What can you tell me about your Sunday worship service?
Whether you're new to church or you've been in one for years, it's normal to have questions prior to a first visit. There are so many churches and most of us do things a little (or a lot) differently, particularly in our weekly worship services. So, what about us? What do we do in our Sunday morning worship services? We're glad you asked and we're eager to answer some of your FAQs.
Why Sunday morning?
To understand that question, we need to understand the word "church." The biblical word "church" most often means "assembly." That's why, while we agree that a "local church" is the people and not the building, there is something to the space in which that local church assembles. Yes, it's true that a local church will spend most of its time scattered and sent on Jesus' mission—in the same way that a family spends most of its time apart, whether at work, running errands, school, or sports' practice. Yet, just as there is something special, even sacred, about the time the family all sits down around the kitchen table, so there is something when the church assembles together around Christ.
Can I watch a livestream?
The simply answer is, "Yes." We praise God we are able to offer a livestream for those who can't join us physically due to distance or ailment. Yet, we'd like to add that a livestream is no substitute for the local assembly. In fact, we cannot agree more with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who once wrote, "The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength.” In a world often marked by dispair and division, as well as loneliness and isolation, we believe it’s beautiful when we come together physically. In a culture in which most things are mediated through a screen, here you will find real people worshipping a real Savior.
Ok, so where do I go?
We have designated parking on both sides of our church building. Once you park, you'll go to the Welcome Center to enter. On your way in, we'll greet you and let you know we're glad you're joining us. To the left as you enter, you'll find an Info Table. Let someone there know that you're new and they'll help you find where you're going. Parents, this includes you. We'll help you sign-in your kids and find out where they will go. We'll also give you a "Weekly Worship Guide" with welcome note, a guest card (if you haven't filled out the online one), a prayer card, an order or service, and an outline of that morning's sermon. Finally, if this is your very first time, we have a special "First Time Bag" we'd love to give you.
What's the preaching like?
The first words you'll hear will normally be, "If you have a copy of God's Word, I'd love for you to join me in." We could use words like exegetical and expositional ... but we think the late John Stott well sums up our "preaching philosophy." Each Sunday, our pastor seeks "to bring out of the text what is there and expose it to view." He "[pries] open what appears to be closed, makes plain what is obsecure, unravels what is knotted, and unfolds what is tightly packed." It's a pretty simple formula: (1) What does the Bible say?, (2) What does it mean?, and (3) How should we respond? We read it, explain it, and apply it. Then, we do it again next week. If you'd like an example, we invite you to check out our most recent sermon.
What about the worship?
If by "worship" you mean "singing," then we'd like to rephrase that question (if you don't mind). We're not trying to be nitpicky. We've heard it used that way many times by many churches. It's just that, while we believe the Bible says worship includes instrumentation and singing, we also believe it says it's so much more. We agree with John Piper, "True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things." You see, we believe we're called to worship in every moment of our lives, not just when we gather on Sunday mornings (cf. Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:17). And, when we do gather, we're called to worship through every aspect of our time together, not just when we play and sing songs. For example: We worship through praying. We worship through preaching. We worship through giving. And, yes, we worship through singing.
Got it. What about the singing?
So, are we traditional or or contemporary? We understand the question, but we'd like to answer it another way. (We like to do that, don't we?!?) We are unified. We are unified in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. Thus, we don't sing songs either because they're old or because they're new. We sing them because they exalt Jesus and are rich biblically and theologically. In fact, on a recent Sunday we sang a song first written in 1851 directly before a song that is yet to be published. We love the rich hymns of the past and we love modern ones from the likes of the Gettys, CityAlight, and Matt Boswell. We believe there are few, if any, sounds more beautiful than the unified voice of God's redeemed people singing praise to His name in anticipation of the great picture of Revelation 7:9-10.
What about my kids and students?
Are they welcome in "big church"? Yes, and here's why. If, as noted above, “church” normally means “assembly" and, as described on our About page, we strive to be a multigenerational church, then we'd like to welcome our kids and students to join us as we gather together as the church, both "big" and "little." With that said, we do offer childcare for babies through preschool, as well as a special ministry we call "Kid Level" for our kids in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. More specifically, K-3rd graders will join us in worship until the sermon, when we we'll invite them to head to Kid Level for a special time specifically designed for them to learn God's Truth. P.S. All of our kids and student leaders and volunteers are background checked and have passed a child safety training quiz.