The Worship Service

When entering our sanctuary, you'll be entering from the rear of the room.  The main part of the sanctuary is furnished with traditional wood pews; an overflow seating area off to one side is furnished with chairs.  There are no reserved seats - you may sit in whichever pew or chair you like. 

The format of our worship service is best described as "traditional" or "liturgical," meaning our service follows a pre-determined order of worship.  Hymns are lead by piano and/or organ from our church hymnals (available in every pew).  A choir or other church musicians offer a special musical selection almost each week.  The day's lectionary readings are read and a brief sermon or homily is offered.

Scriptures are commonly read from the English Standard Version, although various translations of the Bible are used.  Some individuals bring their own Bibles to church; Bibles are available in every pew for anyone who wishes to follow along with the daily readings.

Although a weekly offering is collected, it is the responsibility of the church members to contribute to the offering of the church.  As our guest, please don't feel obligated to contribute when the offering plates are passed.  Many of our church members contribute bi-weekly, monthly, or even quarterly, and many more simply mail their contributions to the church office, so it is not uncommon for people to simply pass the offering plate without placing anything in it. 

Our worship service begins promptly at 10:15 AM, and typically lasts about an hour. 

Communion

Holy Communion (Eucharist), or the Lord's Supper, is served during the regular worship service on the first Sunday of each month, and on other special occasions.  We believe that the bread and cup are symbols of Jesus Christ's body and blood, made available to all Christ's people.  Therefore, we practice open communion -- our table is open to anyone who is a follower of Christ. 

Typically, the bread and the cup are blessed by the pastor at the Lord's Table, then distributed throughout the sanctuary by servers.  Communion is optional and not everyone will partake.  If you would rather not receive communion, you may simply pass the plate on to the person next to you.  After all the elements have been distributed, the pastor will invite the congregation to eat and drink. 

On special occasions, communion is sometimes served by intinction -- a method where those wishing to receive communion will come forward to the Lord's Table to receive the bread, dip it in the cup, and eat it at the table.  When this is the case, those wishing to abstain from communion may still come forward to receive a blessing from the pastor.