OUR WORSHIP SERVICE
Our worship service is focused on the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We center our service on God’s Word with readings from the Bible. The sermon, songs and prayers help us apply that Word to our lives. We think you’ll find our worship service to be at times peaceful and reflective, at other times joyfully energetic and sometimes amusing. Our people are warm and welcoming. We begin the service with a musical prelude and announcements, then a responsive call to worship. Over the course of the worship service, we sing three or four songs together as a congregation. We are invited to confess our sins in silence to ourselves, then in unison with a prayer of confession. Everything is printed in a bulletin or projected on screens and it will be easy to follow and participate.
A lively part of our worship experience is the “passing of the peace of Christ,” a time when we can say hello to those around us, shake hands, introduce ourselves, and maybe even share a hug. There is a Children’s message when the children come forward for a Bible message (see below). Pastor Dave Watermulder is our usual preacher. Dave is deeply committed to God and our lives together as a congregation. His sermons are always relevant, easy-to-understand, and he has a nice sense of humor! People always come away from the service with something to ponder and incorporate into their lives.
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We respond to God’s Word by sharing our prayer concerns and thanksgivings, if we have any, and praying the Lord’s Prayer together. We also worship God through contributing our offerings to the mission of the church. The service concludes, as we go in God’s name, with a benediction and postlude.
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WORSHIP MUSIC
We worship God on Sundays with a blended selection of music including a range from traditional hymns to contemporary praise music. Some songs are accompanied by our beautiful pipe organ or piano and others with guitar and drums. Our ensemble groups include a Chancel Choir, a Worship Band, Chancel Brass, Chancel Strings, and Handbells, all of which adds variety and beauty to our worship experience.
COMMUNION
It is our usual practice to celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month. Celebrating Communion with the cup and the bread is a sign and symbol of grace, recalling the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ for us. All are welcome to the table of grace because we believe that the Lord’s table is for all people who seek to follow Jesus so it is not a Presbyterian-only table. We celebrate using different practices of inviting people forward or passing the communion elements as people remain seated, but the pastors will always give instructions. We make communion accessible to those with mobility issues and offer gluten free bread as an option.
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
Children are welcome in worship. Children attend the first 20 minutes or so of the Sunday worship service through the children’s message—Time for Young Disciples (TFYD), where the children are called forward for a special Bible message tailored just for them. After the children’s message, children in kindergarten – 5th grade are invited to Sunday School. Periodically we will have an All- Church Sunday where our children over preschool age remain in the sanctuary for the worship service. Nursery care is available on those days.
