What to Expect Sunday Mornings

What happens on a typical Sunday morning? What can I expect?

These are common questions we hear from people who are curious about what our gatherings look like, so we thought we’d walk you through it.

Regardless of whether you park in the front or the back, you will be greeted at the door with a handshake or a hug (depending on how well we know you) and a bulletin explaining a little bit about what’s going on this week. As you sit waiting for the service to start you might take a minute to read it while you are welcomed by those around you.

A music team will begin the service promptly at 10:00am with a song to gather the many people chatting and connecting, encouraging them to find their seats and join in.

Next, we usually have one of our staff welcome everyone and highlight a few items for the upcoming week. Often they’ll have everyone get up and greet each other, encouraging them to meet someone new.

We then continue on into the expression of our worship in music and singing. In our service, we encourage people to engage with their whole self: body, soul, mind, and spirit.

This can look a variety of ways. You may see people with hands raised in adoration, kneeling in submission, clapping to the music, dancing in passionate expression, sitting in quiet contemplation, praying out a prayer to God or adults and children waving flags. Sometimes during this time, people feel an impression of a Bible verse or a picture that they want to share with the group. These people bring this “word” to one of the pastors, who prayerfully considers whether it fits the flow of the service. If so, they might share it at the microphone for the encouragement of the whole group.

This focused singing time ends with one of the staff calling up the children to pray for them and dismiss them to Kids’ Church. The excited exodus of children  is followed by “the offering”, which is what we call the opportunity for the people who call this place home to give back to God in thankfulness for all the blessings He has given us.

The next part of the service is dedicated to teaching. This comes in the form of a pastor or invited guest to share a message of encouragement and challenge from the Bible, punctuated with engaging stories, for around 40 to 45 minutes.

This time can sometimes end with an opportunity for people to respond to the message by coming to the front and receiving prayer as requested. We call this “ministry time”. While this is happening the rest of the group is encouraged to leave quietly out of respect for those at the front.

People then often make their way across the courtyard to our coffee shop called “The Well”, where guests enjoy a complimentary beverage & treat. This is a family favourite for an after service treat and a chat with new and old friends. You could also visit our library located beside the stage. It features many novels, inspirational books, magazines, and DVD’s & videos. There is something for everyone!

To see more pictures of our Sunday morning in action, check out our photos page.