The Basics

• Service times: We will have services on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24 at 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm, and on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 at 10 am. Please arrive early to find parking, especially for our 4 pm and 10 pm services.
• Location: Our address is 801 Figueroa Street (the corner of Figueroa and Wool) in historic Folsom.
• Parking: Parking is most available on Wool and Mormon Streets. There are parking spots along the borders of our campus with bumpers and stall markers. There is also street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Accessible parking is available in the alley between the church and the Parish Hall.
• Visitors: Visitors often worry that they will stick out or do or wear the wrong thing, but there will be a lot of visitors, and all are welcome! Haven't been to an Episcopal service before? Don't worry, the bulletin will tell you what to do and when to do it, and if you're confused, just watch your neighbor or ask an usher. We promise that folks will want to help you, not judge you; you are our guest, and you are most welcome.
• What to wear: Worshippers here wear all types of clothing—there are some suits and ties, but most are a bit more casual. We might recommend, though, wearing layers—the church was built in 1862, and depending on the temperature outside and how full the room is, it can be either a little chilly, or rather warm, or both during the same service.

Service Information

• Service Times: We will have services on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24 at 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm, and on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 at 10 am.
• Communion: All of our services on the 24th and the 25th include Holy Communion. All baptized Christians are invited and encouraged to receive Communion in this church; you don't have to be a member of the parish or of The Episcopal Church. If you are not baptized, but you feel called to Communion, then you are also being called to baptism; please speak to one of the clergy about baptism as soon as possible. If you wish to receive a blessing instead of Communion, cross your arms over your chest and the priest will bless you. Keep your arms crossed when the chalicist comes by so they know you aren’t receiving. No one is obligated to participate at all; it's okay if you simply remain in your pew.
• Midnight Mass: The Trinity Choir will be singing at the 10 pm service. The choral prelude begins at 10 pm, and the actual liturgy doesn't begin until 10:30 pm, but we recommend you plan to arrive by 10 pm to hear the choir and to get a good seat. 
• Christmas Day: The Christmas Day 10 am service is similar to the Christmas Eve services, with slightly different prayers and music. 
• Broadcast: The 1 pm and 10 pm Christmas Eve services will be broadcast on our Facebook page. You can access the bulletins for those services on our Online Worship Resources page.

Music

• Musical Offerings: In addition to traditional hymns and organ, we have a variety of singers and guest instrumentalists scheduled for our various services:
• The 1 pm service will feature Schola Cantorum (our small early music choir) and violin. (Prelude begins 20 minutes before the service.)
• The 4 pm service will feature Trinity Children’s Choir and our tenor and baritone section leaders. (Prelude begins 15 minutes before the service.)
• The 7 pm service will feature our tenor and baritone section leaders, violin, and harp. (Prelude begins 20 minutes before the service.)
• The 10 pm service will feature Trinity Choir, Schola Cantorum, trumpet, and harp. (The half-hour musical prelude begins at 10 pm.)
• Candlelight Silent Night: Many Episcopalians cherish the tradition of singing “Silent Night” by candlelight in the dark after taking Communion on Christmas Eve. We will have that at the 4 pm, 7 pm, and 10 pm services, but not at the 1 pm service or at the Christmas Day service.

Children

• Children are welcome: Your children are welcome to stay in church with you, We love children, and we don’t mind if they make noise or fall asleep during the service. We are happy they are here and want them to know that God loves them and that they are most welcome in the house of God. We have comic book Bibles, coloring sheets, and sensory kits available—just ask an usher.
• Nursery: We provide free child care for infants and toddlers in our nursery which is staffed by paid adult childcare workers. The Nursery will be open on Christmas Eve for the 1 pm and 4 pm services. The nursery is located in the Annex. Ask an usher for directions.
• Children's Chapel: We will offer Children's Chapel at the 1 pm and 4 pm services. Children's Chapel is an age-appropriate worship option for children ages 3 to 8 that is staffed by paid adult childcare workers, youth volunteers, and our Director of Children's and Youth Ministries, Children will be returned to their parents in church in time for Communion.
• Nursing Infants: if you're nursing, you're welcome to do so wherever you would like, including in the pews. But, if you would like some privacy, there's a small room in which the choir vests, right off the narthex (entryway) in the church building, and you are welcome to use it; just ask an usher, and they will show you where it is. There are changing tables in all the bathrooms in the church and Parish Hall, and in the Nursery bathroom in the Annex.

Accessibility

• Access for wheelchairs/walkers/physical mobility challenges: There are handicapped and accessible parking spots in the alley behind the church. Take the sidewalk towards Wool Street and use the ramp up to the Wool Street door; once you enter, a ramped hallway will take you directly to the nave, ending at the front pew. If you park in front of the church on Figueroa Street, there is also an accessible ramp on the right side of the church entrance as you approach. There are three wheelchair-accessible seating spots in the pews: two at the front (one on either side aisle) and one in the back on the center aisle. 
• Parking: Accessible parking is available in the alley between the church and the Parish Hall; you do not need to have an official handicapped parking placard to park there, except for in the two spots that are painted blue and have handicapped parking signs. The other alley spots are for folks with any need for more accessible parking.
• Communion: Worshipers with limited mobility may notify an usher that they would like to receive communion where they are, and the bread and wine will be brought to them by the servers.
• Bathrooms: The bathrooms are along the hallway leading from the Wool Street door to the nave; if you're in the pews, walk up the aisle past the pews, turn left, and go through the door between the pews and the altar rail; the bathrooms are off that hallway, on the left. 
• Avoiding crowds: Historically, the Christmas Eve services with highest attendance have been 4 pm and 10 pm, but the 1 pm has gained in popularity in recent years. If you wish to attend a service at which you can avoid a crowd and space out as much as possible, we recommend that you plan to attend the 7 pm on Christmas Eve or the 10 am on Christmas Day.

Other Questions?

Check out our Visiting Trinity page or contact us—we would be happy to answer any questions you might have.