About your worship services
How long do they last?
The 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. traditional services usually last
around an hour. The 8:45 a.m. contemporary service usually
ends before the 10:00 a.m. Sunday school hour.
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What do people wear? Do I have to
dress up?
You will see a wide range of dress at all services, though typically
dress tends to be more formal at the traditional services and
less formal at the contemporary service. It's pretty much up to
you. You will find anything from suits and ties and nice
dresses to sweaters and sport shirts to jeans.
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Can I sit anywhere?
Of course! If you are uncertain about where you want to sit,
just ask one of the ushers to help you.
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Can we bring the children to worship
services?
Yes. We do, however, have a nursery for younger
children available for all services. There is a point in both
services before the sermon when children up to fourth grade are
given the opportunity to leave the sanctuary and go to
supervised activities designed especially for children.
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Can we drop the children in Sunday
School while we go to church?
Because Sunday School is held between services,
this is not an option. However, we would encourage you to bring
your children for Sunday School, and stay for one of the
excellent adult education opportunities available during this
time. We also believe that it is important for families to
worship together, and for children to learn about worship by
being with their parents. However, we know that the sermon time
can be difficult for children to sit still, so we have designed
special programs for children during the sermon time.
Our Sunday School hour is from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. for
children, youth and adults. There is also ample opportunity for
fellowship time over coffee in our Gathering Place.
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Do I have to believe in a certain
creed to come to your worship services?
We would hope that you are seeking a closer
relationship with Jesus Christ. However, we are all seekers.
We do sometimes stand and affirm certain creeds (such as the
Apostle's Creed), but what is important is that we are all
seeking to make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. He knows
our hearts without having to listen to the specific words we
profess.
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Do I have to say anything during the
service?
You won't be called on or expected to stand up by
yourself. Out of respect for our Lord, we do stand together at
certain points in our services…to say what we believe and to
sing. But neither of those is mandatory.
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Do you kneel?
No.
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What are your customs with communion
(the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper)?
We celebrate the Lord’s Supper on several
occasions during the year. Anyone who has been baptized (in any
Christian faith) may partake of the bread and the cup. (Out of
respect for visitors and members who may have an allergy or
aversion to alcohol, we use grape juice instead of wine.)
Sometimes when we celebrate communion, people are asked to
come forward to receive the bread from one of the pastors and
dip it into the cup (intinction). Other times, the bread and
juice are served to people in the pews. Trays with the bread
broken into small portions are passed along with separate trays
filled with small cups of grape juice. When the congregation is
served in the pews, we hold the bread until we are all served,
then eat the bread together. The small cups of juice may be
taken as they are served. No one is required to partake.
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Do you take up a collection, and if
so, how much should I give?
Each service includes the opportunity for an
offering – a time when we can give back to the Lord just a small
portion of the gifts we have received. Offerings go for the work
of the church to deliver the Good News and to help those who
need it, here and overseas.
You are the sole judge of how much to give. Most members
make an annual pledge and honor it each week. Among those who
do not pledge and those who visit, some will give $1, some $5,
some more – and some let the offering plate pass by. You are
not obligated to give.
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Do you expect your members to come
every Sunday?
We strongly encourage members to come as often as possible
for the opportunity to worship the Lord together and be in
fellowship with each other. There are, however, no quotas,
standards, or guidelines for attendance – and we certainly don’t
record who is there every Sunday and who is not for the purpose
of keeping score! But something happens among those who do go
to church fairly often: the more they go, the closer they seem
to grow to God and to the love and power of Jesus Christ; and
the more they seem to want to be there. All we ask of our
members is what God asks of all of us – be faithful.
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About visiting your
church
Where do I park?
See
“Come Visit Us”. Parking is not a problem on Sundays.
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Are you so big that I'll feel lost?
We don't think so. While we typically have 400 to
500 people in worship every Sunday, we believe that you'll find
that we are really interested in each other as individuals.
There will be people there to greet you, and they or one of the
pastors should be able to answer your questions or give you
directions.
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Will somebody call on me, or us,
after we visit?
We typically follow up with a letter and with a
phone call if you request it. We simply want to say “Thank you
for coming” and provide you with an opportunity to get the
answer to any question that might have occurred to you. We
won't be at all intrusive, but we do want to encourage you to
visit us again!
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Can I just visit without joining the
church?
Of course. Visitors are always welcome, and we are
delighted to have you be a part of our worshipping community.
We also encourage you to learn more about us by joining in any
activities and programs of the church.
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How do I find out more about the
church?
We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Newcomers
Guide or any of the brochures describing activities in our
church. You will find copies in the foyers at the rear of the
sanctuary, or ask one of the greeters or ushers to help you to
find a copy. Greeters and/or the pastors would be happy to
answer any additional questions you might have.
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And if I wanted to, how would I
join?
If you want to start on a path to church
membership, we ask that you attend our New Member classes to get
a good grounding in what we are all about – and to get to know
some people. These classes are offered in various ways
throughout the year:
