We’re glad you’ve decided to learn more about our family at Cruciform! Here’s what you can expect at any given worship service at the Cruciform Church of Christ:
The Setting
On entering the building, you’re sure to be welcomed by one or more members of the congregation. Our worship takes place in the auditorium, where you’ll find rows of comfortable chairs. If you arrive early (between 9:00 and 9:30), someone will show you the room where we serve coffee and muffins before worship.
The Singing
After a greeting is extended, we begin our worship with a selection of hymns. The music and lyrics for each song are typically projected at the front to make it easy for us to sing together as a congregation. We worship using only a cappella music, encouraging one another and giving praise to our God and Savior (Eph. 5:19).
The Praying
The congregation at the Cruciform Church of Christ believes in the power of prayer, so we offer a number of prayers during each worship service.
Family Time
Before the sermon, we typically engage in a period of Family Time. This is a time to recognize those with birthdays or anniversaries in the coming week. It is also a time to recognize special joys (like new births) and special sorrows (like death in the family). It is a time filled with prayer, calling upon God for His blessing in our lives.
The Preaching
We believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and our preaching reflects that truth. The message of the hour is usually given by our full-time preacher, Alan Smith, but we will occasionally have other guest speakers. Lessons are Bible-based and practical.
Invitation
At the end of the sermon, the speaker of the hour will extend an invitation to the congregation. This gives those with a special need opportunity to come forward and make their need known. Our elders and minister will meet those who come forward to address the need and pray for the individual if necessary.
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper, also called Communion, is a special part of our worship to God. We observe this memorial each Sunday as the early Christians did (Acts 20:7) to remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
When you enter the building, you will notice that we have the Communion table set up in the center of the room. This serves as a constant reminder to us that the cross of Jesus is at the very center of our lives.
After a brief Communion devotional message and prayer, those sitting closest to the Communion table will take the bowls of bread and cups of grape juice to pass down their row. Members eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Feel free to participate, or simply pass the trays to the next person if you don’t wish to participate.
The Offering
An offering is collected each week (I Corinthians 16:1,2) to support the work of the church. If you are not a member of the church, please do not feel obligated to give.
Because we are a church family, we encourage our young children to participate. You will often find that these children will be the ones to distribute and gather the collection baskets.
Announcements
Before we are dismissed, one of the men or women of the congregation will make a few announcements to let us know what special events are coming up.
After Worship
After our time of worship together, we encourage you not to rush out, but to hang around for a few minutes to give us an opportunity to greet you and to get to know you. You are our honored guest!