What to Expect
when you visit on a Sunday
It can be intimidating to walk into a new church! We like to think that welcoming new people is one of the things we do best. Once you walk into our historic building on 209 South Street, you’ll be warmly greeted and offered a worship guide. They will also be able to guide you toward any additional needs like nursery care for infants and toddlers.
If you arrive before our service come down into the fellowship hall (lower level) for great coffee and bagels.
Worship
Our worship service follows an order that is both meaningful and understandable. We do our best to explain what we’re doing and the worship guide takes you through all the different things that happen in a service. You’ll pray, sing, confess, receive God’s forgiveness, hear a sermon and take communion all in a single worship service!
Our worship music spans the range of musical styles and church traditions: hymns, praise choruses and anything else that honors our Lord and communicates the Good News of the Gospel.
Our preaching is what you might call “expositional,” which means that we tend to work through books of the Bible and cover whatever the Scriptures are teaching. Sermons are around 30-35 minutes. During the sermon you can send in anonymous questions about Christianity, your doubts, aspects of the sermon that you want clarity about, whatever. The preaching pastor that week will take 5-7 minutes after the sermon to answer any questions they receive. It’s our hope that this Q&A opportunity communicates our openness to skepticism and honesty.
Communion
Following the sermon any Christian in the room is welcome to take communion. The Lord’s Table (communion) is a Christian practice where we receive the real spiritual presence of Jesus Christ through ordinary elements (bread and wine/juice). This is one way that Jesus meets our need for grace to follow him. Communion is received only by those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ.
Coffee and Bagels downstairs
If you’re willing to meet some new people you can take the stairs down from our sanctuary to what we call the fellowship hall. This is where people grab refreshments and catch up. You’ll be very warmly welcomed! Of course it’s also okay if you just need to duck out after church!
