Your First Visit
If you are new to church, or are just unsure what to expect when you join us for worship, here’s the lowdown.
Our worship gatherings run from 10:30 to 11:30 and are very simple.
When you walk through the doors for your first visit to our church, the first person you might meet will be one of our greeters saying hello and handing you a bulletin. Don’t hesitate to ask them if you have any questions or need to find something or someone. They are friendly people who will be glad you have come and willing to do whatever they can to help you feel comfortable. There are also ushers at the entrance to the auditorium who can answer any questions or help you find a seat.
If you have children, there is a children’s program downstairs for ages three through grade six as well as a staffed nursery for ages six months to two years. You can go ahead and take your kids down there before the service gets started. We have a great team of teachers who have put together an interactive program geared to teach children about God and his love for them. The only exception is on the first Sunday of each month when we welcome the children to worship with us upstairs. There is also a Nursing Mother’s Room located just off the foyer.
You may notice a lovely aroma in the foyer and a small coffee percolator sitting on a table in the corner. Feel free to help yourself and enjoy a hot coffee as you find your way to a seat. There will be people milling about in the foyer and others seated in the auditorium waiting for the service to start. You may hear music playing softly as you find a seat.
Once you are seated, take a look around. You will notice that some of us are dressed up and others not so much. We hope that you will feel free to wear whatever you are most comfortable with. There will be slides running on the screen up front with information about different things going on through the week. Right about now the service will start, usually right at 10:30 am. Our worship service is not very formal, but does follow a structure. We will usually begin with a prayer or welcome, followed by a Scripture reading and some music, usually a blend of modern and traditional songs. We will sing three or four songs and may have more Scripture readings interspersed with the singing. At some point near the middle of the service we will collect an offering. We ask people attending our church to give as an expression of gratitude to and trust in God. It is part of our worship, since we believe that all we have is a gift from God. The money collected pays our bills and funds our ministries. Please feel free to let the plate pass you by; you are our guest.
Eventually in our service we will get to our prayer time. This part of the service is an important part of our life together as a community of God’s people. This time of sharing needs and giving thanks for what God has done is part of the way that we care for one another and express our trust in God. After the prayer time the pastor usually gives a sermon that lasts for 20-30 minutes. We may sing another song at the end, and we do take communion together on the last Sunday of each month, a ritual helping us remember that our lives are rooted in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
That’s pretty much it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Church Office or our pastors Brandon or Judy by email or phone.
