Our church provides a place for seekers, believers, non-believers, searchers, the broken, the questioning, the interested, and those simply seeking community to learn more about God’s grace. We are a friendly and generally open community that strives to serve the community and follow the example of Jesus. It is not uncommon to see people from different races, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, denominational backgrounds, and sexual orientations worshipping together. We are not perfect, but acknowledge our imperfections and strive to become more Christ-like. We have a laid back atmosphere, so come as you are.
We are not like large evangelical mega-churches in either style or theology. In fact, our sanctuary is very traditional, with stunning Tiffany stained glass windows (many that depict angels which gives worshippers the feeling that they are in the company of angels whenever they enter the sanctuary). The sanctuary is has a formal, yet elegant lay out, which has become a popular venue for weddings, often catering to individuals from less traditional churches who want to be married in an inspiring setting.
Our worship services vary from very traditional services with organ led hymns, choral anthems, and hand bell choirs to more contemporary services, with youth and young adults leading the entire service and more contemporary music offerings and protections using one of our HD quality projectors or large screen televisions.
We also do not segregate our children into special church services, but engage them in our worship services. In fact, they regularly read Scripture lessons, sing, play bells or chimes, and even lead worship and preach. We truly believe that God has called us to be one and believe that children can learn from the wisdom of older members.
We have a very small staff and so we rely very heavily on our members and other volunteers to actively lead and organize our ministries. Therefore, we are a very active community. We have opportunities for Christian Education and have many social activities, as well as opportunities to serve and be inspired. It is not uncommon for our members to spend time together outside of the church – going to the movies, playing cards, eating at each other’s houses, or catching a bite to eat at a local restaurant. The church also organizes trips to sporting events, tours of our local wineries, and family oriented game nights and movie nights.
The church also has hands on opportunities to serve the poor, needy and disadvantaged. We give away hundreds of toys to children, collect food for local food pantries, support local veterans organization, give away winter coats, support missionaries, and consider and debate social justice issues in the community and world.
Our theology is more laid back and open than some larger evangelical churches, though we welcome theological diversity. The Bible is our guide for faith and practice, but we engage it in a more critical way than some churches. We take the words of Swiss Theologian, Karl Barth seriously:“One must hold a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.” Our members actively consider many of the most contentious theological issues of the day and have a variety of viewpoints on these issues. The general guiding principal is to be Christ-like and to engage each other in love.
Personally, I attempt to focus on the Biblical themes in my sermons and eschew overly political sermons. My favorite theme is the love of God and the importance of leading a Christ-like life of service to others.
This just may be the place for you to be! If you want additional information, please fee free to email me at reverendjim1967@hotmail.com.
