The Village Church - What To Expect

Sunday Mornings: What To Expect If You Visit

We understand that it can be a little nerve-racking to step into a new environment, especially when you don't know what to expect. Hopefully this page will help you get a feel for what our weekly gatherings are like so nothing catches you off guard.

Sunday Morning Gatherings

The Order of Gathering | Liturgy

Even though The Village is relatively new, we recognize that there are 2,000 years of church history with a lot of good, worshipful, helpful stuff. So although we sing songs that were recently written and wear jeans with holes in them, we also worship God with hymns of old and incorporate long-standing traditions that communicate the goodness of God and the gospel.

Below is a brief outline of how our Sunday morning gatherings generally flow. For some specific examples from past weeks, you can check out this album from our Facebook Page in order to see what songs we sang and what Scriptures we read. We always try to post this information the day before the gathering so folks know what to expect. Our gatherings always begin at 10:30am and usually end around 12:00pm.

Welcome | Announcements

The Village Praise Band usually calls everyone together by playing their first song of the morning. Afterwards, someone will come up to the front and welcome you to the gathering, asks you to have a seat, and makes a few announcements. This usually only takes a couple of minutes.

Welcome

Passing of the Peace

Immediately after announcements, we will remind you that God extended peace to us through Jesus. Because of that, we like everyone to take a few moments to extend the same welcoming, comforting peace to others. We do this by introducing ourselves to those we don't know and greeting the people around us. People will probably shake your hand and say hello.

Worship

Corporate Worship | Songs, Readings, Prayer

We then usually sing three or four songs. Some will probably be new to you, and others you may recognize. Either way, we will provide the lyrics for you on two screens, not so you can simply sing along, but so you can read and reflect on the truth that each song proclaims. We don't want you to simply move your lips; we want the truth about Jesus to move you to heart-level worship.

In between the songs, we usually read Scripture or a meditation on the Bible that will call your attention to something specific about Jesus or our need for him. Someone in the praise band will usually lead everyone in prayer. You won't have to say anything out loud, but we encourage you to pray along with us - whether that's simply affirming what's being said out loud or lifting up your own prayers to God.

Focal Passage

Reading the Focal Passage

Someone will then come up to read the morning's focal passage. Because we believe the Bible is God's Word, every sermon will be rooted in what God says to us. We like to read it before the sermon so that you can hear what God has written to you all at once. The passage will be displayed on the screens or you can follow along in one of the black, hardcover Bibles underneath a nearby chair.

Sermon

At that time, you'll be asked to take a seat. The preacher for that morning - usually Pastor Michael Graham - will deliver a sermon for 45 minutes to an hour. If that sounds like a long time to you, we understand. Know that we simply want to unpack exactly what God is trying to tell us in his Word and connect that with where you are or where you've been. That's not always a quick and easy task, and we want to be careful and faithful in the way we do it.

You can actually listen to past sermons from The Village on our Sermon Audio page.

Communion

We celebrate communion every week after the sermon because it's something that Jesus said we should do as much as we can. On the outside, celebrating communion looks just like taking a piece of bread, dipping it into some juice, and eating it. There is nothing special about the bread or juice - they are what they are.

But in reality, communion is a time for you to rejoice in what Jesus did for you by remembering why you need him and how he really is more important to you than your daily food. Just like we break the bread to eat it and get nourishment, Jesus broke his own body so that anyone who comes to him might be given life. Just like we quench our thirst with the juice that was poured out, our thirst for forgiveness and a fresh start is quenched by Jesus who poured himself out on the cross.

You don't have to take the bread and juice if you don't want to. We encourage everyone to pray, examine their hearts, and realize how Jesus is so much better than the fleeting joy that sin promises. If you do want to participate in communion, you are free to do so at any point. The praise band will play a song or two during communion.

Benediction

Benediction | Closing

After communion and the final song, someone will come up to give a benediction (literally "a good word" or a blessing). Benedictions have been done for centuries as a final note to send the church out into the world. Historically, people have raised their hands while the benediction is read as a symbol of receiving the blessing. You are invited to do so, as well, but you don't have to.

After the benediction, you are free to hang out with us, grab some coffee, check out the Resource Table or Connect area, or leave if you need to go. People will be hanging out for awhile, so if you'd like to get to know us a little better, feel free to strike up a conversation. Be sure to fill out a Connect Card before you leave so we can answer your questions, help you connect, or simply get to know you better.