Sunday Morning Worship
What to expect
The worship service has four basic elements: gathering, confession, word, and sending. Gathering includes the sharing of announcements, joys, and prayer concerns; a call to worship; and the singing of a hymn. Confession includes a time of silence, a unison prayer of confession, a declaration of forgiveness, and the sharing of the peace with each other. The word (reading of scripture) is often preceded by a musical anthem and is followed by our responses, including the preaching of a sermon, the singing of a hymn, the prayers of the community, and the dedication of our weekly offering. The service concludes with a time of sending, which includes a congregational hymn and some words of blessing. Even when the order or content of the service may vary from week to week or season to season, the shape of the service is usually determined by these four elements.