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!
Time and Location
Friday mornings: 8:30am, 10:15am
Sunday evenings: 6:15pm (no Sunday services in July and August)
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?
When you walk in the front door, you will be greeted by one of our friendly Marhaba welcome team members. They'll also give you a bulletin which outlines our service as well as our weekly activities. They will answer any questions that you might have and help you find seating in the main hall. If you have young kids, they'll be happy to direct you upstairs to the first floor where children’s ministry and nursery are provided during the worship service. You can read about Children's Ministry for more information.
What about my kids?
At ECC, children are always welcome in our services and we also have options such as the nursery and Children's Ministry. If you would prefer to bring your child into the service, ask an usher and they can provide you with some coloring pages and crayons. Our nursery for nursing mothers and toddlers is located at the back of the Main Hall and can be accessed from the foyer. If you would like to bring your child to Children's Ministry, you can find it on the first floor of the church building.
What Happens During the Service?
The bulletin will outline the service for you. 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: Jesus commanded his church to remember His death until His return through participating in communion, or the Lord’s Supper. We eat the symbolic bread and drink from the symbolic cup (we use juice) to remember Christ's sacrifice for our sins. We welcome all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to participate with us.
- 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!
What happens after the service?
At the end of our services, we always welcome those who are visiting with us for the first time to stand and introduce themselves, so that our congregation can greet you. All visitors are also welcome to join us at our Marhaba reception, where you can meet our friendly team over coffee and cookies and learn more about our church.