’s a beautiful moment to help them.
Community Changes Everything
Formation without friendship doesn’t stick. Families need peer support to turn ideals into practice.
Trinity House Community Groups put socializing first. Peer-to-peer discipleship follows naturally. Families show up because they want to, not because they have to.
Social Science Meets Ancient Wisdom
Studies show peer influence is the strongest predictor of behavior change—stronger than expert advice or institutional programs. Trinity House harnesses this reality, creating the “horizontal bonds” that enable families to actually live what they believe.
Flexible. Practical. Proven.
Use our materials—videos, handouts, books, templates, leader guides—however works best:
- Standalone marriage and family ministry
- Supplement to full family formation or traditional religious education
- Adult faith formation boost
- Marriage or baptism prep enhancement
Men’s and women’s groups
Pair Trinity House with your faith formation model. And watch families make the faith their own!
WATCH THE EASY STEPS TO LAUNCH A TRINITY HOUSE GROUP IN YOUR PARISH!
“Many hands make light work! Many people helping and being owners in the process has made this a really successful program for us.”
Nikki Volinsky
Parent & Group Coordinator
St. Rita’s Catholic Church & School
Alexandria, Virginia
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the family is a communion of persons, an image of the Holy Trinity: “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.” (CCC, 2205) A Trinity House is a home in which the family’s ultimate goal is to continually increase their life of communion so that they become an ever more radiant image of God and their home becomes a taste of heaven that overflows into their neighborhood.
FAMILY LIFE
A family becomes an image of God by receiving God’s own life of interpersonal communion in the Eucharist and by protecting and growing this communion day-to-day as they move through the five levels of family life: Faith Life, in which they receive their communion; Person & Relationships, in which they deepen their communion; Household Economy, in which they care for their communion; Family Culture, in which they celebrate their communion; and Hospitality & Service, in which they share their taste of heaven with others.
"The vision that Soren and Ever have for building faithful Catholic families and communities is an inspiration. I believe that the continued success of this apostolate provides a model for the Domestic Church in action."
Supreme Knight
Knights of Columbus
- Key Practices: A key practice drives the building up of each level of a Trinity House. For Faith Life, the key practice is a Holy Sabbath. For Person & Relationships, it’s the weekly Date Night. For Household Economy, it’s the weekly Chore Day. For Family Culture, it’s a daily Family Meal. For Hospitality & Service, it’s One Outreach at a time.
- Key Places: A key place supports the development of each of the five levels of a Trinity House. For Faith Life the key place is the Home Altar. For Person & Relationships, it’s the Quiet Place. For Household Economy, it’s the Dedicated Workspace. For Family Culture, it’s the Kitchen Table. For Hospitality & Service, it’s Our Neighborhood.
- Key Principles: A key principle for each level helps parents get into the right mindset and spirit to build a true Trinity House. The key principle for Faith Life is Surrender. For Person & Relationships it's Presence. For Household Economy, it's Teamwork. For Family Culture, it's Initiative. For Hospitality & Service, it's Abundance.
- Trinity House Tools: Once the family has the three keys in place for each level, our model gives guidance on how to use a variety of tools—like personal and family prayer, theology of the body, personality typing and communication styles, charism discernment, budgeting and housework tips, liturgical living, and hospitality—to continue building up their Trinity House!
Instant Relevance. Friendship & Community. Simple Expectations.
RELEVANCE
The Trinity House model centers on how the family is a communion of persons in the image of the Holy Trinity. The relevance of the model for the family’s highest ideal — to increase communion with each other — is immediately clear.
COMMUNITY
The Gathering format gives busy families what they want—not lengthy talks and loads of homework—but friendship & community in a primarily social setting. Families receive formation, but in a context that starts by fulfilling their felt needs.
EXPECTATIONS
Families and parishes have limited resources with which to undertake this critical work. That’s why the Gatherings use a simple, intuitive format. And meeting 5 times a year feels like something busy families and parishes can manage.
“As our young people transition into a new stage in life with marriages and families, there is a gap,” said Father Michael Weibley, O.P., whose Sts. Philip & James in Baltimore now hosts a Trinity House Community Group. “We had nothing specific to offer families. The challenge is, how can they live the faith in their homes?”
- training and ongoing support
- group formation guide
- event planning guide
- marketing templates
- supply lists
- event leader guide
- video presentations
- small group discussion questions
- Heaven in Your Home Flowchart for families
- access to online videos and toolkits for families who want more
Families can purchase supplemental materials separately—The Heaven in Your Home Letters & Guide, a book series which includes resources for the five yearly Gatherings and lots more inspiration for building a Trinity House, is available on Amazon. Purchasing the books is not necessary to participate in the Gatherings.
- Parishes pay an annual subscription fee to Trinity House Community of $499. Participating dioceses may offer diocesan-wide rates to individual parishes.
- Other costs will vary from parish to parish, but can include printing, paper goods, and food.
- The subscription fee and other costs can be offset in a number of ways: by putting out a donation basket at events, by asking the Knights of Columbus to cover some of the cost as part of their Family Program obligation, by asking the families to bring potluck for dinner or drinks and desserts, etc.
“Soren and Ever stay down to earth about the messiness of family life while at the same time opening our hearts towards a more beautiful vision. They help us in the gap between reality and what we strive towards, providing tools and encouragement in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Falls Church, VA
