Places of faith
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

Trinity Lutheran Church
2949 Alamo St.
Simi Valley
(805) 526-2429
Rev. David Brinkley
Founded: 1959
Size of congregation: 800
Denomination: Lutheran
Services:
Sunday, 9 and 10:30 a.m.
Foundation of beliefs:
The founding beliefs go back
to Martin Luther: Scripture
is the basis for everything
we do, and the work of
Christ is the total hope for
salvation.
Fun fact: We have a really
fun summer camp for kids,
Camp Wahoo,
with a Western theme.

Questions of faith (answered by the Rev. Brinkley):

What is the purpose of life?

To love the Lord and serve our neighbor.

What must humankind do to get into heaven?

Trust completely in the word of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection.

What is your belief in Heaven or Hell?

We have a belief in heaven and hell. We believe they are an eternal reality. Where God is, that's where heaven is. Where God isn't, that's where hell is. We believe they are real places, but we don't have descriptions of them necessarily.

What is the role of the church in the community?

To try in serve the community in all ways. Our emphasis is providing a Christian education for children. We have a preschool and day school from kindergarten to eighth grade. We're involved in feeding the homeless. Scout troops meet here and AA groups do also- any way we can use our facility to help the community.

What is the church's view on gay rights and abortion?

The denominational view is that we don't ordain gay individuals into the ministry and we take a very strong stance against abortion.

Women's role in the church?

Women have access to all activities and roles except we don't have women pastors. We don't ordain women yet.

What is your view on ecology issues?

We believe it's very important that Christians be good stewards of the Earth and environmentally aware.