Worship
We know that sometimes churches can be a bit intimidating and you might be wondering what you could expect if you come to worship on a Sunday morning. What we’d like you to know from the get go is that whoever you are, wherever you’re at in your journey, you are welcome in this place. We’ll be glad to have you with us and we don’t expect you to know any secret handshakes or code words!
Wear what feels comfortable
Some might wonder whether there is a dress code at church. Some folks like to dress formally for Sunday morning while others wear casual clothes. We encourage folks to wear what feels comfortable for them.
How the service takes place
Our time together starts officially at 11AM with announcements, and then we move into worship with a series of songs, prayers, and reflections. If you feel shy about singing, not to worry, you can just listen to what’s happening around you and if you feel moved later on, you can join on in when or if you feel ready.
Mid way through the service an offering plate is passed around to give folks a chance to respond to God's gifts in their lives. These gifts go toward supporting the life of the church, and also are used to support justice initiatives around the globe. Don't worry though. You're not required to make a donation as a visitor. If you decide to start attending regularly and to support the work of the church financially, we would appreciate any contribution that you could make. Offering envelopes are available—just ask one of the greeters at the door.
How words from the Bible apply here and now
We put a high value on reading the Bible, and see it as holding the key words and stories that ground our faith. That being said, we know that some of the biblical language which was written thousands of years ago can feel distant from our lives lived today. With this in mind, at each service we have a time of reflection where we look intentionally at how those Bible words and messages might help us in finding the presence of God in our lives here and now.
Join us for coffee!
When the service finishes we usually gather for coffee and conversation at the back of the sanctuary and we’d love to have you join us!
Music
Music is a passion here at Emmanuel with a blending of traditional and contemporary song that helps us move more deeply into our relationships with one another and with God. We are blessed with the leadership of our gifted instrumentalist and choir director, Susan Reininger.
Please let us know if you would like to become a part of our music team.
Children and young people
Children are always welcome and celebrated in our church and from September to June we have programming for the young people who are with us. In the summer months we make sure to have colouring pages or crosswords available and other activities that can be done during worship.
If you are thinking about confirmation classes, or would like to know about our United Church youth programming please contact us at the office as there is a wide variety of programs that are available throughout the year in our region.