Sunday Worship
Services at Christ Presbyterian
Church begin at 11:00 a.m. and last approximately one hour. We begin
with the prelude music, which is intended to help worshipers
prayerfully prepare for worship. We have Greeters who will welcome
you, give you a bulletin (program) for the service, and answer any
questions you might have. (If you have children with you, be sure to
get Worship Bags for them. These contain a Children's Bulletin and
some worship-related activities suitable for quiet play.)
You will almost always find that people
sitting near you will notice that you are new and will make a special
point to greet you. They don't do this because they have to, but
because they want to and are genuinely interested. We don't ask guests
to stand up or identify themselves during the worship service, and we
won't put a tag on you -- we know those practices can be embarrassing.
But you won't leave Christ Presbyterian feeling that no one noticed
you or cared. It's a very warm and friendly atmosphere.
The bulletin you receive as you enter the
sanctuary will list the different elements of the service. Some
parts of our worship are participatory, and for some parts worshipers are asked to stand. These times are indicated in the bulletin,
so you may follow along easily. If standing is a difficulty
for you, feel free to remain seated.
Here are
some notes about particular times when the congregation takes part in the
service:
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Welcome and Announcements
This is the time we welcome visitors
(without asking guests to stand up or identify themselves) and make
announcements about items of interest to the whole congregation. We
also pass a Friendship Pad to note those who are attending
worship. Members and visitors both are invited to sign this. Of
course, you do
not have to sign the pad. However, we like to extend our welcome to
first-time visitors with a brief note of thanks for worshiping with
us.
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Prayer of Confession
As a congregation, we pray together a confession printed in the
bulletin. We do this for ourselves and for the church worldwide, recognizing what we have done or left undone
and acknowledging the reality of sin in our personal as well as our
communal life. We
do this knowing that we are God's beloved children. We then hear the
gospel proclaimed in the Declaration of Pardon, when we are asked to
hear and believe the good news that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
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Gloria Patri The
whole congregation sings this hymn of praise. The words are in the
bulletin.
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Affirmation of Faith
Each Sunday, the congregation is given an
opportunity to respond to God's Word by saying together a statement of what we believe. The text for
this typically is one of the creeds, or widely
accepted statements of faith, of the church, such as the Apostles'
Creed. The text for the day will be printed in the bulletin. For more information
about our creeds and confessions, see the Book of Confessions on the
Study Resources page.
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Sacrament of
Baptism
Some days, there is a baptism following the
Sermon.
Although
Presbyterians do baptize believing adults, we also baptize infants and
stress to parents the need to present their infants for baptism. Our
practice of baptizing infants is rooted in our belief that Baptism is
not an action accomplished by the person being baptized, but “the sign
and symbol of inclusion in God’s grace and covenant with the Church.”
We know that our relationship with God depends primarily on what God
has done and only secondarily on what we may or may not do.
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Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
The first Sunday of each month, and at certain
other services, we celebrate the
Lord's Supper, also known as Communion or the Eucharist. During the
sacrament, we offer worshipers a choice of ordinary grape juice (which is deep
purple) or wine (which is white or pink), as well as the bread. We welcome everyone who has been
baptized within a Christian church to participate,
including baptized
children who are receiving instruction in the significance of this
sacrament.
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Presbyterians believe that, although the sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper presupposes our belief in Christ, it also deepens and assists
our personal faith. We do not stay away from the table because we
believe ourselves unworthy. If we did, we could never come to the
table! Instead, we present ourselves to God with all of our
imperfections, our weaknesses, and our sinfulness, putting our trust
in God and relying upon God’s mercy.
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Concerns and Celebrations
During this segment of our worship, we share with each other our
concerns - for which we ask everyone's prayers - and our celebrations
- for which we ask everyone to share in our happiness. Afterwards, we
hear the Prayers of the People, during which a prayer is said for
ourselves, our friends and family, and for God's children throughout
the world. This prayer concludes with the congregation saying together
the Lord's Prayer, the words to which are printed in the bulletin.
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Presentation of Tithes and Offerings
In the Presbyterian tradition,
we view the presentation of God's tithes and our offerings as an act of grateful response
to God and one of the ways we support the doing of God's work. Visitors need not feel obligated to contribute.
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Doxology
The whole congregation sings this offering
of praise. The words are printed in the bulletin.
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Joining the Church
Christ Presbyterian Church gladly welcomes
all candidates for membership. In accordance with our denomination's
Book of Order, there are two requirements for membership:
baptism within a Christian church and a statement of belief in Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Savior.
If you are interested in joining Christ
Presbyterian Church, you may indicate this on the Friendship Pad and someone
will contact you. You also may contact the Pastor following the
service, through the Church Office, or through the
Contact Us page.
Whether you already
are a member of the Presbyterian denomination, are coming from another
denomination, or are new to church life altogether – you are warmly
invited to become a part of the Christ Presbyterian family of faith!
