There is a place for you and your family at Westside, and we want you to feel comfortable when you visit. However we know an unfamiliar place can be intimidating, so let us tell you what you can expect when you honor us with your presence Sunday morning.
The Seating
You will enter a foyer area just inside the entrance doors. Then you will enter what we refer to as the “auditorium.” There will be rows of pews for the worshippers. There are no reserved seats, so feel free to sit anywhere you choose.
Singing
In a bookrack in front of your seat, there will be a songbook for your use during worship. When the song leader announces a page number, you can turn to that page number in the songbook to find the words and music. One of the unique things about churches of Christ is that the singing is “a cappella.” (Ephesians 5:19) That is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. This is a conviction with us, not just a preference. We are seeking to worship according to the New Testament pattern. Since the New Testament leaves instrumental music out, we believe it is best to exclude it, too. You may consider us narrow on this point, but we believe you will respect our reason for it. We also believe you’ll find the singing meaningfully because everyone is invited to participate in the singing.
Prayers
There will be prayers during the worship time. Prayer is personal communication with God, so during the worship service different men will lead the congregation by praying on behalf of the church. In this way, the entire congregation participates in offering up the prayer to God. There may be prayers for specific needs and requests.
Scripture Reading
A predetermined scripture will be read by one of the men during the worship service. Typically it is read before the worship service sermon and is typically related to the topic of the sermon.
Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper will be included in the worship proceedings-because churches of Christ observe this memorial every Sunday. Again, the reason for this is our desire to follow New Testament teachings. The first century church celebrated this observance on the first day of each week. We know this from the Bible (Acts 20:7) and from respected historian writers.
Prefilled cups with Concord grape juice and a wafer of unleavened bread are on a table at the entrance to the auditorium. Please pick one up as you enter to worship, if you desire to participate. At the appropriate time, a prayer will be offered for each emblem before partaking of it. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus, and the “fruit of the vine” symbolizes Jesus’s shed blood on the cross of Calvary for the remission of our sins. This memorial is to remember the death of our Savior until He comes. (I Corinthians 11:26)
(Please place empty cups in racks next to song book racks)
Offering
There are two collection plates at the entrance to the auditorium for members. As a guest, you are not expected to make a contribution for the work of the church. We are just glad to have you as a guest.
Preaching
You will notice that the preacher doesn’t have a title. He won’t be referred to as Pastor or Reverend. He will probably be referred to as brother. Most often, we will call him by his first name. He won’t wear any special clothing or robes that set him apart from anyone else present. The reason for this is our belief in a priesthood of all believers. All Christians are on equal footing as far as status in the church.
The sermon will likely be from 20 to 30 minutes long. We think you will be surprisingly refreshed at how Bible-centered the sermon will be.
Invitation
At the end of the sermon, the preacher will “offer an invitation.” This is simply a convenient time to invite those who are moved to make a public commitment or request prayer support. The preacher will encourage those who wish to “respond” to come to the front of the auditorium while the congregation sings a song.
Don’t feel uncomfortable during this invitation. You will not be singled out in any way. There may be some who feel the need to respond, asking for prayers of the church for a specific need, or needing to confess sins, or asking to identify themselves with this congregation, or asking to be baptized.
If someone responds for baptism, you will witness the baptism during this service. The baptism will be by immersion and it will be for the remission of sins.
What Will Be Expected of You
Nothing at all! You are welcome to participate, but don’t feel obligated to. Just observe, if that is your choice. We would appreciate it if you would fill out a Visitor’s Card. Supply this information only if you are comfortable doing so.
