Worship and FAQ It can be hard to go to a church for the first time. There are so many questions that aren’t answered in advertisements and mailings.
For example, “How do I get into the building for service and where do I go once I’m in the building?” “What do I do with my children?” “What should I wear?” “What will the service be like?” “What will be expected of me as a visitor?” Unknown factors like these can make church intimidating.
We invite you to come and visit us, and at the same time hope to answer some of your questions before you visit. We’d like to make your visit with us relaxing and beneficial.
Please let us know if there are questions not answered by these pages. We want to help you in whatever way we can so that your experience with us is enriching.
Our deepest wish is that when you visit Prince of Peace you will hear about your Savior, Jesus, and will come to know God’s grace and love more and more.
Some Common Questions
What do I wear? Since the Bible presents no dress code aside from simple decency and Christian humility, Prince of Peace doesn’t make any rules either. Dress is a personal matter of worship before God. One may dress casually to rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ; another may dress to reflect the awe and reverence we have for our Savior King.
What do I do with my kids? While we recognize and encourage the blessings of having young children in church, we also recognize the difficulties they may have in sitting quietly through and entire service and the distraction they may cause to parents and others around them. Therefore we provide a staffed nursery room during our 10:30 a.m. worship service.
How do I know I won’t feel out of place? First of all, we hope that this will help ease your mind. But even if you do have a question (such as, “Where is the nursery?”), please ask someone for help. Don’t hesitate to say, “I’m new here. Can you help me?” Our ushers and members are ready and willing to help. Most of our members were visitors at one time and know how you feel.
What if I say or do something wrong? All of us have felt this way when in a new situation. The members of Prince of Peace are ordinary people just like you. We want to accept you as you are and help you to become what Christ wants you to be. We do not want to throw cold water on that by a critical spirit.Some More Questions
Will they make me stand up and say something? We assure you, we won’t embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel comfortable and at home with us. Church should be an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We promise to do all that we can so that you can learn about your Savior and God’s will for your life.
Am I expected to give money? The Bible teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is from God and is His gift to us. It teaches that with our offerings we worship and honor God. Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. You may wish to learn more about our ministry before bringing your offerings to God through our church, but you are welcome to participate as your heart leads you to give. Since offerings are gifts of love to God, no one dictates what each person is to give. They are gifts of love given back to the One who first loved us.
What if I don’t know that much about the Bible? Indeed, that is one of the main reasons for our Sunday activities. Church and Sunday School are excellent opportunities to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and faith in Jesus. Remember, sometimes the wisest words we can say are, “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand.” Now I have the opportunity to learn and understand.
By going, will they try to ‘sign me up’? We believe that Church membership should be a voluntary thing and something that is based upon knowledge and conviction. Faith is something that takes time to cultivate, not something to be pressured.
About Our Worship Every church has its own style of worship. Our worship at Prince of Peace would be categorized as “liturgical.” What that means is that we have a set order of service that we use every week. While each service is unique as to its theme, readings and sermon, there are certain elements of our worship that will be there every week.
Our service will almost always include an invocation (calling on the name of Lord whom we have come to worship), an admission of our sins, an assurance of our forgiveness in Jesus, Bible readings, a sermon, the offering, prayers, hymns and a final blessing.
These elements of our service have been part of Christian worship for two millennia. They have their roots in Old Testament worship, but are presented in contemporary language and settings along with modern applications.
Each week, the key elements of our worship are mentioned in our bulletin. The exact order of service and hymns are located in our hymnal. The worship leader will direct you to the exact page or pages necessary to follow along.
The service focuses on the readings from the Bible. There we hear God talking to us. In music and prayer, we respond to what God has said, praising Him and giving thanks to Him for His great love.
We think that you’ll enjoy the services at Prince of Peace. We invite you to come and see for yourself!
Our Sunday Worship times: Nursery: The Lord's Supper: When our congregation celebrates the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, we want to remember two important aspects as we receive it:
For those who have not communed with us before, we ask that we have an opportunity to discuss our faith. Such a discussion and study of the Word of God provides the basis for Fellowship and Close Communion. We are eager to discuss our faith and the Word of God together! Please speak with the pastor after our worship service. He will be happy to share more information with you. Glorifying God:
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