WHAT TO EXPECT ON SUNDAY
Walking through the doors of a church for the first time can be intimidating, and we know that. So, this page is designed to give you a heads-up about what you can expect when you walk through ours.
Before You Leave Home. No need to worry about what to wear. Wear what you want and know that most people dress pretty casually. When you come, you’ll see everything from shorts and sandals, jeans and t-shirts, to some dress pants and some dresses. Pastor Mike almost always wears jeans, and the only reason he wouldn’t is if all his jeans were in the dirty clothes hamper on Sunday morning.
Parking. Honestly, parking is not our strong-suit. We meet in a former Ethan Allen furniture store which makes for a beautiful building but tight parking. Have no fear, though, because when you visit us, we’ve reserved a couple of spots right up front just for you. Don’t be shy. Pull up to the front door and enjoy first-class parking! If there are no parking spots left, feel free to park in the spaces in front of the Noah’s Ark daycare center behind our building. We own that building, so the parking spaces are ours too.
The Front Door. At the door, you will be met by a greeter. A greeter is an exceptionally nice person who will welcome you and point you to the Worship Center and nursery (if needed). He or she will not only greet you but will also answer any questions you may have like: "Where are the restrooms?" "Is Pastor Mike long-winded?" and "If I want to yell 'Amen' when Pastor Mike nails a point, can I?" (Yes. Yes, you can.)
Worship Seating. When you walk into the worship center, you'll notice that you are entering the back of the room. Wouldn’t it be horrible if you had to enter the front of the room?! Not here. You'll enter the back, and you can even sit in the back if you’d like. However, our people like to sit in the back too, so if you want a back row seat, you may have to fight for it!
Children's Ministry. It's called MY MESSAGE. Children K-5th grade are released from the service before the teaching & discussion time to go off for their own "message" - which is designed to help them engage with the UP, IN, and OUT aspects of the Jesus-Shaped Life.
Youth Ministry. It's for students grades 6-12, and they also gather during the sermon on Sundays for their own time in the Word. The Jesus-Shaped Life is also a main focus of our youth ministry as students go UP by digging into the Word together; they go IN by building relationships with one another around tables of home-baked breakfast foods; and they go OUT by praying for their friends and inviting them to occasional OUT gatherings.
Worship. God created us for worship! While all Christ-followers are called to live daily lives of worship, it's also essential that we gather regularly together to worship. When we gather as a church family, we incorporate some of the rich worship practices of the past with relevant songs and teaching - often including opportunities for feedback and discussion.
After the Service. The temptation for many visitors is to “bolt” right when the service ends. We’ve even made that easy for you with strategically placed side doors that exit to the outside of the building. But don’t do that! Stick around and head outside to visit. Our people want to meet you, and you’ll find that some of them will even come right up to you and welcome you. That’s hard for them to do when you’re running to your car and peeling out!
