It can be fairly intimidating to step foot into a new church. Though every worship service for us is different, there are some common themes. Hopefully, this description will give newcomers an idea of what to expect.
We are more traditional in nature, and this is by choice. The order of worship that we follow, and many of its rituals, have been practiced by Christians for almost two thousand years. That said, we do not follow tradition just for the sake of following it. The benefit of tradition is that it reminds us of our roots and that we are part of a Body larger than ourselves. Plus, “contemporary” services are the norm now so we offer a nice alternative.
For the non-traditionalists out there, don’t let this scare you. We try our best to print any responses and actions in our bulletin for you to follow along. Our pastor will often take time to explain our traditions in both Sunday school and worship. And we are not so stuffy that we wouldn’t allow a drum set in our sanctuary, some praise and worship music (or bluegrass!), and a time to greet one another.
Regarding what to wear, one will find a wide range of attire on Sunday mornings. Some of us show up wearing jeans and T-shirts. Others don suits, ties, or dresses. The majority of our congregation, however, tends to wear what corporate America has deemed “business casual.” No matter what the preference, lack of fancy clothes should not keep one from worshiping with us!
Our worship begins at 10:45 and usually lasts an hour. Afterward we gather in the small fellowship hall for drinks, snacks, and conversation. Sometimes we head next door to Nance Hall and have potluck lunch. This is always a treat, as we Presbyterians can cook!
People often ask about children in worship. To us, children are a sign of life. We encourage children to stay in the sanctuary and worship with the adults. How else will they learn how to do so? We make use of our children’s gifts and talents in almost every service. Plus, there’s a time when the children come forward for a lesson, usually from our pastor. We also have worship workbooks for our youth that tend to coincide with the Scripture lesson, sermon, or church season.
If you prefer, however, we have a nursery and a wonderful caring staff for those around five-years-old and younger. We also have a child protection policy in place.
Finally, we encourage newcomers to visit more than once. Worship life is a varied thing. Sometimes it’s jubilant in nature, other times it’s more somber. Some occasions require asking hard questions about ourselves and our faith, other times it’s an affirmation of the good we do. Whatever the case, it’s difficult to get an adequate representation of a church’s worship style in just one visit. So, come and praise God with us!
