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Writer's pictureRay Reynolds
Sep 95 min read

What To Expect When You Visit


The Summerdale Church of Christ family is in the midst of a campaign to get “Back To Church!” As we began to plan for this event we thought some might ask the question: What can you expect when you visit the Summerdale Church of Christ? So, we decided to write a few FAQ that could share some valuable information to encourage you.


What Should I Bring? Just bring yourself and your Bible (of choose family and friends are welcome to!). We highly value the Holy Scriptures and encourage everyone to follow along as we lift up God’s word (Mark 12:36; John 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; I Corinthians 2:12-13; II Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). If you do not have a Bible, we would be happy to give you one. There is no greater book ever printed!


What Is The Church Atmosphere Like? We believe you will find this environment very warm, compassionate and steadfast in teaching the truth in love. We have an upbeat atmosphere, but do not utilize smoke machines, rock music or dancing in worship. It’s all about our devotion to God, He is our audience of One. We follow the simple pattern of the New Testament church (see the Book of Acts). This is why we practice the same acts of worship every week (John 4:24; Acts 20:7): praying (Matthew 6:5-15; John 16:23; Acts 2:42; I Thessalonians 5:17, I Timothy 2:1-2, 8·18), singing (I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 13:15), Bible reading (Colossians 4:16; II Timothy 3:16-17, 4:13-16), communion (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 2:42; I Corinthians 11:23-30), take an offering (I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:7) and gospel preaching (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; II Timothy 2:1-2, 4:1-5; I Peter 2:1-2).


What About The People There? The Church family is loving, welcoming and multicultural. We do not adhere to harsh judgment, criticism, gossip or unwholesome talk (Galatians 6:1-2; Colossians 3:12-13). We are real people. Broken people. You’ll meet people who have overcome spiritual battles, raging storms, and a host of trials. We get you. And we’ll love you in spite of your imperfections (John 13:34-35; Romans 12:10; I Peter 4:8). Because we believe in grace, mercy and forgiveness. You’ll meet individuals from all walks of life. We also offer services in Spanish on Sunday evenings and also offer morning classes on Wednesday (10 AM) for the those who struggle getting out at night.


What About My Children? We love kids (Proverbs 22:6; Matthew 18:1-10; James 1:27)! We have no problem with crying babies in church. In fact, we have a nursery available for those that need it. We also have a “sensory nursery” for those that have children with special needs or might need special attention during the services. We have a full-time youth minister with lots of opportunities for your children and teens to grow. Many of our parents are active in promoting these events. We have classes for all ages on Sunday morning at 9 AM, Sunday night at 5 PM, and Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. We also participate in Lads to Leaders, which is a leadership training program to prepare our Christian children for the real world. The L2L program instills important virtues like honesty, kindness, service and devotion while helping the kids see God’s purpose for their lives.


What About Core Beliefs & Teaching? We are simple New Testament Christians. We believe that the Bible contains the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). No other books, doctoral statements, liturgy, or commentaries are needed to understand it. We do not hold to any denominational Creed, man made tradition or specified doctrine created by man (II Peter 1:20-21). We strive to both do and teach only what is found in God’s word (Acts 1:1, 2:42; Matthew 28:18-20; II Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:22-25). We also believe in the gospel plan of salvation exemplified in the book of Acts: Hear the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20; John 8:32; Romans 10:17), believe the Gospel (John 3:16, 20:31; Hebrews 11:6, I John 5:13), repent of past sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38, 17:30), confess faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10), be baptized (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Romans 6:1-6; Galatians 3:26-27, I Peter 3:21) and be faithful until death (Galatians 5:22-23; II Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 2:10).


What About the Sunday Sermon? Our minister loves sharing insight from God’s word. Sermons are often expository in nature and practical in application (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16; I Timothy4:1-5). Think less “hell, fire, and damnation” and more “what does this mean for me today.” The sermons are usually 20-25 minutes but the entire service will last about an hour. You might be pleasantly surprised to know that members find the sermon to fly by, leaving you longing to return for another message. We intentionally focus on insight from great Bible stories, offer Christian thoughts on current events and discuss solutions to real life problems that can meet you where you are in your daily walk.


What Should I Wear? Worship is a special time. It’s the Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7). Worship is about God, not men. We don’t have a dress code. However, it can be nerve-wracking trying to know what to wear to services. You will see a range of dress from suits, ties, Sunday dresses, sport jackets and even kids with shorts and t-shirts. The vast majority will probably be somewhere in the middle wearing nice jeans or khakis with a blouse, polo, jacket or button up shirt. How you choose to dress in worship is a matter of personal preference (I Samuel 16:7; Matthew 6:25; I Timothy 2:9-10; James 2:2-5; I Peter 3:3-4). We just remind you that we are approaching the throne of our holy God (Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 5:48; James 1:4; Revelation 4:8).


What Else Should I Know? We practice immediate Bible baptism by immersion (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Romans 6:1-6;  Galatians 3:26-27, I Peter 3:21). We offer free Bible studies and would love to talk to you about the necessity of being baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:38-47). We support local benevolence programs and foreign missions. We also believe that every member has talents that should be utilized in the Body of Christ. Our goal will be getting you plugged into a ministry, mentoring you into service and seeking God’s purpose for your life.


Are you still feeling unsure? We encourage you to go to our YouTube page to watch a few services to feel more comfortable before your visit. Please check out our social media pages for more information. And, of course, you are welcome to reach out to us at summerdalechurchoffice@gmail.com. Our church leaders would be happy to answer any other questions. Come back to church! We hope to see you soon!


You are loved.


Ray Reynolds

Pulpit Minister

 


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