WHAT TO EXPECT...
We know it´s not easy visiting a new church for the
first time. Sometimes you feel like a nonmember visiting a country club.
Do I belong here? Am I really welcome? Will the people be unfriendly, or
too friendly? Will I feel out of place? Will it be easy to leave if I
don´t enjoy it? Will they ask me for money? Will my kids enjoy it? How
should I dress? Am I welcome if I don´t believe?
We want to make your visit an enjoyable experience -
easy, stress-free, relaxing, and rewarding. University Church of Christ
is designed to be "user-friendly" for people, whatever their background,
including those who have never been to church before. In fact, several
of our people were not regular church attenders before starting at UCC.
So you will not be alone when you visit! When visiting a new church for
the first time, we understand that you would like to know what to
expect, so here´s a brief overview.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE…
…at UCC (on the corner of University Ave. and Jordan
Ave.) for either our 9 a.m. acappella worship or our 11:20 a.m.
instrumental worship, there are parking spaces for our guests to the
west of our Worship Center. Our campus has two buildings. The Activity
Center is our newer multi-purpose building that has our offices,
classrooms for adults, middle school and high school students, and
college students, and our gym, which is where our 11:20 a.m.
instrumental worship is held. The Activity Center is located directly on
the corner of University and Jordan. The Worship Center is located to
the north of the Activity Center and has our nursery and classrooms for
children and adults. It also has the auditorium which is where our 9
a.m. acappella worship is held.
At our main doors, there should be some friendly
people (we call them "greeters") to say hello, answer any questions you
have, and direct you to the auditorium for our first worship or to the
Activity Center for our second worship. If you have kids, you will be
shown the children’s wing for the nursery and children’s Bible classes.
We´ve developed a good security system so you´ll know your kids are safe
and well cared for. Because we believe in protecting your children, we
ask all of the children’s workers to complete a background check.
If your kids are shy, they´re welcome to attend the adult service with
you, but most kids really enjoy the kids´ programs for infants through
5th grade, available during both services.
WHAT TO WEAR…
You´ll notice that most people are dressed
comfortably, in anything from "office casual" to jeans and sneakers. If
you arrive early, you´re welcome to look around and pick up a free
packet at our information center in the lobby area.
WORSHIP…
When you come in the auditorium or gym, you will find
a copy of our "Grace Notes" (bulletin) in the song book racks or on the
chairs. This has information about upcoming church/community activities
and the plan for the day´s worship. You´ll notice that Grace Notes
has a tear-off slip, which is an easy way for us to get better
acquainted; you can ask for any kind of information or assistance using
the tear-off slip. You will also find a separate card with announcements
and room for notes.
The service begins with singing, followed by a brief
welcome. Our worship time includes singing, prayer, communion, offering,
and a message. Communion (also known as the Lord´s Supper) is a
Christian celebration of the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If you´re a
committed Christian, you´re welcome to share in communion with us. We
also have a time of offering that our members use to share the financial
blessings they have received from God. This is a time to celebrate our
blessings, not a time for a guilt trip. From time to time, there may be
a drama or multimedia presentation. The total length of the service is
typically about 75 minutes, and we do our best to make the messages
interesting, enjoyable, and relevant to daily life. The message will be
based on the Bible with an application to our daily living to help us
live consistent lives that imitate Christ. You will hear solid Christian
theology in intelligent, understandable, relevant terms. And hopefully,
you´ll laugh at times and maybe feel a tug at your heart strings too.
OUR FAMILY…