Archives: News Stories

Trinity Women’s Organization (TWO) looks forward to spending time with scrapbookers at its semi-annual scrapbooking event!

The spring 2020 event takes place Friday, January 17: 6-9:30 pm and Saturday, January 18: 9 am – 9 pm. Doors will open 30 minutes before the event begins in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel

There are options to register for either or both days. All those who are high school age and older welcome.

Click here for more information.

TWO is a volunteer organization of women dedicated to encouraging and uplifting students while raising funds for student scholarships.

With the purchase of the former Back to God Ministries International building at 6555 W. College Dr., Trinity has the opportunity to create a first-class welcome experience at the new, highly visible front door of its campus for the first time since the early 1970s.

We are nearly to our goal of $3.3 million to fully fund our new Welcome Center! Take a virtual tour of the new building and hear from President Kurt Dykstra why this building will be so impactful to Trinity’s campus.

Should you feel led to make a contribution that will help us raise the last $300,000 and open doors to future generations of Trinity students, we would love to see alumni like you get involved! As you know firsthand, a Trinity education is valuable! Better visibility for the College means more opportunity to impact more students for God, for good, and for the world.

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), in residence at Trinity Christian College, rings in the holiday season with guest conductor and Music Director of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Allen Tinkham for the Home for the Holidays concert at Ozinga Chapel on December 21, 2019, at 3 pm. IPO will also share the stage with the Elmhurst Choral Union, led by Conductor and Artistic Director Scott Unddenberg, for the second time.

Patrons will enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of goodwill and holiday spirit in a program that features John Williams’ Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas; Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and A Christmas Festival sing-a-long; Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus; Tchaikovsky’s Suite from The Nutcracker; and many more holiday classics!

Tinkham said, “A holiday program is something the whole family can enjoy together. Whether you are 7 or 70, whether you attend the symphony regularly or have never heard an orchestra in your life, there will be plenty to love. There will be some classical Christmastime favorites like excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Handel’s Messiah, as well as traditional carols played in unexpected styles like klezmer or soul, and even a chance for everyone to sing along!”

The presenting sponsor for Home for the Holidays is the Ozinga Foundation.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 42nd season in 2019-20. From its community orchestra roots in Park Forest, the 69-member orchestra has grown into a critically acclaimed professional regional orchestra.

ABOUT ELMHURST CHORAL UNION

Elmhurst Choral Union has been singing since 1952. Established initially as a student and faculty ensemble at Elmhurst College in 1961, ECU expanded to include singers from the community when they merged with a pre-existing choir run by Elmhurst Park District. Elmhurst Choral Union continues to welcome skilled singers of all ages.

The Trinity community celebrated with the Fall 2019 graduates today, as students received master of arts, bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of social work degrees.

At the ceremony in Ozinga Chapel Auditorium, President Kurt D. Dykstra provided the welcome, and Laura E. Zumdahl ’02, chair of Trinity’s Board of Trustees, gave the greeting. Indira Yazmin Escalante Bustillo ’19, 2019 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy and a graduate, offered the invocation.

Aaron J. Kuecker, Ph.D., introduced the three professors who gave commencement reflections on the theme of “What I know now that I wished I knew when I graduated from college”:  John J. Fry, Ph.D., Professor of History; Department Chair; Academic Dean; Director of Foundations Program; Mario Guzmán, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology; and Kelly Lenarz, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education; Director of Education Assessment, Innovation & Traditional Undergraduate Programs.

Kuecker also recognized Escalante and Gabriel Soler ’19 for their leadership in Trinity’s Diversity Scholars Program at Trinity. He praised them for their academic excellence and participation in campus wide inclusion and advocacy efforts.

After degrees were conferred, master’s candidates were hooded, and diplomas were presented, Dykstra provided remarks to the graduates. Rev. Willis Van Groningen, Ph.D., Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Formation, gave the benediction.

Music Professor Minkyoo Shin, D.M., and Professor of Music Mark Peters, Ph.D., provided music throughout the ceremony. Trinity’s Honors Ensemble led the singing of “Joy to the World.”

You can view the Commencement 2019 Livestream here.

Trinity’s fall semester 2019 commencement will take place in Ozinga Chapel Auditorium at 10 am on Saturday, Dec. 14. Click here for more information.

At the Dec. 14 commencement, three of Trinity’s professors will offer reflections: John J. Fry, Ph.D., Professor of History and Department Chair; Mario Guzmán, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology; and Kelly Lenarz, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education; and Director of Education Assessment, Innovation & Traditional Undergraduate Programs.

You can view the Commencement 2019 Livestream here on Saturday morning.

Trinity congratulates all our Fall 2019 graduates and their family and friends!

After stellar fall sports seasons that culminated with appearances in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournaments, players from both the Trinity women’s soccer and women’s volleyball team received National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletics Conference (CCAC) honors. Three members of the women’s volleyball team also were named NAIA All-American.

Senior Dani Van Laten earned NAIA All-America second team honors. She is the first player to make it on the NAIA second team. Along with that, the setter was also a NCCAA/AVCA First Team All-America honoree, and was named the NCCAA/AVCA Player of the Year and was an All-America first team selection to wrap up her successful career here at Trinity. Last season, Van Laten earned NAIA All-America honorable mention status and was named a NCCAA All-America first team honoree.

Junior Brianna Figueroa earned NAIA All-America honorable mention as a libero this season. She was also a NCCAA/AVCA All-America first team selection. This is Figueroa’s first time receiving these accolades.

Rounding out the post-season awards for women’s volleyball is sophomore Sarah Kiwan. The opposite was named an NAIA All-America and was also a NCCAA/AVCA All-America second team selection. This was the first time in her career receiving these distinctions.

Three players from the women’s soccer team were named to the NCCAA All-North Central Region first team. Junior Kaleigh VanElst was added to the list as a defender, senior Lexxy Trujillo earned a spot on the team as a midfielder, and sophomore Selah Hopkins grabbed a spot as a forward.

One other Troll earned an honorable mention spot for the NCCAA All-North Central Region awards, and that was junior Drew McCarthy, who played in various positions for Trinity throughout the season.

Along with earning this award, Hopkins was named the NCCAA All-North Central Region Player of the Year, while head coach Josh Lenarz ‘98 was named Coach of the Year.

Trinity’s Music Department invites the community to attend the 18th Annual Christmastide program on Saturday, December 7 at 4 pm in the Ozinga Chapel. This year’s theme, “Jesus, Prince of Peace,” reflects thanksgiving to God for the new hope and peace the Christ Child brings to a dark world. The program features music by Trinity’s vocal and instrumental ensembles, audience singing with brass and organ, and readings that reflect the theme.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

“Christmastide is the only occasion in the academic year when all of our ensembles–vocal and instrumental–come together for a celebrative event commemorating Christ’s incarnation,” said Dr. Helen Van Wyck, professor of music and director of choral activities. “It will be a joyous, worshipful event of beautiful music and readings proclaiming the wonder of Christmas.”

Christmastide contains vocal performances by the Concert Choir, Gospel Choir, and Honors Ensemble. Trinity’s Wind Ensemble and Brass Quintet will also take part in the celebration.

This Christmastide also represents the last time Dr. Van Wyck oversees this annual tradition. After 33 years at Trinity, she will be retiring at the end of the 2019-20 academic year.

Click here to purchase tickets online. If you have questions or would like to order your tickets over the phone, contact the box office at (708) 293-4537 or box.office@trnty.edu.

For 60 years, generous donors have shaped Trinity to what she is today and laid the foundation for our next 60 years. The blessings of planned giving have played a critical role here, allowing for benefits that touch lives across generations.

For those who are utilizing planned giving approaches, or are considering it, there have been several significant changes that will impact giving in 2019. Those changes include:

–IRA charitable rollover

For many Americans 70 1/2 years old and older, the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) charitable rollover allows for gifts from their IRA. Some IRA administrators offer checkbooks that simplify the giving process. If you use this type of checkbook, the deadlines for processing payments have changed. In order for IRA checks from these checkbooks to be counted as a qualified charitable donation (QCD) for the 2019 tax year, they must be delivered to and processed by your designated charity by Dec. 31. In previous years, donations needed to only be postmarked, not processed, by the end of the calendar year. IRA gifts processed after Dec. 31 will be counted as a distribution for 2020, and you may incur a tax penalty if you have not met the required minimum distribution (RMD) for 2019.

–Charitable gift annuities

Charitable gift annuities are another popular method of planned giving, The American Council on Gift Annuities recently unveiled a new schedule of suggested maximum gift annuity rates for gifts established on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Under this new schedule, rates will decrease between 0.3% and 0.5% on average.

For questions about these changes, and for further information about planned giving, visit Trinity’s planned giving page.

Women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, and men’s cross country concluded their seasons over the weekend with competitions in the NAIA Nationals.

The Trinity women’s volleyball team hosted the NAIA Opening Round on Saturday for the second consecutive year as they were paired with the Indiana University Kokomo Cougars. IU-Kokomo came out on top, beating Trinity in four sets.

In the first set, the Cougars won 25-18 . Trinity fought back in the second set, squeezing out a 25-22 win against the Cougars. The third set resulted in another win for IU-Kokomo as they took a late lead, winning 25-20 against the Trolls. And in the fourth and final set, the Cougars came back and took the lead from the Trolls to win in extra points with a score of 26-24.

This concluded the women’s volleyball team’s season. They finished with an overall record of 28-8 and a conference record of 17-1.

The Trinity women’s soccer team also competed in a NAIA Opening Round match on Friday, hosted by the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats. The first match was played between the Trolls and the Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies. Although Trinity kept possession for a great deal of the game, the Grizzlies ultimately scored in double overtime to defeat Trinity, 3-2.

The game concluded the 2019 season for the women’s soccer team. They finished the season with an overall record of 17-3-1 and a conference record of 12-2.

Andrew Dobrescu of the men’s cross country team competed in NAIA Nationals on Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Wash. On the 8K course, the sophomore finished in 250th out of 335 runners in the tournament. This is his first appearance at NAIA Nationals. This was the last meet for the team this season. He will compete in the spring with the track and field team.