What to Expect?
Worship Service
Our worship service is an important part of our church life. We meet together every Sunday morning of the year. Our worship involves several important components:
Prayer
Our worship service involves a significant amount of public prayer. Our pastors and deacons lead our congregation in corporate prayer as we admit our sinfulness to God, we affirm the goodness, greatness, and holiness of God, we intercede on behalf of those in need and seek God’s wisdom, grace, and sanctification.
Music
We sing together. We are careful to pick songs that teach truth, that pair theological depth with proper human emotions. We sing together in ways that neither flaunt individual talent nor prevent the teaching capacity of art. We employ a range of more traditional instruments (that’s who we are) and avail ourselves of music from a range of time periods in the history of the church. Our music is deemed by some as “traditional” and by others “conservative.” These are descriptive labels, but labels have limits. We seek to learn new songs together and blend tradition with freshness.
Scripture
We read Scripture together. The Scripture is God’s Word to us. We focus together on the reading of the Scriptures with soberness of mind and heart, yearning for the word to fill our minds and hearts and become our bread, our spiritual sustenance.
Preaching
One of the most prominent features of our worship service is preaching. Our preaching centers on the Scriptures. The Scriptures are not just a springboard for discussion of religious ideas. The Scriptures are the heart and soul of our preaching, they are the source of our ideas. We strive to interpret the Scriptures carefully, responsibly, soberly. We seek to the apply the Scriptures humbly and in faith.
Fellowship
Our worship services are a time for us to be together. To engage together the spiritual exercises of prayer, song, and the Scriptures. No one person stands out in our services, and yet no one is anonymous. To worship together is to fellowship together. To fellowship together around the Scriptures, prayer, and song is to worship the God who deserves our deepest devotion.
Practical Q & A
Q: What do people wear?
A: Many people wear what could be called “business casual”. You won’t see a lot of sweatpants and activewear. You won’t see many dresses or suits either. Don’t overthink it. :-)
Q: Will I be put on the spot?
A: Visiting a church for the first time can be a nerve-racking event. But be assured that visitors are allowed to take in our service with a sense of privacy. We will want to greet you, but we’ll give you your space. You will not be asked to introduce yourself publicly, pray aloud or speak publicly.
Q: I have children. Do you have services for children?
A: We have nursery with highly-qualified volunteers for children 2 and under. We encourage families to integrate into our worship services. Please bring your children! You won’t get a stink eye from anyone if your children struggle to sit still. Your family will be loved in our midst.
Q: Do I need to bring a Bible?
A: Of course you are welcome to bring the Bible of your choice. We do provide Bibles for those who need one. We use the English Standard Version in our public reading of the Scriptures and in our preaching. Several of our members, however, use a variety of other versions.
