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Our Worship Goals
 With our worship, we want to praise and honour God, encourage one another, and share the
life-changing message of Christ in a way that connects with everyday life.
We're a church family, not an organization or institution.
What We Do
We don't follow a formula. Each week is a
different experience, but most of our worship times involve singing, prayer,
readings from the Bible, communion, and a message from our minister or some
other speaker.
Following Along
 Our services are very simple, with almost no
ritual. Each week, we hand out a brochure that outlines what's going to
happen, and in what order. It includes the Bible references for the
Scriptures that are read. This makes it very easy to follow the service in a
comfortable, no-surprises way.
The Tone
 Though we want our worship to honour
God and show Him great respect, we don't think reverence must be sad or
solemn. Our times together are a celebration of our relationship with a
Father who loves us and works in our lives in a way we can see! But our
worship runs the full range of human emotion as we respond to the needs in
our church family. We laugh with those who celebrate and weep with those who
mourn.
How We Dress
Dress is casual. Though most of us wear
everyday clothes, people are welcome to dress up if they choose. When it
comes to worship, it's what's on the inside that counts.
Prayer
Prayer is the spiritual engine of the
church. It powers our relationship with our Father, Jesus, and the Holy
Spirit. Prayer is the language of love that binds our hearts and lives
together in times of joy, sorrow, need, and thanksgiving. Our worship always
includes prayers led by a member of the congregation.
Though we sometimes use a "prayer
chain" in which anyone who wants to pray aloud may, there is never any
pressure to do so. Since prayer is an essential part of who we are and what
we do, we often pray for specific needs during our services, or spontaneously
when we learn of situations we want to take before our powerful and loving
God.
Music
 Though we include traditional hymns in our mix,
most of our music is contemporary. We include a variety of styles, project
the words on a large screen, and often use Christian music videos which
reinforce the message of the songs with wonderful imagery. Right now we sing
to mostly professionally recorded music. Once our congregation includes
committed, consistent members with musical talent, they'll be given the
opportunity to honour God and bless the church with
their music.
Bible Readings
 As Bible-believing, Bible-living Christians, we
want to know the Word of God. That's why we always read from the Scriptures
in our worship services. We often encourage people to share passages that are
meaningful to them. Our members use many translations but our emphasis is on
the modern versions that make the Bible more understandable.
Communion
 We share the Lord's Supper each Sunday as a
reminder of how Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins
and to encourage each other to live the Christian life. Communion is open to
anyone who wants to share with us the bread that symbolizes the body of
Christ, and the grape juice that reminds us of His blood, shed for each of
us. The bread and juice are passed on trays from person-to-person. Those who
choose not to participate can just pass them along.
The Message
 The most common complaint about church is that it's
boring, and the sermon is often the worst part! To avoid that, we work hard
to let God speak to us about every aspect of modern life. Our worship themes,
topics and Bible messages are connected to real life with a strong focus on
practical application. Our minister, Rick Gamble, is an effective
communicator with a background in TV News. He uses his skills to convey what
God has to say about life today. Sometimes Rick does the talking. Often, he
leads an interactive sharing session in which those who wish to participate
can offer their insights and experience on the theme of the worship service.
Again, there's never any pressure to participate in the discussion, and many
people choose not to.
The Money
Though an offering or
"collection" is taken each Sunday morning, visitors are not
expected to contribute. We view the giving of money to support the work of
God as a natural part of Christian responsibility, but the money is never
emphasized. We encourage people to give their hearts and their loyalty to
God. The rest takes care of itself.
A Word of Caution
 Through our worship, we try to help people deepen
their relationship with Jesus Christ and each other in a meaningful, spiritual
and relevant way. We try to find a healthy balance by appealing to the mind,
heart and will. Though our services are structured with a weekly theme, they’re
not highly regimented. We’re not a traditional church, we don’t
embrace charismatic theology such as tongues and prophecy, and our services
are not always polished. We can offer worship that’s intimate,
informal, heart-felt, and God-centered. The best way to judge it is to
experience it, so come and check us out! You’ll get a warm,
pressure-free welcome from people who’ll accept you as you are.
Likewise, please don’t expect us to be perfect examples of
Christianity, because we’re not. We’re just followers of Christ,
sharing Jesus and the journey.
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