Let’s walk you through what you need to know for your first visit to our church!
What To Expect
BeforeComing
The dress code is casual. While culture may judge you by appearances, the Kingdom of God has a different standard, so come as you are.
There will be greeters at the front doors. If you have any questions or need assistance please ask them. They would love to help!
What To Expect
OurService
Intro & Announcements
Our service starts with a welcome, announcements, and this Sunday’s psalm reading
Worship
We sing songs together. We project the lyrics for you and our music style is mainly contemporary, with a few of the classics throughout. Coming together in one voice before God is one of the ways we worship
Prayer
In between our songs there will be a prayer for specific challenges faced by our community and the wider world.
Greeting
Before the sermon there will be a time for the congregation to greet one another. We encourage people greet those around them to the extent that they feel comfortable. We sing one last song to gather people back together for the sermon
Sermon
Biblical teaching is a part of every service. Each sermon is based off of that week’s biblical passage as determined by our lectionary. Sermon outlines are projected on the screen and available in the foyer as you enter.
Ending & After
The service ends with a final song after which the pastor will give a blessing. After the service feel free to visit as long as you like or attend Sunday School at 11:30 (for all ages).
What To Expect
BringingChildren?
Depending on the age of the child we have different options:
0 - 2 Year
We have a nursery located right off of the Sanctuary. The audio from the service is played over a speaker in the nursery so that parents can still listen to the sermon if they so desire.
2 - 6 Years
One of the unique things about our Sunday Worship Service is our Children’s Space. Prior to the sermon, children are invited to come and choose a mat in the Children’s Space. During the sermon they have a selection of quiet toys to occupy their hands while they sit alone and develop the ability to listen to the sermon. Is it noisy sometimes? You bet! But we believe we should worship as a family and we do not want to send our children away during this time!
7 + Years
Children (and adults) of all ages can find it difficult to sit still for a long time. Outside of our Sanctuary we have a table filled with fidgets and coloring pages to help keep hands busy while we learn to keep our minds open for the preaching. We encourage children to wait until the sermon to use these resources. The singing and prayers are a much easier way for them to engage with corporate worship and this way, when the sermon comes, they won’t already be bored with their fidget or finished with their coloring.
If you have questions about this or find our offerings difficult to navigate please come and talk to us about how we can help. We have a value of living as family and our goal is to help make our worship more inclusive to all ages. If that’s not happening for you let’s talk about how we can improve.
What To Expect
Arriving AtGBC Hope
Parking:
Parking outside the front entrance or on the side of the street
