Welcome! First thing you should probably know we’re pretty relaxed – we welcome all visitors of varying faiths, heritages, creeds, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, nationality, ethnicity, abilities, marital status, political affiliation, age, and economic status. We want you to know, that we are here to offer a community where you can belong, be valued and loved, deepen your spirituality, and discover a purpose that can change lives and your community. All persons are welcome here!
As you enter the church, you enter into a small forum area with a beautiful wall with a mural. Behind that wall there is a place to hang jackets or coats and the restrooms are on the opposite side.
Come on past there, (and hopefully we’ve greeted you by then; but, if not – don’t be shy) and past the next set of glass doors and into the sanctuary.
Opposite of where you are standing, there is a place for coffee and morning fellowship (often supplied with Doughnuts, fruit, juice, etc.).
There is also a place for young children to play during the service (the room has a speaker so the message can still be heard).
Fellowship begins 9:30 – 9:45ish and we often have coffee, fruit, and donuts available. So come 15-30 minutes early to join in fellowship. These refreshments are left out through out the service as well so if you’re running close to time, or need a little something during service, you can feel free to step back to our kitchen and fill up your coffee cup.
We’ve found that morning fellowship is a great way to get to know each other – and a good way to share in community. We enjoy our time to take and chat.
We’re pretty informal: so around 10:00 we begin our opening song and gathering music. Our worship services are semi-contemporary with a nod to our more traditional past. You can expect some singing, a morning message, an offering, and some more singing. Often times we’ll dedicate our offering for an upcoming event such as Outreach International, SPEC, or Camps.
The morning Message varies based on the theme and may or may not follow the Community of Christ’s provided worship resources that follows the liturgical calendar. Often times, a member of the congregation may be the one delivering the message. Our Worship planning committee is comprised of many individuals in our congregation and is always seeking new opportunities to share. If you have ideas – please don’t hesitate to reach out!
A typical service usually has some of the following components.
Opening hymn – We generally gather and start to get seated as the morning message gets started.
Greeting/Announcements/Church Business – during this time we ask for prayer concerns, praise reports, share in upcoming events, and then have a focus moment on the theme drawing individuals into worship.
Opening Prayer – We’ll often follow this up with a prayer over the concerns and an invitation for open and receptive hearts as we focus on worship.
Children’s / Focus Moment – This is interactive part of the service, generally directed towards the children about the theme being discussed that day. This can be varied, but it helps bring the “a ha” moments out of the scripture.
Scriptural Readings – Most weeks there is some kind of scriptural reading. Sometimes these readings are modified slightly to be responsive readings (sometimes known as call and response) involving the leader and the congregation reciting aloud different parts of the reading.
Morning Message (Sermon) – The message usually lasts between 15-20 minutes and is given by participants of the congregation, so the speaker will be different depending when they are assigned. The sermons are generally based upon a scriptural passage from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Disciples Generous Response – Usually towards the end of the service, there is a moment that focuses on collecting of tithes/offerings. We use this time to reflect on God’s generous gifts to us and how we can respond to this wonderful generosity. Participants are welcome to contribute if they feel so inclined, but it is completely voluntary. Trays to collect the offerings are passed around, some people put in loose cash/change. Some people choose to contribute their offerings electronically or by direct deposit instead of putting money into the baskets (a process called eTithing).
Closing Hymn/Sending Forth – Like the opening hymn, generally the congregation stands for the closing hymn. After the hymn, the congregation remains standing as a closing prayer is offered or a special sending forth passage is read (sometimes both are done).
We have a seasonal Sunday school; often concentrated on the youth and younger generations; however, we also offer Sunday school for adults. Otherwise, we fellowship about events, topics, or interesting things as well. We try to up-hold the worth of all persons during this time and respect their opinions; even if we disagree!
We mentioned earlier, but it may be worth mentioning again; we’re fairly relaxed. Odds are, if you come dressed in a suit and tie, you’ll probably be the only one. If you’re ok with that, then so are we; but, we just though you should know, you can come as you are that’d be ok with us! I wouldn’t be surprised if someone is even wearing a pair of shorts (perhaps the speaker, even!)
The Building
As you enter the church, you enter into a small forum area with a beautiful wall with a mural. Behind that wall there is a place to hang jackets or coats and the restrooms are on the opposite side.
Come on past there, (and hopefully we’ve greeted you by then; but, if not – don’t be shy) and past the next set of glass doors and into the sanctuary.
Opposite of where you are standing, there is a place for coffee and morning fellowship (often supplied with Doughnuts, fruit, juice, etc.).
There is also a place for young children to play during the service (the room has a speaker so the message can still be heard).
About Fellowship:
Fellowship begins 9:30 – 9:45ish and we often have coffee, fruit, and donuts available. So come 15-30 minutes early to join in fellowship. These refreshments are left out through out the service as well so if you’re running close to time, or need a little something during service, you can feel free to step back to our kitchen and fill up your coffee cup.
We’ve found that morning fellowship is a great way to get to know each other – and a good way to share in community. We enjoy our time to take and chat.
About Worship Services:
We’re pretty informal: so around 10:00 we begin our opening song and gathering music. Our worship services are semi-contemporary with a nod to our more traditional past. You can expect some singing, a morning message, an offering, and some more singing. Often times we’ll dedicate our offering for an upcoming event such as Outreach International, SPEC, or Camps.
The morning Message varies based on the theme and may or may not follow the Community of Christ’s provided worship resources that follows the liturgical calendar. Often times, a member of the congregation may be the one delivering the message. Our Worship planning committee is comprised of many individuals in our congregation and is always seeking new opportunities to share. If you have ideas – please don’t hesitate to reach out!
A typical service usually has some of the following components.
Opening hymn – We generally gather and start to get seated as the morning message gets started.
Greeting/Announcements/Church Business – during this time we ask for prayer concerns, praise reports, share in upcoming events, and then have a focus moment on the theme drawing individuals into worship.
Opening Prayer – We’ll often follow this up with a prayer over the concerns and an invitation for open and receptive hearts as we focus on worship.
Children’s / Focus Moment – This is interactive part of the service, generally directed towards the children about the theme being discussed that day. This can be varied, but it helps bring the “a ha” moments out of the scripture.
Scriptural Readings – Most weeks there is some kind of scriptural reading. Sometimes these readings are modified slightly to be responsive readings (sometimes known as call and response) involving the leader and the congregation reciting aloud different parts of the reading.
Morning Message (Sermon) – The message usually lasts between 15-20 minutes and is given by participants of the congregation, so the speaker will be different depending when they are assigned. The sermons are generally based upon a scriptural passage from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Disciples Generous Response – Usually towards the end of the service, there is a moment that focuses on collecting of tithes/offerings. We use this time to reflect on God’s generous gifts to us and how we can respond to this wonderful generosity. Participants are welcome to contribute if they feel so inclined, but it is completely voluntary. Trays to collect the offerings are passed around, some people put in loose cash/change. Some people choose to contribute their offerings electronically or by direct deposit instead of putting money into the baskets (a process called eTithing).
Closing Hymn/Sending Forth – Like the opening hymn, generally the congregation stands for the closing hymn. After the hymn, the congregation remains standing as a closing prayer is offered or a special sending forth passage is read (sometimes both are done).
What about Sunday School
Preparing for your Visit
We mentioned earlier, but it may be worth mentioning again; we’re fairly relaxed. Odds are, if you come dressed in a suit and tie, you’ll probably be the only one. If you’re ok with that, then so are we; but, we just though you should know, you can come as you are that’d be ok with us! I wouldn’t be surprised if someone is even wearing a pair of shorts (perhaps the speaker, even!)