Worship is the opportunity for the church, the body of Christ in the fellowship of the Spirit, to meet with her God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We meet with God in terms of the covenant that God has established with us, whereby He promises to be our God and He summons us to be His people.
Our worship is structured by this covenant relationship. God speaks to us in His Word and his people respond in adoration, repentance, faith, and obedience.
First Sunday of Month – Lord’s Supper
Prelude (A time for silent prayer and meditation)
God Calls Us to Glorify and Enjoy Him
Apostolic Salutation: Our Lord Greets us as we gather
*Call to Worship
*Hymn of Praise & Adoration
*Prayer of Adoration
God Unites Us in Doctrine and Prayer
*Nicene Creed
Pastoral Prayer
*Hymn
God Feeds Us with the Ministry of the Word
God’s Word Read
God’s Word Preached
Prayer of Application
*Hymn of Response
God Feeds Us with the Lord’s Supper
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
*Hymn of Communion
God Accepts Our Praise and Offerings
Tithes, Offerings, & Diaconal Gifts
*Doxology
God Dismisses Us with His Blessing
*Benediction: Our Lord blesses us as we depart
*Silent Prayer: And we go forth to glorify God!
Second Sunday of Month
Prelude (A time for silent prayer and meditation)
God Calls Us to Glorify and Enjoy Him
Apostolic Salutation: Our Lord greets us as we gather
*Call to Worship
*Hymn of Praise & Adoration
*Prayer of Adoration
God Hears Our Prayer of Confession
God’s Law
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon
* Hymn of Assurance & Faith
God Unites Us in Prayer
Pastoral Prayer/the Lord’s Prayer
* Hymn
God Feeds Us with the Ministry of the Word
God’s Word Read
God’s Word Preached
Prayer of Application
* Hymn of Response
God Accepts Our Praise and Offerings
Tithes and Offerings
*Doxology
God Dismisses Us with His Blessing
*Benediction: Our Lord blesses us as we depart
*Silent Prayer: And we go forth to glorify, serve, and enjoy God!
To explain briefly, the apostolic salutation, also known as a greeting, such as “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:3) opens most worship services. With these words God Himself greets His gathered people through the minister. The call to worship bids you to put enter solemnly and joyfully into the high privilege of worship. God Himself through His minister calls you to give Him the glory that is due to His name. The assurance of God’s pardon usually follows a public confession of sin. The pardon is based upon God’s own words to His people who humbly trust in Christ by faith alone for the forgiveness of their sin. The Scripture readings set before the people of God His holy and infallibly inspired words to them; we usually read from the Old Testament and the New Testament so that the whole counsel of God is heard with regularity. In preaching of the Word, Christ Himself speaks to us by His minister who opens the Word of God faithfully. And in the celebration of the sacraments, the gospel of Jesus Christ is before the congregation so that she may taste and touch the real presence of Jesus by faith (as in the Lord’s Supper) or see and feel the cleansing of a sinner being brought into fellowship with Christ by faith (as in Baptism). The sacraments are signs and seals of God’s covenant of grace with His people.
In response to God’s words to us either directly or through the minister, the congregation offers itself as a living sacrifice with hymns of praise, prayers of thanksgiving and petitions, and offerings, all of which are a fragrant aroma unto our God in Christ Jesus.
In every way, worship is a meeting between God and his people through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen!