Worship Service

The Setting

Our church building is modest. When you enter into the auditorium for worship or bible class, you will see rows of pews for the worshipers. There are no reserved seats, so please feel free to sit anywhere you choose. If you arrive at or near the start time of our service, one of our ushers will greet you as you enter the auditorium. They will offer to assist you in finding a comfortable location to sit.

Invitation

At the end of the sermon, our minister offers the opportunity for anyone to respond to the invitation of the Lord (Matthew 11:28-30). This means that you will be given a chance to have the church pray for you and offer help. A song will be sung. If anyone wants to come forward, they walk to the front of the auditorium where they are met by one of our Shepherd’s as well as the minister. Their specific spiritual need is addressed.

Preaching

Our preacher’s only title is “minister”. He won’t be referred to as Pastor or Reverend. Those titles are not found in the New Testament in the context of a preacher. He won’t be wearing any special costume or robes that set him apart from the rest of us. He simply gets up and talks. The sermon lasts about 30 minutes and is Bible-based. Everyone is invited to open their Bibles and follow along.

Singing

Services begin with singing. The songs are easy to follow and are shown on the screen at the front of the auditorium. If you wish, hymn books are also located on the back of the pew in front of you. Songs are also posted on the front page of the bulletin for everyone’s convenience in case you miss your place.

You will discover our music has no instruments, solos, choirs, or praise teams. We seek to worship God simply, according to the New Testament pattern found in Colossians 3:16. Since the New Testament only authorizes singing, that’s what we choose to do. This type of singing is called “a Capella”, or without instruments. You may find this unusual. We think it’s comforting. Everyone sings and praises our Lord, just like first century Christians chose to do. 

Praying

After announcements and a song, one of our Elders (church leaders) bring before the congregation the names of people who have asked for special prayers to be offered on their behalf. These may be members of the congregation, friends, relatives or total strangers. We pray for those special needs and ask for God’s help in healing. Additional prayers are offered throughout the rest of the worship service. These prayers personalize our services and allow us to thank God for his loving kindness and mercy.

Communion

We take the Lord’s Supper or Communion every Sunday. As we have previously mentioned, it is our desire for our worship services to be patterned after the church of the First Century (Acts 20:7). The Communion was first established by Jesus as he met with His Apostles. It is a way to remember His death. Jesus took unleavened bread and told His Apostles that this represented His body. He then took the fruit of the vine and said that this represented His blood. He told his Apostles to eat the bread and drink from the cup to remember his death until He comes again. (1 Corinthians 11.23-26).

Giving

After Communion, we take a few minutes to collect money from the members of the congregation. It’s timing is simply a matter of convenience. It’s not part of the communion service. This responsibility rests solely with the members of the Linder Road Congregation (1 Corinthians 16:12). As a visitor, we do not expect you to provide any contribution. Simply pass the tray to the next person and don’t feel compelled to put anything into the tray.