relfections on life at trinity

Q&A with doug and linda mckay

Shawn Carpenter: When you look back on raising your family at Trinity, in what ways have you most clearly seen God’s faithfulness being passed from one generation to the next?


Doug & Linda: When we came to New England 27 years ago, we had no family in the area. We found Trinity through the phone book, almost at random. We were initially drawn to the church because of its connection with the Conservative Baptist denomination, but we stayed because of a core group of families who were dedicated to the gospel, intentional in their pursuit of godliness, and genuine in their encouragement and joyfulness. 

From the very beginning, we were impressed by the creative ways people reached out in friendship to us – monthly fellowship lunches after church, inviting us to go on the church campout, organizing trips to Kids’ Cove with ice cream afterwards, a rotating babysitting schedule, help with home improvement projects, many chances to serve the needy – all of these were opportunities for us to see God’s love demonstrated in practical ways. Supplementing regular, formal instruction in God’s Word, as our family grew, these opportunities provided a welcome framework for informal instruction about the character and nature of God; the importance of forgiveness, humility, and growing in godliness; and the need to share the gospel with others. Trinity gave us an easy way to put our faith into practice as a family, to follow the command to teach God’s words “… diligently to your children, … talk[ing] of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).


Shawn Carpenter: What people or moments at Trinity have most shaped your faith and your family’s walk with Christ?


Doug & Linda: The various Children’s Ministry programs over the years were extraordinarily instrumental in setting the proper foundation during the crucial formative years when our children were young, and they continue to bear fruit today. Olympians and Gophers were a regular and expected part of our Sunday night routine. Notably, Tom Wendel and Jeff and Heather Minch challenged our kids to memorize the entire Sermon on the Mount, and that set a good precedent for our family memorizing larger passages of Scripture, rather than only isolated verses. Chris Baker tirelessly (and with great patience) taught our boys in Sunday School, consistently emphasizing the truth and authority of God’s Word, with relevant applications to modern middle school life. He also organized groups to serve at the Southern NH Rescue Mission, helping our boys (and us) get the focus off of ourselves and open our eyes to the needs around us. Stephen Luce has been (and continues to be) a true blessing to our family as a leader on Christian Outdoor Leadership School (COLS) trips, as a mentor in youth group, and as a faithful example of what a man of God looks like. To this day, Stephen texts Scripture and devotionals to our son Andrew each morning, encouraging him to fix his eyes on Jesus and run the race faithfully. Echoing Hebrews 11:32, there are many others who have been instrumental in our boys’ spiritual formation, and to whom we owe an incalculable debt as a result. We have been blessed to be surrounded by a host of people (both older and younger) from whom we can seek wise counsel, those who have welcomed our family as their own, and those who pray for us regularly.

Shawn Carpenter: As you consider Trinity’s 75 years, what prayers and hopes rise to the surface for future generations who will call this church their home?


Doug & Linda: Faithfulness to Scripture is paramount. We pray that in the next 75 years (and longer), Trinity will be just as committed as it is today to the authority of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God and its careful interpretation and Holy Spirit-guided application to our lives. We hope that this priority is borne out with grace and humility, through teaching, prayer, serving, fellowship, and outreach conducted in the context of close, authentic relationships, to the glory of God.