Welcome, visitors! God uses worship to transform lives, heal wounded souls, renew hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion and bind people to one another. Worshiping together is the most important thing we do, informing every other part of our spirituality from our service to others to our private devotions, our quiet times alone with God. We hope it will be a good—and meaningful—experience and we hope you’ll be very happy you came.
For Persons with Limited Mobility: There are a few Handicapped Accessible parking spots in the parking lot behind the church. If they are already taken, it may still make sense to drop off passengers at the rear entrance before parking. The elevator is located just inside that rear parking lot entrance. Accessible lavatories are not far from the elevator entrances on the first floor and basement levels. The sanctuary has three areas where we have removed the original seating to provide comfortable wheelchair access.
Parking: Our small lot behind the church fills up early. However, there is ample on the street parking and, on Sundays, we are allowed to use the large parking lot directly across the street from us.
“Which door do I use?” The quickest way into the sanctuary from the front is to use the big wooden doors facing the street. From the rear parking lot, use the rear entrance and come up to the first floor. Follow the signs to the sanctuary. Actually, any door will get you to the sanctuary eventually! The glass doors on the front and back of the building open to stairs that can take you up to the sanctuary or down to Fellowship Hall. There is an elevator just inside the rear parking lot entrance.
Lavatories: 1) Opposite the elevator on the first floor. 2) Up a few stairs from the first floor hallway where the offices are located. 3) Down the hallway next to the kitchen, toward Fellowship Hall on the basement level. 4) Down the narthex stairs and to the left in Fellowship Hall on the basement level. (Or, just ask an usher!)
Between 9:00 and 10 AM, the church begins to stir with activity. The choir rehearses, the altar is prepared, people are arriving for worship and taking their seats. An usher will greet you and offer you the program for the worship service. Inside the program (also called the bulletin) will be inserts with lots of information about what’s going on at the church. You may sit anywhere. There is a rocking chair available for parents with small children.
Worship begins with prelude music a few minutes before 10 o’clock, followed by a brief prayer.
During the announcements, you will be invited to record your presence by signing the fellowship pads (a.k.a. attendance pads) located in each pew and passing the pad to others sitting next to you. We hope you will greet each other by name after the service. If you include your email address we will use it to send a very limited number of emails—usually just one per week and very brief—about the coming Sunday service and other activities. Everything is online these days. We will occasionally send out links to important and sometimes entertaining information. Of course, you can unsubscribe anytime, if desired.
Our worship style is a blend of traditional and contemporary. We follow a printed liturgy but in a warm and unstuffy way. The sermons are usually conversational and often invite responses. Some are preached from the pulpit but most are delivered on the level where everyone is sitting. There is always an attempt to present insight into the stories and characters of scripture and to interpret them for today’s challenges. We attempt to inspire and engage all generations together. (Parents, see the Children in Worship page.) We are open, accepting and welcoming to all who attend. When it is over, we genuinely want you to feel like you truly worshiped and were an important part of the experience. Each service ends with an invitation to join the church for those who might wish to do so during the last hymn.
Holy Communion is served on the first and third Sundays. Because we believe the invitation to come to the Lord’s table is from Christ himself, we welcome all to the sacrament. This is open communion: the gift of Jesus Christ offered to all. You do not have to be a member of this church or even a United Methodist to receive communion here. Of course, no one should feel forced, but if you would like to receive communion, please know you are welcome. Communion is served in both kinds, bread and cup. As a witness to those who deal with addiction, we use the unfermented juice of the grape. Gluten free bread wafers are also available.
Hymn Sing: Whenever there’s a fifth Sunday of the month, we enjoy an informal hymn sing time. Worshipers are welcome to call out their favorite hymns and we’ll sing a verse or two of as many as we can in the time available. Even if you’re not a great singer or don’t know the song, it is fun to be there in the middle of it all as those around you belt out their favorites. Hymns are prayers and theology set to rhyme and meter.
After worship, please come up and introduce yourself to the pastor and join us for a cup of coffee and munchies at the Fellowship Time in the room right next to the sanctuary. We understand if you need to dash off to your next thing, but we do hope you’ll have a cookie, brownie or piece of fruit with us if you can. We also call it “Coffee Hour.” Here’s what you need to know about coffee hour: it’s not a whole hour. It’s just a chance to hang around awhile and chat.