WELCOME!
If you are planning to visit one of our congregations for the first time, we want you to know how glad we are to have you with us. We also want to take this opportunity to explain our worship service to you, so that you will feel at home.
OUR SERVICE
Our Worship Service focuses on Jesus Christ as He is present for us through His Word and Sacraments. We worship the way many Christians worship, with both joy and reverence.
Our congregation follows a “liturgical” order of service. This means that there is a basic structure in our service. This basic structure consists of Scripture (God’s word) put to song. It is Trinitarian (which holds that God exists as three distinct but co-equal and co-eternal persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit) and Christ-centered.
The orders of service that we follow are from the front part of the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. The Pastor will make announcements throughout the service so you can follow along.
HOLY COMMUNION
One of the most unique and special things we do as a congregation is receive Communion together. We go forward to the altar rail to eat bread and drink wine, but we receive more than these earthly elements. By the power of His Word, Jesus gives His body along with the bread and His blood along the wine for us to eat and drink for the remission of sins.
We want everyone to have the blessings of Communion, but God gives certain instructions for how Christians should prepare for this Holy Meal. He tells us that everyone present should be in agreement about what the Bible teaches (1 Corinthians 1:10). He says that all communicants should believe that Jesus truly gives His body and blood to eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:16). And He says that they should humbly recognize their sinfulness and their need for the Lord’s Supper, so they do not receive it to their harm (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).
Because of this, we ask visitors to learn more about our teaching and practice and to talk with our pastor before they join us for Communion.
We pray that the ministry of God’s Word will bless you during your time at one of our churches. We hope that you will come and worship with us soon. You will always be most welcome in our midst, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ!