People participate in a variety of ways...
People can be as involved as much or as little as they’d like. Some read bible passages, others lead prayers. You'll be invited to share what's on your heart and what you think of the weekly bible passages, but no one is obligated to share.
Instead of a traditional pastor/priest, we have a catechist - one whose role is to teach the scriptures and help people move toward Christ on their spiritual journeys. He will often clarify the meaning of passages that are difficult to understand, explain how they've been interpreted throughout history, and facilitate an open discussion.
But we also use traditional liturgy...
Our services are based on ancient worship practices that God gave to ancient Jews and were passed down by the earliest Christians. This kind of worship draws our eyes toward God and what He says is true about us.
This also means that we share a meal we call the Eucharist (Greek for thanksgiving) at each of our services. In the breaking of bread (also known as communion), Christ makes Himself known to us in a powerful way.
The end result is something between a Sunday Service and an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
So wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and grab a cup of coffee as you enter. We look forward to making a new friend when you come see us!
People can be as involved as much or as little as they’d like. Some read bible passages, others lead prayers. You'll be invited to share what's on your heart and what you think of the weekly bible passages, but no one is obligated to share.
Instead of a traditional pastor/priest, we have a catechist - one whose role is to teach the scriptures and help people move toward Christ on their spiritual journeys. He will often clarify the meaning of passages that are difficult to understand, explain how they've been interpreted throughout history, and facilitate an open discussion.
But we also use traditional liturgy...
Our services are based on ancient worship practices that God gave to ancient Jews and were passed down by the earliest Christians. This kind of worship draws our eyes toward God and what He says is true about us.
This also means that we share a meal we call the Eucharist (Greek for thanksgiving) at each of our services. In the breaking of bread (also known as communion), Christ makes Himself known to us in a powerful way.
The end result is something between a Sunday Service and an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
So wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and grab a cup of coffee as you enter. We look forward to making a new friend when you come see us!
Sample Service
Come see what a difference an hour can make!
A typical service includes...
Preparing
Inviting
Learning
Reciting
Praying
Giving/Receiving
Leaving
A typical service includes...
Preparing
- We reflect on our week in silence
- We confess to God the mistakes we've made over the week, or the good things we failed to do
- We affirm God's forgiveness for our sins
Inviting
- We hear and recite ancient hymns and psalms as the candles are lit... this has been done by Christians every night for nearly 2,000 years
Learning
- Our catechist gives us the context for the weekly scriptures so we understand what we're about to read/hear
- We read/hear from the Old and New Testament
- We listen to a reading from the Gospel
- In light of the readings and our experiences over the past week, we what's on our hearts
Reciting
- We recite the 12 Steps and the Serenity Prayer
- We recite the Nicene Creed, one of the earliest statements of Christian belief
Praying
- We pray the Lord’s Prayer and other structured prayers, but we also invite people to pray in their own words
Giving/Receiving
- We give an offering
- We partake in Holy Communion (the Eucharist)
Leaving
- We receive a blessing and are dismissed in peace