OUR CHURCH - What to Expect:

 

We want you to be a part of this family of Christian believers. A great way to begin that relationship is to come and worship God with us. We believe that worship is powerful. It allows us to give our praise and devotion to God, while also strengthening us together as God’s children. God deserves endless praise and we need constant strength, so we come together often. We would love for you to be our guest.

 

Expect to park on a hill. Our building is very old and was constructed on a hill overlooking Bledsoe Creek. We love it and often refer to our house of praise as “the church on the hill.” But that also means you will have to walk uphill to our doors. We do have a covered entrance to the east of our building and will be happy to valet your car if that best serves you. There is also additional parking across Cragfont Road. This area is grass but it also is flat and used by many of our regular members.

 

Expect to be greeted with a friendly face. We have several from our church family who take it upon themselves to open doors and welcome all into our building. Our shepherds will also be waiting to greet all members and visitors in the foyer. Don’t let this intimidate you. We are people who are genuinely happy that you have come our way. We have prayed for your visit! We will go out of our way to make you feel welcome.

 

Expect to see people dressed in a variety of clothes for worship. We do our best to teach and practice wearing clothes that are pleasing to God at all times. Some principles that we follow regarding dress are modesty, humility, and respect. We never want to draw attention away from the reason we are worshipping by our dress. The bottom line is that we want you here. Please do not let dress determine whether or not you feel comfortable visiting. It is most important that we wear the characteristics of Christ. (Colossians 3:12) If we do this, matters of dress along with others things will work themselves out.

 

Expect to hear singing. Singing is a way for us to express joy and praise to God. We love singing and we love music! You will probably notice quickly that we do not add instruments to our music. We sing a-cappella. We sing this way because that is how we find the earliest Christians praising God in the New Testament, and we want to be like them! We want you to sing with us too! But remember, God is more interested in hearing praise than hearing the quality of your voice. This is not the place to show of your voice, nor is it the place to feel embarrassed. But it is certainly an opportunity to sing with others and with thankfulness in your heart to God. (Colossians 3:16)

  

Expect to witness the giving of our means. We provide an opportunity to give each first day of the week during our Sunday assembly as exampled by the earliest Christians in the New Testament. (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) This offering supports all of our services and ministries and we strive to give with cheerful and confident hearts. You are welcome to contribute, but know that this is not required nor expected of our guests. We will just be glad that you are with us!

 

Expect to hear prayer. We are a praying people and we are so thankful that God has given us this way to communicate with Him. We like to talk to God and will do it often during the worship service. If you have a prayer request please let us know, and we will pray for you.

 

Expect the opportunity to observe the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial established by Jesus Himself to commemorate His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, and this is the focal point of our worship assembly. At Old Union, we do this by praying and passing trays of unleavened bread and grape juice among our family. We eat and reflect upon Jesus and what His life, death, and resurrection mean for us. If you are a non-Christian guest, then you do not have to participate as the Lord’s Supper is a memorial for believers. Please know that you will not be singled out in any way, but that it is our sincere hope that soon you will become a follower of Jesus Christ and participate in this memorial feast with us.

 

 

Expect to hear a lesson from the Bible that is intended to impact your life. The preaching of God’s Word is a powerful way to help you see God’s truth unfold and understand how it applies to living in the 21st Century. We really do believe that God’s Word can change everything, so we spend time in it. We challenge ourselves to do what it says. (James 1:19-25) We want you to respond in some way to every lesson that you hear. This response may be publicly or privately. You may see some respond publicly during a time at the end of most lessons called the invitation. This is simply a time to invite those who are moved to do so to make a 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. This is not a time to feel uncomfortable; no one will be singled out in any way. There may be several who respond, or there may be none. Some may respond for baptism. Some may confess sins. Some may ask for prayer for a specific need. Some may respond to praise God for blessings in their life. Some may want to “identify” or “place membership” with this congregation. If anyone responds for baptism, you will witness the baptism during the service. The baptism will be by water immersion and for the remission of sin. We love when this happens!

 

We want this information to help prepare you for your visit with the Old Union Church of Christ. We know that there is no way we can completely prepare you, but we hope this gives you an idea of what to expect. We believe God is alive along with His Word and His Church. If you have any questions about who we are or what we do, please ask. We do not pretend to be perfect or have all things figured out, but we are striving to give God our best service and be His Church. Please visit, and visit more than once! We know you will find us to be a loving people.