Connect with ECC
Our worship gatherings are the highlight of our week at Evangelical Community Church. Our international family of believers comes together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, singing, and hearing the Word of God preached. Maybe you’re wondering about some of the more practical questions like what should I wear, what happens when I arrive, and what will the service be like? Answers to these questions and more are below. But the best way to know what we're like is to just come and join us! We look forward to having you! *Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our gatherings are currently “sub-normal” with certain requirements and limitations to abide by health and safety regulations. More information is below.
Time and Location
Friday mornings: 8:15am, 10:45am (in-person with pre-registration)
Livestream: Friday mornings at 10:45 am at eccad.org/live
What should I wear?
You are welcome to wear whatever helps you feel comfortable. At our church, people
dress in a wide range of style from formal to casual, and many wear their ethnic/cultural attire as well.
What happens when I arrive?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance at our services requires reservation ahead of time and a check-in process when you arrive. To reserve your seats to attend a service, you can go to the following link after Wednesday of any given week: register here.
When you arrive at the church building, you will be asked to present your Emirates ID, your ALHOSN app, and your ticket. Once your Emirates ID and AlHOSN app have been checked, your temperature will be taken and the QR code on your ticket will be scanned. Then, our team of friendly ushers will show you to a seat that is safely distanced from other seats. Families of up to six members will be seated together. You can find information on further guidelines here: Livestream and In-Person Services
What about my kids?
Children are very welcome to attend church with their parents. At the moment, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are not holding any children’s ministry programs in person, but we continue to have activities with children online. You can find more about the online activities here. Also, due to COVID-19 restrictions, nurseries and bathrooms are currently closed.
What Happens During the Service?
Here is what we do:
- Preaching: We believe that God has instituted the preaching of His Word as the primary means by which we grow as disciples of Jesus (2 Cor 3:4–18). Therefore, the main focus in our worship gatherings is the expository preaching of the Bible. All of Scripture speaks of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our preaching aims to focus on the gospel of Jesus as we exposit, or “bring out”, the meaning of the biblical text and apply it to our everyday lives.
- Singing: We believe that God has blessed us with the gift of singing to praise Him from our hearts for His goodness and to encourage one another in our worship. Our singing is “congregational,” which means the main emphasis is on the voices of all God’s people praising Him together. In our songs, we declare the unchanging truths of the Bible whether through psalms and old hymns, or modern hymns and worship songs.
- Prayer: We spend significant time in our services seeking God in prayer. As we pray, we show our dependence on our heavenly Father. Through our prayers, we praise God for who He is, confess our sins, and cry out to Him for needs in our church, our lives, our country, and the world.
- Communion: During a normal season, we regularly participate in communion. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to distribute food of any kind. We look forward to the day when we once again get to exercise the privilege of sharing the Lord’s Supper together.
- Offering: Of course, we recognize that there is nothing we can repay God for what He has given to us: the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ. However, we also seek to worship God by giving sacrificially and generously from what He has provided us, with a desire to see the gospel advance. The offering we take is meant as an act of worship on the part of members at ECC, so if you’re visiting, please feel no obligation to give! During this season of COVID-19, we leave an offering box at the door so that anyone who wishes can contribute on their way out.
What happens after the service?
At the end of the service, the service leader will direct the congregation to leave row by row. We exit the hall in socially-distanced orderly lines. Once you are outside the main gates of the church building, you are welcome to meet some of the friendly church members who will pause to chat there.