Welcome to the Church of the Palms United Methodist website!  We are a growing congregation very much rooted in prayer, worship, Bible study and missions.  We welcome all guests, and invite you to participate in worship, study and fellowship with us.

Worship Services

We worship at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings.

No matter what you wear, or how you dress, you are welcome at the Church of the Palms.  Your presence is more important than your appearance.

When you enter the Welcome area, ushers will greet you and give you a nametag.  We encourage everyone in attendance to wear one also, so that we may call you by name.  Ushers will then offer you worship bulletins describing the service.  Feel free to sit anywhere, and if you need any assistance, the ushers will help you find a seat.  If you arrive after the service has started, the ushers will tell you when you can enter.

By using the worship bulletin, hymnal, and Bible at your seat, you will be able to follow our service easily.  We frequently stand during portions of our Worship Service.  If you are unable to stand with ease, please feel comfortable in remaining seated.

Early in the service, an attendance pad will be passed.  The roster is our way of keeping track of attendance of regular members as well as guests who might be interested in returning to attend another service.  We would appreciate your giving of an address, phone number, or email so that we may thank you for your attendance and answer any questions you might have.

An offering is collected at each Worship Service.  The offering is made in response to God's Word.  The gifts support the missions and ministries of this congregation and the global ministries of the United Methodist Church.

During the service, there is a Children's Time where all the children are invited to the altar for a special lesson from the Pastor.  Afterwards, the children may go back to the Sunday school rooms for a special lesson on worship while parents attend the rest of the service.  If any children do not wish to be separated from their parents, they are always welcome to stay.

The passing of the peace is a time to greet your neighbors.  You may be greeted with the words "Peace be with you" - you may respond in kind or a simple "good morning".  You will find this is a friendly congregation that thoroughly enjoys this part of the Worship Service.

Holy Communion is celebrated at certain worship services.  Communion will be served on the 1st and 3rd Sundays each month at 10:30am.  Following prayer and the blessing of the Elements (bread and wine [grape juice]) by the Pastor, our worship leaders are served Holy Communion, followed by an invitation to the whole congregation to partake.  Holy Communion is open to all who wish to participate, including children.  Guests who feel uncomfortable partaking, or whose beliefs may prohibit participation, should not feel pressured and should simply remain seated.  If you cannot stand to come forward to receive Holy Communion, please tell one of our ushers, and the Pastor will bring communion to you at your seat.  See our events calendar for more details for when Communion is celebrated.  

If you need to pray with someone or for someone, you may approach the Pastor after services or add your request during the prayer portion of the Worship Service.

Fellowship

After the service, please join us for refreshments and fellowship.  During this time, we share what's been going on in our lives and enjoy each other's company.  It is an ideal time for you to learn about Church of the Palms.  On the first Sunday of each month, there is a potluck lunch offered by the church that is also open to all members and guests.

Sunday School

At 9:00 am each Sunday, we offer church school for people of all ages.  For children, we are excited to announce the beginning of Godly Play for children ages 4-12.  Godly Play is a Montessori-based Sunday School curriculum developed by Rev. Jerome Berryman.  For toddlers, we offer a Cokesbury curriculum just for little ones.  For adults, we have two classes, Disciple and Seekers.  Bibles and study books are available at the classes.

Nursery

We offer a crib nursery and toddler room for children 3 and under from 9:00 am to 12 noon for parents wishing to place their children in care during Sunday School and Worship Service.  A changing table is available in the crib room.

Announcements

Other activities and upcoming events are announced at the beginning of the service and described in the worship bulletin and on the website.  Church of the Palms is intentionally inclusive, therefore all services, events, and meetings are open to EVERYONE!  You are invited!  You may also pick up a copy of The Open Line, our monthly newsletter which will soon be posted on the website.  The Open Line also advertises upcoming church events, missions, local events, and even fun and games.

We sincerely hope you will take the opportunity to worship with us, and that you will find the experience to be rich and spiritually fulfilling.