A Trellis is a latticework structure used to support growing vines. According to John 15:5, Jesus Christ is the vine and we, the followers of Christ, are the branches. Therefore, Trellis Church aims to be a structure that allows God to grow whatever He desires.

The vision for our church plant began with our teaching pastor and church planter in January 2021. At the time, she was serving at another church while working toward completing a Master of Divinity at Southeastern University, which she has since finished. During this season, God called her to plant a new church and gave her a vision of a Greek cross intertwined with a vine. The vine, with its three branches, symbolized the Trinity.

A year later, the Holy Spirit prompted the start of a Hermeneutics class for a group of young adults, led by our teaching pastor. From that class, the church was born. Elders were established, and the first team members came together. Today, these team members collaborate to teach, preach, and lead gatherings, united by the vision God set in motion.

We do not currently offer childcare, but your children are welcome to join us for our Sunday night worship & classes where we provide coloring sheets & crayons. They're also welcome to join us at our beach worship events. Please contact us about our other events and gatherings to see if they are kid appropriate.

We are casual, so wear whatever you are comfortable wearing.

Anyone who considers Trellis Church their church is automatically a member.
We ask that all members serve Trellis Church to the best of their ability and not share your agenda. We encourage everyone to share Jesus and His love but to avoid trying to sell products or promote other things.
Members can choose just to be part of a gathering or also to join us for our City-Wide events and classes.

Microchurches at Trellis Church are called Gatherings. These are small, mission-driven communities that meet regularly to worship, grow in faith, and serve together. These gatherings are the heart of our church and offer a more personal way to connect with God and others.

Trellis Church values microchurches, which we call Gatherings, because they create authentic community that allows for deeper discipleship. These smaller gatherings provide a space for people in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, and Parrish to connect personally and grow in their faith.

Absolutely! Trellis Church welcomes newcomers to join our microchurches. These gatherings are open to everyone, whether you're a young adult, a college student, or simply someone looking for authentic community in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, or Parrish.

Teaching is shared among the members. One or more people will coordinate and guide the gathering, but everyone is encouraged to participate in teaching. Some with a teacher gift may feel more inclined to teach but we encourage everyone to engage in teaching as Hebrews 5:12 shares about the importance of everyone learning to teach in some way as a sign of maturity.

We offer a Hermeneutics class called How to Study the Bible to help everyone to learn how to interpret the Scriptures correctly. In addition to the class, our structure allows for mutual discernment within the gathering through the revelation of the Holy Spirit which is validated by Scripture and confirmed by the community. This is done through prayer, discussion, study of Scripture, and recognizing what the Spirit is doing in the community and world.

Everyone is free to switch gatherings or attend multiple gatherings. However, switching to avoid conflict or accountability is discouraged. Instead, we ask that you always pray about your decision to leave a gathering and recognize if you need to work something out with someone first.

Nope. We see The Church as one entity, so we encourage everyone to participate wherever the Spirit leads them. They can go to multiple churches, ministries, events, classes, and microchurches (which we call gatherings). We don't believe in building our kingdom, but allowing God to build his.

Trellis Church has a church board that handles all the legal and financial aspects of the church. We also have an accountability board to prevent heresy and any type of leader misconduct. These two aspects are more part of the Trellis structure while the church itself, the branches growing off of Christ's vine, are made up of the elders, team members, and church members. We have elders instead of a lead or senior pastor because we believe in plurality of leadership. Christ is our lead pastor. The elders work together with the team and members to discern God's will as revealed by the Holy Spirit and then do it.

Jesus Christ! Since we are Christ led and Spirit driven instead of pastor led and staff driven, Christ is the only lead or senior pastor. Instead our church board, elders, team members, and church members work together to discern God's will and do what seems good to the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28).

Potential elders must first join the team, as described in "Who can join the team of Trellis Church?". Then existing elders vote on whether or not someone can become an elder. If approved, the church board must then also vote and approve this decision. All voting is done after prayer and discernment.

In order to join our church team, you will be required to go through 2 classes: Hermeneutics (also known as How to Study the Bible) and Spiritual Gifts. You must also attend for 6 months before being brought onto the team and given an area of responsibility. To join the team you must be approved by the Elders and agree to our team agreement. In the meantime, you will be able to serve and assist any other team members. Your area will be determined by what you believe God has called you to and the gifts He has given you. As soon as you finish the classes, you will be able to start teaching or preaching, if you feel God leading you to do so.

After joining the team, you will be able to start the ordination process in January of the following year and be ordained 1 year after joining the team. You may also choose to remain a church team member. Each team member or pastor will focus on an area of ministry and may change areas as the Spirit guides them with the approval of the Elders.

Our goal is to support you in any area of ministry God has for you!
We also hope to help more gatherings to emerge and assist other church planters.

We are both non-denominational and interdenominational. However, we believe in the importance of outside accountability and therefore have an accountability board of pastors from other churches. You can see a list of them in our About section above. We are also part of the Underground Network, the Tampa Underground, and Brave Future.

A budget is set by the church board. The budget is updated yearly and available in the giving section below. Elders vote on benevolence giving after prayerfully considering a request. Board members, elders, and their family or dependents are not eligible for benevolence. Large purchases require board approval. All other purchases must comply with the yearly budget.

Our goal is to encourage microchurches to emerge through discipleship. So we focus on teaching people to make disciples in their everyday life. Evangelism is a step in discipleship. So the goal isn't to go find lots of new people, but just engage in our normal activities and things we enjoy doing and find ways to share the gospel in our everyday life. Through this relational approach we teach people how to engage in spiritual conversations that will hopefully lead to a bible study forming that will then grow into a microchurch gathering.

We don't plant microchurch gatherings directly. Rather, we plant the gospel in people and encourage them to follow the Spirit and equip them to do God's mission in such a way that microchurches emerge.

Start with prayer! Focus on discipleship. And ask us to discuss more and pray with you. We'd also encourage you to join us for The Missionary Pathway class as it is the first step in creating an environment where a microchurch gathering can emerge.

This means that in everything else, that is anything not essential for salvation, we respect each other's opinions and do not engage in argumentative or divisive attitudes. We are not into agendas, non-salvific theological debates, party politics, or religion.

This is derived from St. Augustine's statement, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love.”

We have a core value of Unity in Christ, Diversity in Everything else because we want to allow all of the family of God to join together even if they have different theological views, as long as they believe Christ is the only way to a relationship with the Triune God.

We believe the Bible is made up of 66 books according to the Protestant canon. Each of these 66 books, while written by various authors, was divinely inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Bible, also referred to as Scripture, is God's Word.

However, we believe it is crucial to interpret God's Word, the Bible, through both the Holy Spirit's guidance and a deep understanding of the context in which it was written. This is why we offer a Hermeneutics class (How the Study the Bible Class), which teaches how to properly interpret Scripture.

The goal of studying God's Word is to discern and do His will so that we might abide in Christ and become more like Him. All discernment and interpretation of the Bible must recognize that current editions of God's Word today are translations of manuscripts that were meticulously copied from the originals, but not the originals themselves. Along with not having the original manuscripts, we are not from the culture or time in which they were written. Thus, understanding God's Word is done prayerfully with the Holy Spirit's guidance and through studying the historical and cultural context of the author and audience.

This is also why we hold lightly to things that are debatable and not part of our essential doctrine.

Someone who learns through apprenticeship to be like Christ. And then disciples others by coming alongside them and encouraging them to make Jesus their Lord & Savior while teaching them God's word. This results in a disciple-making disciple.

Trellis Church connects people in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, and Parrish to authentic community through microchurch gatherings, discipleship opportunities, and regular events. Our goal is to help people grow spiritually while forming lasting connections.

Trellis Church emphasizes microchurches as the primary expression of church. We prioritize authentic community, disciple-making, and providing spaces where young adults and people of all ages can gather for worship, growth, and fun. We meet in various locations throughout Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, and Parrish.

You can get involved with Trellis Church by attending one of our microchurch gatherings in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, or Parrish, or participating in our City-Wide events. Follow us online for updates about discipleship classes, worship nights, and fun opportunities to connect with our church community.

Spiritual abuse, unfortunately, is a reality in many churches across America, particularly within larger congregations, such as megachurches. If you have experienced any form of abuse, we strongly recommend seeking support from a qualified Christian counselor. At our church, we are dedicated to creating a space of safety and vulnerability where healing can begin. Having experienced spiritual abuse ourselves, we deeply understand the journey you're on. Healing takes time, and it involves identifying triggers, setting healthy boundaries, and allowing God to work in your life. We are here to pray for you, walk alongside you, and encourage you as you navigate this process. You are not alone, and we want to support you on your path to wholeness.

If you have been hurt by someone at our church, we encourage you to talk to them one-on-one, if you feel safe doing so. If not, bring a trusted friend, one of our elders, or a board member with you. The goal is to achieve reconciliation and repentance. If reconciliation does not result from this encounter, we encourage you to take the issue first to our elders. If unresolved, bring it to our church board and, if needed, to our accountability board. Our goal is always to restore relationships and ensure they are healthy.

Yes, we have both a Christmas Service and a Christmas Party. You can learn more here.

Yes, we combine with Tampa Underground each year for our Good Friday Service.

Yes, we have an Easter Service. You can learn more here.

Yes! We have the following fun events throughout the year:

• Super Bowl Party
• Dine & Discipleship
• Bonfires
• Christmas Party
• New Years Eve Party

Yes, we have both beach worship and bonfire worship nights.

Come join us for our gatherings in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, or Parrish to meet new people and make friends. We are always excited to meet new people and welcome them into our community. We often go out for food after our Sunday night events. We also like to hang out after all our gatherings and chat, so stay late and get to know some people! We recognize the importance of a healthy community in our isolated, lonely world and actively try to connect people. You do not need to do life by yourself. Instead, let us be there for you.

• Take the initiative
  While it's easy to sit back and think, “If you don't care enough to talk to me then I'm not talking to you,” that's a very unhelpful approach to community and won't win you many friends. Instead, try taking the initiative and saying hello with a smile. Chances are the other person was either preoccupied or just as nervous as you were. However, we do create a spirit of welcoming new people at Trellis Church. Not every church is good at this but luckily we have some very friendly team members and pastors.
• Show up early and stay late
  Our church gatherings and events try to start on time and I can't tell you often I hear the door click after we start. Many people show up just in time or within the first ten minutes, then when it is over they walk straight out to their cars. While that may make church more efficiently fit your weekend schedule, it does not help you make friends at church or grow relationships. Instead, try arriving at least 15 minutes before we start. It will give you an opportunity to mingle and become a more familiar face to everyone. Then try to stay after to chat and join us for dinner when we go out. You'll be surprised how many friendships organically develop.
• Get involved
  If you want church to be easy and only a place you visit each week to get fed spiritually, making friends will be slow. To speed up the process you can help us out during our gatherings and events! Most churches rely on a lot of people to keep things running. By finding a place to serve you'll be joining a team you can work beside and get to know. Those people can become your church friend base. Where should you get involved? A great way to start is just try different things. You could also take our How to Study the Bible class that ends with discovering your spiritually Gifts which helps you to see where God has gifted you and then serve in that area. We encourage you to search for ways to serve how God designed YOU. Some examples would be teaching, preaching, outreach, worship, welcome team, set up & tear down, etc. But most importantly, pray about where God would have you serve. We strongly believe that the Spirit should always be leading you to how to serve God instead of us just delegating what we think we need.

For more details:

• 10 Ways to Make Friends if You are Lonely at Church
• Help! I Want to Make Friends at Church.