Each church conducts worship a little bit differently.
We want you to be as prepared as possible upon visiting us, therefore here are some explanations to common questions.
What is the worship service like?
God-exalting
The preeminent focus of our worship is our holy & Triune God. We gather as the body of Christ to worship Him and to ascribe all of the honor and glory that He is due.
We aim to reject all things that would seek to “tickle ears” or be man-centered, striving to ensure that we are reverent and joyful in our worship of God.
Historical Liturgy
Our liturgy follows the idea that scripture instructs us what comprises true worship (often referred to as the regulative principle).
We sing psalms and a blend of classic and modern hymns that provide lyrical richness and doctrinal soundness.
We affirm our faith each week through creeds (Apostle, Nicene, Athanasian) & catechisms (Westminster, Heidelberg).
We allow Scripture to walk us through the Biblical movements of worship (Call to Worship, Scripture Lessons, Preaching of the Word, Confession, Assurance, Benediction).
Equipping
The Scriptures teach us that the gathered worship of the body of Christ on The Lord’s Day is for the strengthening, encouraging and equipping of the saints. With God as the object of our worship we pray that He would graciously work in us, through the Holy Spirit, drawing us closer to Christ, and making us able and eager to serve Him in our world.
Our worship typically lasts a couple hours, with a family “potluck” meal to follow.
May I partake of The Lord’s Supper?
Every week, we joyfully celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Communion) as the pinnacle of our worship. Our liturgy is ordered in a way that progressively leads us to the meal that our Savior instituted as the tangible sign of His atoning death on the cross for those whom the Father has drawn to His Son.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is for all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-11), have received Christian baptism (Matthew 28:19), and are members in good standing (i.e., not under discipline; Matthew 18:15-17) at the Village church or at a church in your hometown. Due to the sanctity of this meal and the obligation upon our elders who serve it, we ask that all Christians visiting or regularly attending, briefly speak to one of the elders to have their faith affirmed. What this entails are three questions:
Have you placed your faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ as your only means of salvation?
Have you received Christian baptism? (Both paedo (infant) and credo (believer’s) baptism are acceptable.)
Are you a member in good standing of your church? (If your church does not have membership, we ask instead whether you faithfully attend and serve the body.)
We understand that this practice, historically referred to as a Restricted Table, is not as common as it once was and may come as a surprise to many. We are sympathetic to this reaction and want to assure those of you who feel this way, that our desire is to welcome every faithful Christian to participate in this meal. Our elders are available to speak to you before our worship service or immediately before the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
For those interested, our elders have prepared a short position article on our blog to explain why we practice a restricted table.
Can I join the family meal after service?
Yes! This meal is open to everyone who joins us for our worship gathering! Every Sunday (except 5th Sundays) we have a family meal immediately following our gathering, believing that it’s one of the best ways families can grow closer together. The meal is a potluck format where everyone who joins us is encouraged to bring something to share, but if this is your first time, feel free to enjoy the food provided; we’re just glad to have you with us.
What do my children do?
We welcome and encourage families to worship together, therefore we have many children in our worship service. This means that you will often hear little ones squirming or crying as their parents work to settle them down. Parents are encouraged and welcome to step out of the worship service to nurse or calm fussy children, and do not need to apologize for such disturbances. We do ask though, that parents keep in mind the purpose of worship and do what they can to be considerate to the rest of the congregation as they seek to worship God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.
All that said, we recognize that training young children how to participate in worship is challenging, therefore we provide childcare for those who desire it ranging from infants through 1st grade.
What do I wear?
We have no dress code outside the Scriptural bounds of modesty. We encourage you to be mindful of how your dress can impact the posture with which you come to worship and/or distract others. You are welcome to be as formal or informal as you prefer and will find others dressing similarly.
Do you have Sunday school classes?
Yes, we do! We hold separate classes for children and adults from 9:00-10:00am.
The children’s classes are currently separated into two groups: one for kids who can read and the other for those who cannot, both using The Gospel Project curriculum.
We also have two adult classes with one being more theological in nature and the other more practical. The subject matter for these classes renews each quarter to cover as much ground as we deem reasonable and to survey a variety of topics. Feel free to jump in at any point; there’s no need to wait until the next quarter rolls around.