What to Expect |
...on Sunday Morning: Class
If you show up a few minutes before 10am, someone will greet you in the lobby and show you into the auditorium, where the adult class meets. If you have children, your greeter will also take them down to their respective classes; if you're more comfortable keeping your children with you, that's perfectly fine too. If you're a few minutes late, it's okay. Walk through the open doorway and ask the first person you see about the children's classes, and they'll take the children downstairs. The class itself, for you and your children, will be a study a study of the Bible, focused on one of the books of the Bible, or perhaps on a Biblical story and the lessons that can be learned from that story. You are welcome to ask questions or contribute comments, but no one will force you to participate if you'd rather watch and listen. Service
Announcements The service will begin at 11:00 when one of the men will step up on the stage and share the news with the church, such as people who are sick, traveling, events that are happening soon, or things for the members to pray about. In short, anything that the whole church needs to know. The announcements will be followed by an opening prayer, asking God's blessing on the worship service.
Singing
Communion
Contribution We have only one way to raise money for the operating budget of the church, and that is through the generousity of the members. Because it's convenient, immediately after communion, the same two men will ask the congregation to give money for the work of the West Street church. As the basket is passed around, you should drop in your visitor's card. You're welcome to put in a few dollars yourself if you'd like, but we don't expect visitors to give money. Your presence is all we want! Sermon
Invitation Most sermons last about 30 minutes, and at the end, the minister will conclude with an invitation, which is an oppurtunity for anyone to make a need public. The minister will invite people to come forward while the congregation is standing and singing: people typically use this oppurtunity to ask to be baptized, or to make it known that want to repent of their sins and ask the congregation's help in living better for God in the future. Coming forward is only one way to repent or ask for baptism: it's just as acceptable to speak to the minister or any other Christian privately, or even to call someone later in the week. Closing
When the invitation song is finished, the songleader will make a few closing remarks, ask for any forgotten announcements, and then lead a final short song. Another man will say a closing prayer, and the service will be complete, usually about 12:00. ...on Sunday Evening: Service There are no separate classes on Sunday evening, but care for very young children who can't sit for an hour is available. The evening service tends to be a bit more relaxed: a songleader will lead six or seven songs, and probably ask the congregation for requests. About midway through, one of the men will read a short passage from the Bible for everyone's benefit, and then after a few more songs, the minister or sometimes one of the other men will lead a study of some part of the Bible, in a class-setting rather than a sermon-setting. Again, questions and comments are encouraged. The service will conclude with a closing prayer, at about 7:00. ...on Wednesday Evening: Service The purpose of a Wednesday night meeting is to strengthen and encourage each other to make it through the whole week as Christians. There will be four or five songs, and then the worship leader will ask for prayer requests, which anyone may make. The leader will then ask everyone to stand and ask one of the men to say a prayer that mentions all the requests. Classes With about 30 minutes left, the congregation will break into classes: a class for young children, another for older children, and an adult class. They will all be similar in form to Sunday morning's classes, but with different topics. At 8:00, the service will end. |
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There is a 10 to 15 minute break between classes and the service at 11:00. People are free to chat, find the restrooms, or just sit and contemplate. Several members will introduce themselves to you, and perhaps ask you to fill out a visitor's card to drop in the collection plate later. Your address will let us send you a "thank you for visiting" card afterwards.
After the announcements a songleader will stand up in front and lead the congregation in two or three songs, singing from the books in the pews. Don't worry if you can't read notes or have never sung much: following along is pretty easy. We at the West Street Church of Christ sing in the acapella style, or without instrumental accompaniment. The Bible indicates this is most likely how the very early church worshipped, and so we do too.
The songleader will announce a song about midway through the singing to prepare our minds for communion, which is also known as the Lord's Supper. It's the same ceremony that the Catholic Church calls the Eucharist. After the preparation song, two men will stand up together at the lower table, and one will give a short talk or read from the Bible a section that explains the Lord's Supper. It's really quite simple: in memorial of Jesus' last supper with His disciples before His crucifixion, Christians pass around a tray of simple crackers (which Jesus said symbolized His body) and each takes a small piece, followed by a tray of grape juice (which He said symbolized His blood).
After communion and contribution is over, the songleader will lead the church in singing another song, and then the minister will stand at the pulpit and preach the sermon he's prepared. It will be based as closely as possible on what God actually said in the Bible, in an effort to avoid confusing His message with our own ideas.
