Service Descriptions
Informal Service: Spontaneity and liveliness—these are the words that can summarize this service. This service is mainly designed for young families with children. While children attend Sunday School, the parents can worship at the same time.
We begin this service with announcements. Then, for the next 10 minutes, we praise the Lord singing contemporary songs (both children and adult songs). Guitars, a keyboard, and a piano are used. Sometimes, however, we sing hymns from the Hymnal. Children’s Time immediately follows the Praise Medley. Typically, kids under 5th grade gather at the altar railing. This is a great time for all children and adults alike. Usually, the pastor tells a story, yet at times other members join sharing their stories with the children. Then, the children and youth leave the sanctuary to go to their Sunday School classes.
During the time of Sharing Joys, Concerns, and Praises, people share their concerns and joys with each other. This is the time when we unite our hearts to pray for our loved ones’ concerns ranging from physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, to financial. After the Pastoral Prayer, we say the Lord’s Prayer together. Then, all arise, going to our neighbors, and exchange the Christian greetings. A lot of hugs and handshakes are exchanged during this time. Then, the congregation joins the minister in reading the Scriptures together in one voice. Our pastor’s sermon immediately follows and lasts about 20 minutes. After the closing hymn, the pastor invites people to exchange their best blessings with each other and that concludes the service.
The total time for this service takes an hour. After the service, people are invited to continue their fellowship in the church parlor with refreshment every Sunday. Many of those attending the Traditional Service also join in this time of fellowship and refreshments.
Traditional Service: Quietness and music well characterize this service. This service is designed for those who want to worship the Lord without much distraction. Our pipe organ and a piano are used for this service.
We begin the service with announcements followed by Passing of the Peace (going to your neighbors and greeting each other). After that, the Prelude prepares our hearts for worship, which is followed by Call to Worship and Opening Hymn. Then, we do Prayer of Confession and Declaration of Pardon (both of them are common reading). Then, we have time for Sharing Joys, Concerns, and Praises. Pastor brings up all the prayer concerns spoken and unspoken in his pastoral prayer and concludes with the Lord’s Prayer recited by the congregation. Then, it’s time for the choir anthem. Although small in number, our choir surely can sing. After this, our pastor reads from the Bible and does his sermon—the same sermon he does at the Informal Service. Following the sermon a hymn is sung and the offering taken. Then, we sing our closing hymn followed by pastor’s benediction and choir’s benediction song. The service lasts about an hour. The congregation is invited to join for refreshments on every third Sunday of the month.
Blended Service: This service is the mixture of two services described above. We offer this service during summer (early June-early September). During the remainder of the year when we have two services each Sunday, most people choose either the Informal or Traditional service and stick with it. The Blended service during the summer provides an opportunity for the entire congregation to worship together and fosters greater closeness. The format is pretty much the same as for the Traditional Service except we have a Praise Medley in place of the opening hymn and Children’s Time before Sharing of Joys, Concerns, and Praises. Our choir takes the summer off; therefore, there is no choir anthem for this service, but on many of the Sundays during the summer there is special music of some type. No Sunday School is offered during the summer, so the older kids stay with the adults for the whole service, while many of the younger ones go to the church parlor to watch Christian videos after the Children's Time. Last year, we watched Veggie-Tales.
The total service time is about an hour. Refreshments are served after service every Sunday.