The Singing of Praise

One of the great privileges we have is to sing the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. But what to sing and how to sing are often matters of disagreement among believers. Our approach is fairly simple: we believe that a rich legacy is to be found among the Psalms (which are worship songs given by divine inspiration) and the great hymns of the historic Christian Church. We seek to emphasize and take full advantage of this legacy in our singing. What makes a hymn great? A conspicuous focus on the character of God and the redemptive work of Christ. This means that we are not as likely to utilize material arising out of periods of church history which are not noted for their production of rich, profound, and thoughtful lyrics. Chief in this category are nineteenth century Revivalism and twentieth century American Evangelicalism. While we employ some songs and hymns from such periods, the emphasis does not lie there.

Prayer

We believe in the value of both corporate, unison prayers and extemporaneous prayers. With corporate prayers, we are able to join our voices together with wording that is well thought through and rich in biblical content. With extemporaneous prayer (in which one person leads), there is opportunity for greater freedom and responding to the immediate prayer needs of God’s people.

The Ministry of the Word

Central to our worship is reading and preaching of the Word of God. Scripture is read at a number of places in the service; it permeates all that we do. Prior to the sermon, a portion of Scripture is read that is the basis for the sermon. The sermon itself seeks to be a faithful explanation and application of that portion of Scripture in light of all of God’s Word. For the most part, our pastor adopts an expository approach, preaching through entire books of the Bible. In this way, we are exposed to the whole counsel of God.

The Lord’s Supper

In many respects, the Lord’s Supper is the high point of our service; it is where everything “comes together.” While this sacrament is at least a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Christ, it is also much more. It is a time of being spiritually nourished by the grace of Christ. It is also a time of solemn celebration, as we once again are confronted by and meditate upon the profound realities of the Gospel. For this and many other reasons, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day.

The Collection

As a response to the Lord’s mercy to us, and as a means of supporting and participating in the work of the Kingdom, we gladly give a portion of the financial resources with which God has blessed us. While we do not want you as a visitor to feel under any pressure to give, we do think it’s important for you to know why we believe in making great sacrifices, financial and otherwise, for the sake of Christ. It is because He and His Kingdom are worthy. It is with glad and grateful hearts that we give…and it is with glad and grateful hearts that we offer all of our worship to the Lord.