A Warm Welcome: We want you to experience a cordial welcome, when you come: someone to greet you, offer you a service folder, answer questions you may have, and if desired, have someone sit with you to help you follow the service.
Dress: Since our members come from a variety of backgrounds, you will see some dressing up a bit and others being more informal. Most clothing is appropriate; we just want you to know we would like you to come.
The pastor will often wear a white robe with a colored stole. The stole is the sign that he has been ordained to be a Lutheran pastor. Its color matches the season of the church year, as do the hangings on the altar and the pulpit. Blue is the color of hope and is used in the season before Christmas. White is the color of purity, joy, and victory. We use it during the Christmas and Easter seasons and the early part of the Epiphany season, the season after Christmas where Jesus is revealing His glory. The season of Lent is a time of repentance and preparation; we use purple for this season. Red is used for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and for festivals of the church. Green is the color of growth and is used for the most part during the long non-festival half of the church year, called the Sundays after Pentecost. Colors are meant to foster our growth in the Christian faith and enrich our appreciation for different emphases throughout the church’s year.
Worship’s Form: Typically, Lutheran worship is liturgical. As a result, you can expect our worship to follow certain general patterns, which reflect the practice of centuries of Christian worship. There will be a variety of activities: singing, praying, listening to Scripture and a message, confessing our faith, etc. There is a dramatic element to it, but its purpose always remains the same: to strengthen our relationship with God and one another.
Holy Communion: We celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper) at most Sunday worship services. We do so with joy over the rich gifts Jesus bestows to us in this Holy Meal: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. In keeping with His instruction to His disciples, we believe that with the bread and wine, Jesus gives us His own body and blood to strengthen our faith and assure us of His presence. It is a means of His grace, that as we face the challenges of discipleship, we know we are not alone. He is with us to help us!
Because of what the Lord’s Supper is, we ask those who participate to humbly confess their sins, resolve to amend their sinful ways with the Lord’s help and to live in love with His people. We ask that those communing with us be baptized followers of Jesus who, taking Him at His Word, recognize that His own body and blood are truly present in this meal for the renewal of our faith and life (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
If you hold a different understanding of this Sacrament or of the Christian faith as confessed by our congregation, or if you are a young person who has not completed a First Communion class, we kindly ask you to refrain from receiving the elements themselves, but you are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing from our Pastor by simply crossing your arms over your chest. Also, any who have doubts or wish to discuss the meaning of this sacrament, please feel free to speak with our pastor or one of our Elders.
Please note: The cups in the center of each tray contain grape juice for those who are sensitive to wine.