It’s not always easy to enter an unfamiliar church for worship the first time, especially if one goes alone. Let’s face it: that first church visit can be intimidating or uncomfortable!
Most of us who have been reared in the Christian tradition, however, think that we ought to go to church; that church participation is the “right thing to do;” and that churchgoing pulls us closer to God than a morning in bed, reading the funnies, going out for brunch with friends, or even watching television church.
So we are faced with making that first visit. And I must be honest: I have visited churches where I received no greetings, no smiles, and no signs of recognition. This left me feeling cold and even unwanted. Let me tell you what I hope you can expect at West Side Christian Church:
1) A WARM WELCOME. We will be genuinely glad to have you come. Please do! We need enthusiastic participants in our congregational life.
2) SUNDAY SCHOOL. We offer Sunday school for all ages starting at 9:45 including a nursery for the really young.
3) A TRADITIONAL SERVICE. We try to make our service comfortable for everyone in attendance. Many of the hymns will be familiar, although we do try to learn new ones. There won’t be any loud shouting or wild emotional displays. We tend to be rather rational and think religion is as much a matter of the mind as of the heart. We don’t jump up and down and seldom is there a jarring surprise in worship.
4) A BULLETIN. The bulletin guides us in our worship, so we always know what’s coming next. There is much congregational participation in worship, so the printed material in the bulletin informs everyone of his or her part.
5) A PROJECTOR and SCREEN. For those that do not want to use a bulletin, the entire service from hymns to scriptures, along with the complete order of worship is projected on a screen at the front of the Sanctuary.
6) TIME LIMITS. Have you ever attended a service which you thought would never end? At West Side, announcements are projected on the screen prior to the start of the service. This allows us to spend more time worshipping the risen Christ. Worship itself will last just an hour or a very brief few minutes longer. We try to respect your busy life and realize that most people today live on a schedule. We don’t think longer is necessarily better than shorter.
7) WORSHIP and WONDER. Children ages 3 years old to 3rd Grade are welcome to attend their own worship service. Click here to find out more about Worship and Wonder.
8) SERMONS. brief, to-the-point, related to daily life, thoughtfully prepared, from the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary, lifting up the name and teachings of Jesus Christ as Lord and God as Loving Creator.
9) THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER EVERY SUNDAY. We believe that Christians must regularly and faithfully meditate upon Christ’s death upon the Cross and upon Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Better than any other way, Holy Communion makes this possible.
10) LEADERSHIP IN WORSHIP AND CONGREGATIONAL LIFE BY MEN, WOMEN, YOUTH AND CHILDREN. We believe that everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Although we strongly believe that the men of the church need deep involvement in Christian leadership, so do the women. A person’s gender will not be reason for excluding a person from any role in Christ’s fellowship.
11) A SENSE OF HAVING DONE WHAT GOD EXPECTS YOU TO DO- AND OF HAVING GLORIFIED JESUS CHRIST. If you are not a participant in the life of a Christian congregation, we invite you to visit us. West Side Christian Church might be the church for you. Oh–if you are concerned about what to wear, some in our church family dress up and some are more casual. If you are comfortable with what you wear, then so are we.