The Lander church of Christ, where Christ is taught, believed, loved, and lived.
FIRST TIME VISITING THE LANDER CHURCH OF CHRIST?
YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND…
YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY VISITOR. We have numerous visitors, and we are always pleased to have you.
YOU WILL NEVER BE SINGLED OUT OR EMBARRASSED in any way. You do not have to register or sign your name to anything if you do not wish to.
CONVENIENT PARKING PLACES and reserved spaces are available for the handicapped.
You will find PLENTY OF SEATING in a spacious auditorium. There are no reserved seats, so you may sit anywhere. Each chair has a book rack with songs books and a Bible close by.
IF YOU VISIT US ON A SUNDAY MORNING…
You will be greeted when you enter and provided with a bulletin which contains announcements, a prayer list, and a worship schedule. If it is your first time visiting, you will also receive a loaf of “welcome bread” or other goodies compliments of the T.L.C. ministry (Tender Loving Care).
OUR WORSHIP ASSEMBLY usually lasts approximately one hour. We are respectful of your time. You do not have to participate in any aspect of the worship that you do not want to. You can be a spectator if you wish.
The order in which the following activities happen may vary each week, but you will be able to follow along. Unless there is a paid minister, the men leading in worship are volunteers who are members of the congregation.
PRAYER… There will be one or more prayers during the assembly. The people leading them will say what they wish rather than reading from a prayer book or reciting a prescribed prayer of some kind. Everyone in the worship assembly usually quietly bows their heads while the prayer is being offered to God.
MUSIC… Several songs led by one of our men will be sung by the entire congregation. You are welcome to sing with us. The song leader will announce the number of the song, so you can find it in the songbook. At times though, the song leader may choose to project the songs. One of the things that you will notice about us that is unique is that we do not use any instruments in our song service, like a piano or organ. This kind of music is called A cappella (or vocal music). It is meaningful and uplifting because it emphasizes the words and the beauty of the human voice.
SCRIPTURE READING… Before our preacher’s message, there will be a passage read from the Bible. Occasionally you may be asked to stand out of respect for the reading of God’s word. The reader will tell us where the passage comes from in the Bible so you can follow as he reads, or it may be projected.
MESSAGE… The man giving the lesson will preach a Bible lesson that is usually 20-30 minutes long. His message is designed to be positive and encouraging, or to emphasize or illustrate a teaching from Christ. He does not use any titles like Reverend or Pastor and prefers to be called by his first name.
COMMUNION… The Lord’s Supper is served every Sunday to every Christian who wishes to partake. Jesus instituted His supper in order for us to remember what He did for us on the cross. After praying, men will pass plates of unleavened bread symbolizing Christ’s body. Those who wish to partake will take a small piece to eat and then pass the plate to the person sitting next to them. Next, they will pass trays of small cups of grape juice symbolizing Christ’s blood. You can take one, drink it, and put the cup back in the tray before passing on the tray.
GIVING… Our members give free-will offerings every Sunday to support the ministries of our church. Guests are not expected to give unless they wish to. Usually, the contribution plates are passed immediately after communion.
INVITATION… At the end of the message, there may be an invitation to encourage anyone who is not a Christian to become one and anyone who would like to commit to becoming part of our church family to make that known. The closing song is sung while the congregation stands to provide an opportunity for individuals to respond to the message or to ask for prayers. Sometimes, people are baptized at this point in our assembly.
