Coming together to worship our Lord is essential to our life as Christians. We gather to praise God and be fed by God’s Holy Word, giving glory to our Savior, Jesus Christ. A service of worship begins each Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. Everyone is always welcome at all of our services of worship – come as you are!

As You Enter

Ushers distribute copies of the weekly Sunday bulletin to worshippers as they enter the sanctuary. The bulletin provides a program for the worship service. The worship liturgy is printed in its entirety, except for the hymns or songs used. Hymn titles are listed in the bulletin, followed by the hymn number. The hymnal we currently use is the ELW (Evangelical Lutheran Worship). Hymnbooks are located in the pew racks.

During Worship

The Pastor greets the congregation and shares announcements and prayer concerns. An organ prelude precedes the service. The actual worship begins with the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness and the opening hymn. The Prayer of the Day is then offered followed by the reading of the First Lesson, Psalm, and Second Lesson. The First and Second Lessons are scriptures read by the Assisting Minister, who is a member of the congregation. The Psalm is read responsively. After the Second Lesson, the Gospel of the Day, usually a New Testament reading, is shared by the Pastor.

The Gospel reading is followed by a Children’s Time for children of all ages. The children come forward to sit with the Pastor at the steps leading to the altar. (Parents are welcome to join their children.)

The Pastor then delivers their sermon, centered on a theme that is appropriate to the Lessons and Gospel of the Day and the Church’s religious calendar. After the sermon, we echo the day’s theme, as everyone joins in singing the Hymn of the Day. Together, we confess our faith by reciting the Apostles’ Creed or Nicene Creed. The Assisting Minister and Pastor then lead the congregation in intercessory prayers for the church and for those in need in our community and world.

Peace Be With you

Following the prayers, the Peace of Christ is shared. During this time, the congregation greets one another with a wave or other sign, saying, “Peace be with you.” Following the sharing of the Peace, the offerings are received. The Choir makes its own offering of praise to the Lord, with an anthem of special music.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
Each Sunday, we celebrate Holy Communion as a central part of our identity as God’s forgiven, grace-fed people. This pattern of sharing the Lord’s Supper on each Lord’s Day follows the practice of the earliest Christians as recorded in the New Testament. All are welcome at the Lord’s Table! As Lutheran Christians, we profess the presence of Christ in, with, and under the elements.

The celebration of Communion begins with the presentation of the offering and the Communion elements of bread and wine. We stand and sing the offertory, then join the offertory prayer. The Pastor leads the congregation in the Great Thanksgiving, which includes a special Eucharistic Prayer and the Words of Institution spoken by Jesus in the upper room on the night before his crucifixion. We pray together the Lord’s Prayer and join in singing the Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”).

Currently, on the First Sunday of each month (and on special Festival Sundays), Communion is administered at the rail that encircles our altar. On all other Sundays, Communion is administered at the foot of the steps leading to the altar. Ushers will approach each row from the main aisle to indicate when to move forward for Communion. We receive the bread from the Pastor and then the individual cup of wine from the Assisting Minister or Communion Assistant. Those not able to partake of either the bread or the wine may be assured of the Lord’s full presence in each element.

GO IN PEACE! SERVE THE LORD!
Following the sharing of our Lord’s Supper, the service concludes with the Post-Communion blessing and prayer. The Pastor then pronounces the Benediction, and the congregation joins in singing a closing or “sending” hymn. The Pastor sends us forth with the dismissal. Having been strengthened and fed by the Living Word, we go out in peace to serve the world in our Lord’s name!