Be a part of our family-oriented, Christ-centered worship services.
What you can expect when you visit one of our
services:
When you come through our doors, expect to be welcomed!
Greeters will meet you as you come in, extend a warm handshake and answer any
immediate questions you may have (such as "Where is a class for my children?" or
"Where can we sit?") We are glad you chose to visit us and we
think you'll be glad too!
Worship services are held in the auditorium.
Sit anywhere you feel comfortable. Before worship begins (Sundays at 9:00
A.M. and 6:00 P.M.), there's a lot of "visiting" going on. That's because
we are all part of a big, wonderful family! Many folks will talk to you
and welcome you to our assembly. You are our honored guest!
Worship services normally begin with a song and
then a brief set of announcements and welcome. We will ask you to fill out the back of our
"Vistor Card". We use these cards as a means of recording visitor
information. Yes, you are important to us!
We regard the Bible as the inerrant, inspired word
of God! During our worship service,
we will have a scripture reading. We often will be asked to stand up
during the reading. This has two purposes. First, standing shows our
respect for the word of God. If someone of great importance walked into the room, you likely
would stand to give this person honor. The scriptures represent the mind
of the One who created the universe! We should give Him our respect!
Second, the message from God's word is worthy of our attention. Standing
and either listening to or following along in our own Bibles helps us focus our
attention on the reading.
Singing is a special opportunity to worship God. When we feel happy, we often sing! It's
natural. It's no surprise then that God would want us to channel some of
our worship through singing. You will find a hymnal in the rack on the
back of the pew in front of you. The song leader will announce the song
number and soon we will start singing together. . . in harmony!. . .and we try
to make it just as beautiful and joyful as we can! But what you won't hear
are musical instruments. Frankly, we don't need them! But the reason
we sing without instruments is not merely our preference. We want to
worship God according to the New Testament pattern. And that pattern does
not indicate that instrumental music was used or desired by God. Many visitors
unfamiliar with "A Cappella" music are deeply moved by this experience--it's all
a part of God's plan!
Prayer is our communication to God. While each Christian should pray often and in
private, we, as a congregation, pray together. A man will walk to the
front and speak a prayer. We all try to focus our attention on his words
and make his prayer our own. We are commanded to pray for each other, so
this prayer may include many specific names and circumstances. Prayer
changes Lives!
Expect to hear a Bible-based sermon which will
encourage faithful Christian living!
Our preacher, Dan Chambers, will usually preach during the service. You
may notice that Dan is not given a special religious title such as
"pastor" or "reverend," nor does he wear any special garments to set him apart
from others. That's because all Christians are viewed by God as "priests"
(1 Peter 2:9). A sermon usually concludes with an invitation to respond
personally to the message. Those who do respond, if not already a child of God will be
added to God's family through Baptism for the remission of sins. You can respond
by coming forward in front of
the congregation or with Two of our elders (specially-qualified men who serves as a
congregational leaders) will meet with anyone who responds to them in a room
outside of the auditorium and talk with them about their particular need.
Each Sunday we follow the New Testament pattern by
sharing the Lord's Supper. The
unleavened bread and fruit of the vine are each distributed throughout the assembly.
The Lord's Supper or "communion" is a both solemn and joyful occasion.
Jesus commanded that His followers observe this as a means to remember the price
He paid for our sins. It is sad to think that Jesus had to suffer and die
to redeem us. But it is wonderful to think that He loves each one of us
that much!
Giving is a way of expressing our gratitude for
God's blessings. Each Christian
should cheerfully give to support the works which God has directed.
However, you--our guest--are not expected to give. As the collection
basket comes to you, please just pass it along.
Many visitors unfamiliar with a cappella worship are deeply moved by
the experience.
The Concord Road church of Christ seeks to worship God
according to Christ's command: "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). To worship God
"in spirit" requires that we come to God with a humble attitude,
understanding that our salvation in Christ is not by our own righteousness or
works, but by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8,9). We humbly come to God to worship
Him, and He lifts us up (James 4:10) with the understanding of His love for all
men through His Son Jesus (John 3:16) and the anticipation of being in
Christ's presence for all eternity! (I Thessalonians 4:17, 18). Worshipping God
at the Concord church of Christ is a humble celebration of the love we share in
Christ and our anticipation of heaven!!
Equally important is worshipping God "in truth." The New Testament gives
specific commands, shows positive examples or implications of how the church
worshipped God during the period of inspired guidance--the first century. Rather
than trusting man-made ideas on how we should worship God, we trust God's word,
the Bible, to provide the pattern of how we should worship Him.
Worshipping God this way is refreshingly simple and clear. There is no need for
great ceremony or the fanfare of a stage show. Together, we
w pray (I Timothy 2:1)
w sing songs that teach the truth and encourage Christian
living (Colossians 3:16)
w are reminded of God's will for our lives as we hear the
preaching of God's word (Acts 10:42)
w give to help others and support the many works of the
church (II Corinthians 9:7)
w "break bread," (Acts 20:7) by partaking of the unleavened bread
and fruit of the vine, simply called the Lord's Supper (I Corinthians 11:20).
Worshipping God in truth is truly a time of fellowship with God, His Son Jesus,
His Holy Spirit and God’s children, the church.
Worshipping God in spirit and in truth is a time we look forward to! It's a time
of learning, spiritual growth and encouragement. It’s a time of peace and
personal reflection. It's a time for receiving God's love and mercy.
Isn't it time you were there?
