What to Expect on Sunday morning
Sunday Worship Services at Hope are at 10:30 a.m.
The service lasts approximately one hour. At the door you will
be greeted by a member of the church. The prelude music, which begins about
5 minutes before the service, is intended to help worshippers prayerfully prepare for worship. We have
ushers who will welcome you and give you a bulletin for the service, and are available to answer any questions.
The bulletin you receive as you enter the
Sanctuary will tell you what to expect throughout the service. Some parts of our worship are participatory and worshippers stand at times
as indicated by an * in the bulletin. The overhead contains the
same information as the bulletin so you may follow along easily.
Prelude
Generally the prelude is a selection played on the organ.
The prelude is a time to calm your spirit and to prepare to hear
God's word to you.
Welcome and Announcements
At this time we welcome visitors by standing and greeting
our neighbors. It is our tradition to pass a
Fellowship Roll pad to note those who are attending worship (members
sign the pad also). You do not have to sign the
pad if you do not wish to sign it. We like to extend our welcome to you the first time you
attend with a small gift and answer any questions you might have.
Joys
and Concerns/Minute for Mission
This usually follows the welcome and announcements. We make
mention of those who are requesting prayer at this time. If there is
a special mission project that we are undertaking, then it is
mentioned during this time also.
Call to Worship*
This
marks the formal beginning of the worship service. There is a short
invitation spoken by the leader to the people. It is patterned
after the many “calls to worship” found in the Bible.
Music
These include Anthem, Choral Introit, Hymns and Special
Music.
Although congregational singing is not the main part
of worship (as is commonly thought today) it is an important
part of the worship service. The
congregational singing employs the hymns of the faith as
well as contemporary hymns. Two or three congregational
hymns may be sung during the course of the service.
Special Music in the worship service is occasionally
employed to give a diversity of styles and to allow member
to share their gifts.
Prayer of
Confession
If we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we
confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive us
our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In humility
and faith let us confess our sin to God, using the prayer
printed in your bulletin or on the overhead.
Assurance of Pardon
In order to stand
before the holy God, we must come with clean
consciences. Therefore, early in the service we confess our sins
to Him. This is not meant to be a time of maudlin groveling in
our sins, but rather an expectant grasping of the grace of Jesus
toward sinners like us. The assurance of pardon is the promise
of the gospel in God’s word given by the Pastor to the penitent.
Gloria Patri*
This short hymn of praise to God sung by the whole
congregation. The words are:
Glory be to the Father, and
to the son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the
beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Old
Testament Lesson
A passage from the old testament is
read by the leader. You may follow along in your pew bible or on
the overhead.
Children's Time
During this time the children of the church (those ages
4 — 2nd grade) are invited to come forward to the steps in the front of the church.
If your children are hesitant to come forward, feel free to come
with them. During this portion of the service the biblical story
for the day is told to the children in language they are able to
understand, and a connection is made for the children between
the story and their lives. It ends with a prayer. After the
prayer, the children leave to attend Children's Church or they
may return to their seats in the sanctuary.
New
Testament Lesson/Epistle Lesson/Gospel Lesson
A passage from the new testament is
read by the leader of the Pastor. You may follow along in your
pew bible or on the overhead.
Sermon
This is the center of the worship service because it is where
God speaks to His people. God
has chosen to work in the lives of His people by using His
written and preached Word. Preaching was the primary activity
of Jesus and the apostles.
Apostles Creed
Each Sunday, the congregation is given an opportunity to say together a portion of what we believe. The text for this segment is typically taken from one of the creeds, or widely accepted statements of faith, of the church.
I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his
only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the
third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into
heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and
the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and
the life everlasting. Amen.
When we use the Apostle’s Creed
you should note that “holy, catholic church” refers all who
believe the gospel rather than to the Roman Catholic Church in
particular. We understand the “descent into hell” mentioned in
that creed to refer to the condemnation in our stead that Jesus
endured on the cross.
Worshiping God with our Tithes and Offerings
The presentation of offerings in the Presbyterian tradition is seen as an act of grateful response to God.
During this time ushers will pass the offering plate through the
pews. Visitors should not feel obligated to contribute.
Doxology*
This song is an offering of praise sung by the whole congregation. The words are:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Communion
Once a month we
practice the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, signifying the
death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Following Christ's example, the Pastor serving
at the Lord's Table takes bread and wine, gives thanks
for them, breaks the bread, pours the wine, and
gives them to the people. It will be served in one of two ways: in the
pews and at the Table.
In the
Pews
The
elders will distribute the bread and wine to
the people as they sit in the pews.
As the
plate of bread is passed to you, tear off a
piece for yourself and hand the plate to the
person next to you. After all the people on
your pew have been served, the plate is
returned to the elder. You are invited to
hold the bread until all have been served.
At the pastor's leading, we eat the bread
together to show our unity in Jesus Christ.
The
elder will next pass the tray of wine. Take
a cup as the tray is passed, and pass the
tray to the person next to you. As with the
bread, you are invited to hold the cup
until all have been served. At the
pastor's leading, we eat the cup together. Empty
cups are to be placed in the ringed holes on in the pew
racks.
At the Table
On
special occasion the people may also be
invited to come to the Lord's Table. This
way of serving emphasizes our response to
God's invitation and enhances our awareness
of one another in Table fellowship.
When invited to come
forward, please take your time. There is no need to hurry. Return to your pew
in which you were sitting..
We do not consider this
sacrament to be exclusive to church members. We believe it is
the Lord's table, not a Presbyterian table, and should be shared
by all believers who confess to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Prayer After Communion
Prayer brings us into communion with God. The more our lives
are rooted in prayer, the more we sense how wonderful God is in
grace, purity, majesty and love. Prayer means offering our lives
completely to God, submitting ourselves to God's will, and
waiting faithfully for God's grace. Through prayer God frees us
from anxiety, equips us for service, and deepens our faith.
Gracious God, you have made
us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. You
have fed us with the bread of life, and renewed us for your
service. We give ourselves to you, and ask that our daily
living may be part of the life of your kingdom. May our
love be your love reaching out into the life of the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
It is necessary to pray to God because it is the chief part
of the gratitude which He requires of us. God will give his
grace and Holy Spirit only to those who sincerely beseech him in
prayer without ceasing, and who thank him for these gifts.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Closing Hymn*
Generally sung by the congregation. During this time, if the
choir is present, they will leave the Sanctuary.
The Benediction
This is to be given by the Pastor to formally close the worship
service. Benedictions are one of the most beautiful phenomena in
Scripture and the Bible is replete with them being offered to the
people of God by the leadership.
The most
well-known, of course, is found in Num. 6.23-26, “…say to them,
‘The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine
upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance
upon you and give you peace.’”
