We start to gather 20 minutes or so before worship to greet and welcome each other.  Shortly before 10 a.m. we find a place to sit in the sanctuary (the back always fills up first). As worship begins, candles are lit on the altar. This represents the presence of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, in our midst.

After a few brief announcements, we begin worship with a short reading from the Bible and a prayer. We sing several hymns and read scripture together (usually one of the Psalms). Then we celebrate our lives in Christ during the past week. We do this by voicing our joys (birthdays, anniversaries, joyful events) and concerns (health problems, prayer requests, needs) to each other.

Then we approach God in prayer with these events, thanking Him for blessings and asking Him for help where it's needed. We also worship God by collecting an offering of money, which is used to support the ministry of the church. Then the choir will sing a song of Praise to God.

Next, there is a reading of scripture from the Holy Bible. We stand as it is read, in reverence for the Word of God. At the end of the reading, the pastor preaches a message based on the scripture that was read. Following the message, we pause for a moment to consider silently how the message relates to our own lives. We close the service by singing a hymn together. As the candles on the altar are extinguished, their light is carried out of the sanctuary, representing our call to take the Light out into the world. Worship ends with a prayer by the pastor and we greet each other again (usually with a lot of hugs).

Adults and teenagers gather together in our fellowship hall. Kids smaller than about 12 years old meet separately with an adult teacher. We meet in groups of about 10 to 20. Each group has a leader, who will call for the session to be opened with prayer. We will read a passage from the Bible, then discuss what it means. The discussions are usually fun and lively. The purpose of this hour together is to become more aware of what the Bible says and how it applies to our everyday lives. In worship service we hear the Word of God in a formal setting, in Sunday School we share it informally.
 
 

Vacation Bible School

This summer we also had a blessed experience with our Vacation Bible School.  For a week we had over 30 children who learned the stories of the Bible in a fun and exciting way.  The picture below shows three of our Shephards posing for the camera.  These volunteers were among many who made the great week possible.