Worship
First, a word about what to wear. On a typical morning, you will find both casual and more formal attire. It’s really not a big deal with us, since worship is more about the condition of your heart than the clothes you wear. Dress up or dress down. Welcome!
Sunday school for all ages begins at 9:00am. There are usually two different classes offered for the grown-ups of varying styles and topics. As well, there are classes for our youth: nursery age, pre-school, elementary and middle/high schoolers.
At 10:30am, we gather for worship. You will find that our style is a blend of contemporary and formal. As Johann Sebastian Bach once said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Our worship service seeks to draw us into the presence of God to experience the joy of our relationship with Him as well as to provide opportunity to hear His still, small voice whispering His love to us.
As for the preaching, you can expect a message that responds to the question some Greeks put to Philip in John 12:21, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Jesus is the focus and locus of the Scriptures (cf. Luke 24:27). Likewise, we recognize the truth of this pithy truism: “If you don’t know the Scriptures; you don’t know Jesus.” So, it is Him in His Word we proclaim and unpack. You may call us evangelical. You may call us traditional. But what we really want is to be found faithful.
29
Mar '18
Pastor’s Corner – April 2018
29
Mar '18
Easter is HERE!
The forty days of spiritual house-cleaning has come to a glorious conclusion! Springtime for our souls, and in our lives, has finally arrived! All that kept us from God – our sinfulness, our insecurities, our doubts and so much more – has been swept away through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The wonder of this is more than can be comprehended in a day, and so with Easter Sunday we also begin the fifty day season of Easter. “The Easter season is a time to let the implications of the resurrection sink in deeper, inviting us to realign our worldview and conform our living to the reality that we have been raised with Christ to new life” (Philip Reinders, Seeking God’s Face pg 329).
The Centrality of the Atonement
But that is the crux of our modern struggle – realigning our worldview and conforming our lives to the reality of new life in Christ through his sacrifice on the cross. In short, we struggle to believe and accept the doctrine of the Atonement – so much so that many Christians have rejected it outright. But as Emil Brunner once wrote, the atonement “is the Christian religion itself; it is the main point; it is not something alongside of the center, it is the substance and kernel, not the husk.” To that end, on Sunday mornings through the season of Easter, we will seek to explore and unpack the wonder and glory of the atonement in order to “realign our worldview and conform our living” to our new life in Christ.
Tiptoeing Through the TULIPs
As Presbyterians, we are a part of a “stream” of Christianity known as Reformed Theology, which is itself heavily inspired by the writings and teachings of John Calvin. If you want to kill the mood at a party, just casually mention you’re a “Calvinist.” Most people view Calvin and the theology named after him with something of a stuffy, negative intellectual light. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Calvin and his theology is very passionate and full of life and Spirit, as evidenced by his logo and slogan, pictured at right. We hope you’ll consider joining us for Table Talk on Wednesday evenings beginning at 5:30 on April 11 as we “tiptoe through the TULIPs” and see just what Calvin taught and what it means for us today.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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07
Feb '18
LENTEN SERVICES Begin Feb. 14, Ash Wednesday
07
Feb '18
During Lent, we share services with other church neighbors for a time of community worship. Services begin at 12 Noon and at about 12:30, lunch is served by the host church. To help defray expenses, a donation for lunch is appreciated.
The offering taken at each service is in support of The Helping Hands Ministry of this part of Amherst County. The Helping Hands is administered through Madison Heights Baptist Church and assists our neighbors in need.
SCHEDULE
Feb 14 Union Christian Church
Feb 21 Elon Baptist Church
Feb 28 Monroe United Methodist
March 7 Elon Presbyterian
March 14 First Baptist Church-Monroe
Mar 21 NORTHMINSTER EPC
(No Lenten Service during Holy Week)
Mar 25-Palm Sunday April 1-EASTER
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25
Nov '17
Christmas Decorating – December 2
25
Nov '17
It’s that exciting time of year when we dress up our homes for Christmas. And, we also delight in being able to dress up God’s house, too. We would love for you to join us Saturday, December 2, from 9am – noon (or whenever during that time you are available), as we put up beautiful trees, candles, wreaths, banners, and more! Morning snacks and a light lunch will hopefully make things even more enjoyable! Hope to see you there!
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