First Time Here?
Welcome!Many people who visit a church for the first time do so with some hesitation, but we regard you as our guest and will do our very best to make you feel comfortable and welcomed.
Our worship service follows a printed "Order of Worship" or "Worship Bulletin," that will have all the elements of the service listed. Everything the congregation is going to say, sing or do is indicated, so you don't have to have anything memorized. Just follow along!
You are invited to fill out a "Visitors Welcome" card found in the hymnal rack. Please fill that out and place in the offering plate later in the service so we have a record of your visit and can reach out to offer you a more personal welcome.
Church School and Child Care
On most Sundays we have a special "Word for All Ages", usually led by Christian Education Director or Pastor, but sometimes by others. Kids are invited to come sit in the front pew and a message tailored to them is offered. After "Word for All Ages," our children go to be with their Church School teachers and friends, and begin the Christian educational part of their morning. You're welcome to tag along to see where your kids will be.
In our nursery we offer childcare for infants through pre-K. Our experienced, caring staff will make sure your younger child has a great morning. But you are also welcome to have your baby (or older children) with you in the worship service.
The ServiceMusic, Prayers, Offering & Communion
Our worship services are held at 9:30 every Sunday morning - both onsite and online - and usually last about an hour. You will notice that we enjoy being together and joining together in all the parts of our worship.
We enjoy traditional and contemporary music drawn from a wide range of sources, expressed both in our congregational singing, choir and guest musicians. We have "The New Century Hymnal" in the pews and use inserts from other sources.
We invite "Prayers of the People" by writing a prayer concern on the green card found in the hymnal rack. These get put in the offering plate and shared out loud by the Deacon assisting with the service. We only use first name and last initial for health related prayer requests to guard members' and friends' privacy. We also welcome prayers of celebration, thankfulness and joy! Our Pastor will fold these "Prayers of the People" into her Pastoral Prayer.
Each Sunday we pass an offering plate through the congregation to gather our prayer requests and financial offerings. As members and friends, we express our gratitude to God through our giving and we ask God to use our gifts to and through our church to bless the world.
We share the sacrament of Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month. We practice what is called "an open table," everyone present is invited to take Communion, members, guests, believers, non-believers, searchers. We believe Christ welcomes all God’s children to his table, so, in his name, we invite everyone.
Hot Coffee & Warm Hospitality
We hope you will join us after the worship service for coffee and refreshments in Fellowship Hall, the large social fellowship space that, to us, often feels like the heart of our church. Your kids will meet you there after their classes are done.
We have a Welcome Table available with people there to greet you, give you a Welcome and Information Packet, and introduce you to folks, so you can have an informal opportunity to talk with our members or just look around at the displays and activities in the Hall. There is always good food and you will sense the liveliness of our fellowship - how happy we are to see each other, and how happy we are to meet you!
What To Wear?
Some of us wear our “Sunday best” to church, but others dress casually. But we believe God cares about our hearts, not our clothes. So we encourage you to dress in whatever way seems best to you. You'll see some of us in jeans and sneakers; some in coats and ties.
Our Pastor wears a robe and stole, representing her role as worship leader, as do our choir
members on most Sundays.
We consider our style "vintage/modern," meaning we welcome a mix of new and old, casual and classical.
After Church Opportunities
We offer adults various opportunities to explore Christianity during our A.C.E.S. (Adult Christian Education and Spirituality) programs. These happen ongoing in series on weekday evenings and/or after Sunday worship. The gatherings give us a chance to study and have conversation about a wide range of spiritual, ethical and biblical matters. Be ready for wide-ranging opinion and a caring and supportive atmosphere of shared reflection.