What to Expect
People often ask first, "what should I wear" or "how do I dress?" We simply say, come as you are in a way you will feel most comfortable. Many of our members like to wear shirt and tie out of preference but others also like to come more relaxed in jeans & t-shirt. In the winter our pastor will wear suit and tie but in the summers he may sport simply a nice polo and pants. He/we do not care how you come, we are just glad to have you join us!
For children, we love your kids and want them to know the love of Jesus. We also want you to be able to worship and hear the Word of God taught without having to wonder if they will suddenly burst into song or color the back of the person in front of them. Therefore, we have a nursery ministry and children's ministry designed with them in mind. The whole family stays in the sanctuary during the singing portion of our worship service and then the kids are dismissed to their classrooms (and if you are new in joining us, one of our ushers would be more than happy to walk you down with your child to their classroom). If you desire to have your child(ren) stay with you during the rest of the service, that is okay as well. We understand it isn't always easy being in a new place. The children's classes teach them the Bible at their age level and are designed with them in mind so they can grow into one who will follow Jesus as an adult as well. An added benefit is that parents are able to enjoy the service without distraction while the children are not bored in a service designed for adults. Also for peace of mind (and because it is Pennsylvania law), all of our workers/teachers have had background checks and received state clearances to work with your children.
For middle school and high school youth, they stay in the sanctuary with us the whole time. We believe this is a great chance for parents to be able to discuss with their youth what is being taught, as well as give the youth a chance to both serve in the church and know the "older generation" around them. However, we have a youth ministry designed to allow them to interact with peers that meets on Wednesday nights as well as various activities that occur during the month.
For worship music, we mix in contemporary as well as hymns. We do not emphasize style but rather encourage all to join in the exalting of God in sincere, heart-felt worship.
The first Sunday of the month we have a time near the end of our service to join in Communion/The Lord's Supper as we remember His death on the cross for us.
We do not pass an offering plate during our service but have an offering box located in the back of the sanctuary on the wall. We also receive offerings via online giving. Should you choose to give, you may do so through one of those means.
We also offer various fellowship and ministry opportunities throughout the week, so grab a bulletin to see what else is going on!
Sunday School
Before our worship service, we offer Sunday school classes as a chance to get to interact with others in a smaller group setting. They start at 9 AM with one meeting upstairs and another downstairs. An usher will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have or escort you to any of the classes. There are classes for the children as well. For those unfamiliar with the language or what "Sunday School" means, simply put, they are small groups with specific focuses in mind designed to allow for fellowship and participation.
Sunday Evening Service
Our Sunday night services are designed with the whole family in mind in a more relaxed atmosphere. Children, regardless of age, stay with us in the whole service. Study wise, Pastor Mike normally takes a chapter (or two) and teaches through it as we go verse-by-verse through the Old Testament. Congregation involvement is encouraged during the sunday night studies and we love hearing the children read the verses referenced outloud. You can see the teaching style by listening to the studies on the media portion of this site.
Wednesday Night Service
On Wednesday night, children and youth meet downstairs while the adults meet upstairs for corporate prayer. Also a very relaxed atmosphere, we open with worship before Pastor Mike shares information about about a people group and then we pray for that people group. Afterwards, we share and pray for individual needs.
