Our Liturgy

WORSHIP

Worship means to declare God's worthiness.  The Triune God stands at the center of our worship.  The Father is calling us, the Son at its center, and the Spirit drawing us in and lifting our hearts. Christ-centered worship entails two elements: God first revealing himself to us by his Word through his Spirit, and our response to his revelation by our praises, prayers, trust, and obedience.  

PREACHING

God reveals himself through his proclaimed Word (1 Thess.2:13).  Our preaching provides sound, Reformed, biblical teaching that proclaims the centrality of Christ in Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, which may be a means for the Holy Spirit to strengthen the listener's faith and increase their love for Christ, so that people may glorify God and enjoy him.  Living faith that bears the fruit of righteous lives is the goal and aim of preaching and hearing.  As Paul says, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ" (Rom.10:17).  We worship the Lord each Sunday not only with our tongues but with our ears.  How many times did our Lord conclude his own messages with the encouragement that "He who has ears, let him hear," (Matt.11:15; 13:9,43)?  Hearing looks passive.  But true hearing takes great effort. As there must be great effort to preach, so there must be great effort to hear.

OUR LITURGY

GOD SPEAKS TO US
Call to Worship – Our services begin with a church leader (called “elder”) reminding us that God calls us to worship him.  The elder announces the worship theme for that Sunday and directs our thoughts to God.  Then he calls us to worship by reading a passage from the Book of Psalms.  He concludes with prayer that the Holy Spirit may help us worship God in spirit and in truth. 

OUR RESPONSE
Songs of Praise – One of the great joys of Christians is to sing new songs to God.  The worship team leads us in a rich time of song.  The music includes contemporary songs, original songs from our music director, as well as classic hymns set to creative and soul-stirring melodies.  You can sing along by following the words in the printed bulletin or follow the music in the hymnal.

GOD SPEAKS TO US
Scripture Reading – One of the main ways we worship God is by listening to his Word, the Bible.  The elder leading worship will read a passage from the Bible that will go along with the sermon Scripture and sermon.

OUR RESPONSE
Creed – Following the Scripture reading, the congregation recites a common confession of faith declaring the unity of our belief as Christians.  We recite various creeds such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.

Pastoral Prayer – Following the Creed, the worship leader offers up prayers to God in behalf of the church.  In prayer we confess our sin, acknowledge God’s worth and grace, and give him thanks for forgiving our sins and the promise of eternal life.  Sometimes opportunity is given for people in the congregation to stand up and publicly request prayer.  The worship leader incorporates these individual requests into his public prayer.

GOD SPEAKS TO US
Hearing God’s Word – One of the central acts of worship is listening to the teaching of God’s Word.  This is done by one of our pastors.  They tell us what God’s Word means and how to apply it to our daily lives to enhance our relationship with God, family, friends, and the world around us.  Please bring your Bible to follow along; additional Bibles are available in the foyer.  Sermon notes are available to help the listener follow along. 

OUR RESPONSE
Closing Song – We respond in faith to the hearing of the Word by singing a corresponding hymn. 

GOD SPEAKS TO US
Benediction

Please note the Keeping in Touch card – In your bulletin you will find our Keeping in Touchcard.  Please fill it out and leave it on your chair to be picked up after the service or place it in the appropriate box in the foyer on the counter.  There is a place on the back of the card to write your prayer requests, which our elders will pray for during the coming week.  The Keeping in Touch card also allows us to have a record of your visit and provide you with a way to request more information.

Please join us for a cup of coffee after the worship service!  The Coffee Ministry provides the atmosphere and occasion for people to linger after the worship service to connect relationally—either by catching up with old friends or by meeting new friends.  Coffee is available down the hallway in front of the kitchen before Sunday School and after the worship service.