If you are considering visiting a church for the
first time this Christmas, or after not having been to church for a while, you
may have questions, but you’re not sure who to ask. So here are 7 frequently
asked questions that you may have if you are considering visiting City Bible
Church this week for Christmas:
What should I wear?
At City Bible Church,
you will see all styles of dress. Some will wear suits and dresses. Some will
wear jeans and t-shirts. To answer your question, choose an outfit you already
own, one you feel comfortable in, and join us.
What will we do? What
can I expect?
We will have a fairly
typical worship schedule. We will have a short greeting time, sing four
Christmas songs, I’ll share a message, we will sing one more Christmas song. We
will attempt to have songs that would be somewhat similar in style to what you
may hear on your radio and that all ages can enjoy. And, yes, in full
transparency, and in case you’re wondering, we will receive an offering. Our
offerings support the full range of ministries we offer in the church,
community, and around the world. You are not required, however, to participate
during this time unless you choose to do so.
Will you embarrass
me?
I certainly hope not.
It will be a primary goal not to do that. I don’t personally like to be
embarrassed when I visit somewhere new, even in a church — and I’m a pastor —
so my goal is to create an environment that is comfortable for all. You WILL
NOT be singled out as a visitor. We don’t make visitors stand, raise their
hand, or even fill out a card if you choose not to do so.
How long will the
service last?
Slightly more than an
hour. I’d love to say an hour, but frequently the service ends up being an hour
and 5 or 10 minutes. At the most, you’ll be with us for an hour and 15 minutes.
What time should I
arrive?
That’s a
great question. On Christmas Eve, in addition to our online, on-demand
Christmas Eve service (available beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve on the
church website and social media pages), we have two worship services on
Christmas Eve (4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.) that will have a different message than
on Sunday. And, I’m really trying to help when I suggest you get here a few minutes
early. Maybe even as many as 10 or 15 minutes early. It takes a little while to
make your way through our campus, especially if you have children to check into
our children’s areas or this is your first time. We especially want you to find
a seat where you are most comfortable, and you’ll feel more comfortable if you
have a few minutes to adjust before the service begins. In addition, we
will not have Sunday worship services on Sunday December 25th in appreciation
for all the church volunteers and their service this Christmas season. Our
normal Sunday Services will resume on Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Do you have something
for children?
Absolutely. Birth
through 6th grade have their own activities designed especially for them. They
will enjoy a time called Kids Konnection that will engage them at their level.
Of course, we don’t keep you from bringing children with you in the worship
service if that is more comfortable on a first visit, but our experience is
that they truly do enjoy Kids Konnection. Either way, we love when entire
families join us Christmas week.
Can I only come one
time? Really, for what am I signing up when I come on Christmas?
There’s no obligation
beyond Christmas weekend. Promise. Being honest, we do ask you to fill out a connection
card and, if you do, we will follow up with you. And I hope you do. I love
seeing who God brought to us as our guests. I love meeting guests. We won’t put
any unfair pressure on you to ever come again. We hope you will, and we’d love
if Christmas triggered that desire in you, but that’s your call — not ours.
I hope that answers
some questions of those who are thinking about visiting City Bible Church.
What other questions
do you have? Seriously, I’d rather you asked.
***Much of this post
adopted from a great post by Ron Edmonson on this issue...
No comments:
Post a Comment