We cordially invite you to join us in worship. We believe in God’s worship and that our worship services have the potential to transform your life and help you fall in love with Jesus and at God’s feet.
To be fair, you need to know what to expect if we invite you. There are no reserved seats, so sit wherever you want and park right up front in our visitor parking. Our worship is straightforward, modeled after the early Christians’ examples and teachings in the New Testament.
We want our services to be moving, unique (not the same thing every week), engaging, and uplifting (John 4:24), but above all, we want them to be true to God, who is the Author of Truth (John 17:17) and the Way of Truth (John 14:6).
Dress
At our worship services, you’ll see a wide range of clothing. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, we believe, are the most important clothes you can wear (Colossians 3:12). The majority of the women will be dressed in either pants or a dress. Our men, for the most part, do not wear suits, though a few do. We’d like you to dress modestly, but we care more about the fact that you’re here than what you’re wearing.
Singing
Probably the most noticeable thing that many will see is that our worship in song is without instrumental accompaniment, which is in the style of the early church. We praise God and edify one another through a cappella (non-instrumental) singing (Colossians 3:16). We also sing to praise God and to exhort and encourage one another. (Ephesians 5:19). And, everyone is invited to sing! God is more interested in hearing praise than the quality of your voice. We believe that a cappella congregational singing both enhances our personal involvement in the worship, and conforms to the New Testament example.
The Lord’s Supper
You’ll also notice that on every Sunday we assemble to observe the Lord’s Supper, a memorial established by Jesus Himself to commemorate His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. This is a focal point of our services as we worship the Lord and show our thanks to Him. The first century church celebrated this observance on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7). During this memorial, plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. Each participating person will break off a piece of the bread and eat it. Next, trays filled with small cups will contain “fruit of the vine,” usually grape juice, symbolizing the blood of Jesus. Each participant will drink the contents of one of the cups. We leave to each person the decision to participate in the Supper. If you choose not to participate, don’t be embarrassed. Feel free to just pass the plate or tray to the person next to you.
Giving/Offering
In our Sunday assembly, our members give. This is the means by which our members make their weekly contributions in support of our ministries. Occasionally, we will also take a collection for special needs in our community or throughout the world. As our guest you are welcome but not expected to make a donation (I Corinthians 16:1-2; II Corinthians 9:7).
Prayer
We are a people who believe in prayer. Every service will include several prayers as we rely on and thank God. We offer prayers of supplication and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1-8; Acts 2:42; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Please let us know if you have a specific prayer request, and we will do our best to include it.
Preaching
The preacher’s title isn’t Pastor or Reverend, as you may have noticed. He’ll most likely be addressed as brother, mister, or simply by his first name. He will not be dressed in any ecclesiastical vestments (special robes) that distinguish him. This is because we believe in the priesthood of all believers. We affirm that in God’s eyes, all believers are equal. The sermon is when the “good news” of God’s love and Jesus’ redemptive life is announced and applied to our daily lives. We want our ministers and speakers to make a concerted effort to apply the ancient Word to our lives today. It is his responsibility to preach the Gospel (2 Timothy 4). We think you’ll find it inspiring, timely, and Bible-centered.
Invitation
The minister will “extend an invitation” at the end of the sermon. This is simply a time for those who are moved to make a commitment or request prayer support to do so. While the congregation sings a hymn, the minister will encourage those who wish to “respond” to come to the front of the auditorium. This is not the time to be nervous; no one will be singled out for any reason. There may be several people who respond, or none at all. Some people may want to be baptized. Some people may be willing to confess their sins. Some people may request prayer for a specific reason. Some people may want to “identify” with this church or “place membership”. If anyone requests baptism at this time, the baptism will take place during service. It will be by immersion and for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).