they often have questions that they wish they could ask before they get there - or after the first visit. Here are a few:
- How long do they last?
- What do people wear? Do I have to dress up?
- Can I sit anywhere?
- Can we bring the children to worship services?
- Can we drop the children in Sunday School while we go to church?
- Do I have to believe in a certain creed to come to your worship services?
- Do I have to say anything during the service?
- Can I share my requests for prayer?
- Do you kneel?
- What are your customs with communion (the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper)?
- Do you take up a collection (if so, how much should I give?)?
- Do you expect your members to come every Sunday?
(If you have other questions, email or call us at (717) 394-6854. You will be greeted by a volunteer who can give you a response, or by one of our staff. If you would not be comfortable talking to any one of them, ask to speak to one of the pastors.)
Answers: About your worship servicesThe 8:30 service is usually 55 minutes long, the Cherry Street 9:16 service about an hour and a quarter, and the 11:00 service is usually over by 12:10.
It's pretty much up' to you. At our 8:30 and 9:16 services, people dress casually, but not sloppily even the pastors. At the 11:00 service, you'll see men in coats , many with ties. But you will also see sweaters, sport shirts and everyday blouses.
Certainly. We even have a balcony in the sanctuary! If you are uncertain about where you want to sit, just ask one of the ushers to help you.
Yes, but you may find that children under four years old are not ready for the worship experience. Therefore, we have professional child care available at all three services. There is a point in both the 8:30 and 11:00 services before the sermon when children up to fourth grade are given the opportunity to leave the sanctuary and go to supervised activities designed especially for children. The same is true for the 9:16 service.
Not really. We think it is important for families to worship together, and for children to learn about worship by being with their parents, at least for the first part of a service. However, we know that the sermon time can be difficult for children to sit still, so we have designed special programs for children for the last 2/3 of all three services.
We have an Education Hour from 9:30 to 10:30 for children, youth and adults. And on some Sundays, we have simple social conversation for adults in that hour.
Not at all. We would hope that you are seeking a certain relationship with Jesus Christ, even if you don't know Him very well. But we are all seekers. We will stand and affirm certain creeds (such as the Apostle's Creed), but members have been known to omit a phrase or two if they are uncertain about them. What's important to Christ is that we all seek to make Him lord of our lives. He knows our hearts without having to listen to what we profess.
Relax. You won't be called on to stand up by yourself. Out of respect for our Lord, we do stand together at certain points in some services to say what we believe and to sing. But neither of those is mandatory.
At every Sunday worship service we offer prayers for Joys and Concerns. Most are suggested from the congregation, they ask others to share in matters close to them by writing their requests on a card. The ushers collect them and pass along to the pastor for inclusion in the morning prayer. Some are general concerns of the church, such as the well-being of those who are sick or bereaved. Some are general joys of the church community. We also have a weekly list of prayer requests available for those who would like to direct their prayers during the week.
No.
We celebrate communion the first Sunday of each month and on a few other occasions during the year. Anyone who professes a faith in Jesus Christ may partake of the bread and the cup. (Out of respect for visitors and members who may have an allergy or aversion to alcohol, we use grape juice instead of wine.) more >>
At the 8:30 amd 9i:16 services, when we celebrate communion, people are asked to come forward to receive the bread form one of the pastors and dip it into the cup (intinction.) At 11:00 a.m. church officers called Elders serve the people in the pews. Trays with the bread broken into small portions are passed along with separate trays filled with small cups of grape juice. We eat the bread as we are served, and we hold the cup for a sign from the pastor to drink together. No one is required to partake.
Each service includes the opportunity for an offering, a time when we can give back to the Lord just a small portion of what he has given us. Offerings go for the work of the church to deliver the Good News and to help those who need it, here and overseas.
You are the sole judge of how much to give. Most members make an annual commitment and honor it each week. Among those who do not pledge and those who visit, some will give $1, some $5, some more, and some let the offering plate pass by.
Strange as it may seem to people who don't go to church very often, churches like us don't have quotas, standards, and guidelines for attendance, nor do we record who is there every Sunday and who is not for the purpose of keeping score ! But there is another strange thing among those who do go to church fairly often: the more they go, the closer they seem to grow to God and to the love and power of Jesus Christ; and the more they seem to want to be there. All we ask of our members is what He asks of all of us: be faithful.
Answers: About visiting your churchSee our Parking Map. In short, you can park (1) on the many streets around us, (2) across Orange Street behind the Snyder Funeral Home, (3) across from the south side of our church. Believe us, parking is not a problem on Sundays.
We certainly don't think so. People who visit us say that we are warm and friendly. From 400 to 600 people worship every Sunday, but you'll find that we are really interested in each other as individuals. There will be people there to greet you, and we have a Welcome Center in our lobby where someone can answer your questions or give you directions.
We would like to stop by in a day or so and simply say, "Thank you for coming." We have a gift that seems to be appreciated by all whom we visit. And we will be happy to answer, or get the answer to, any question that might have occurred to you. But that's all, on the doorstep. We won't be at all intrusive. After all, we do believe in the Golden Rule.
Of course. We would be delighted to have you be a part of our worshipping community. You might also want to join in some of the activities and programs of the church.
First, go the other pages on this web site. If you visit, check out the Welcome Center in the foyer after the service. Welcome hosts would be happy to answer any questions you may have and you will also find several brochures describing the multitude of activities in our church. Or just call 717/ 394-6854 during weekdays and tell the person who answers that you want to learn more about this or about that.
If you want to start on a path to church membership, we ask that you attend an orientation session called “Discover First!” to get a good grounding in what we are all about, and to get to know some people. "Discover First!" is offered five times a year on Sundays, 11am to 1:30pm. Please call the office for the next date.
