What you can expect when you visit one of our
services:
When you come through our doors, expect to be welcomed! Greeters will meet you as you come in, extend a warm handshake and answer any
immediate questions you may have (such as "Where is a class for my children?" or
"Where can we sit?") The greeters will also give you a welcome packet
with lots of helpful information. We are glad you chose to visit us and
we think you'll be glad too!
Worship services are held in the upstairs
auditorium. Pews are arranged in a semi-circle facing the
podium. Sit anywhere you feel comfortable. Before worship
begins (Sundays at 10:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.), there's a lot of
"visiting" going on. That's because we are all part of a big,
wonderful family! Many folks will talk to you and welcome you to
our assembly. You are our honored guest!
Worship services normally begin with a brief
introduction and welcome. We will ask you to fill out the back
of our "Blue Card". We use these cards as a means of communicating
important things: prayer requests, updates on family members,
Bible questions and visitor information. Yes, you are important
to us!
We regard the Bible as the inerrant,
inspired word of God! During our worship service, we will have
a scripture reading. We often will be asked to stand up during the
reading. This has two purposes. First, standing shows our
respect. If someone of great importance walked into the room, you
likely would stand to give this person honor. The scriptures
represent the mind of the One who created the universe! We should
give Him our respect! Second, the message from God's word is worthy of
our attention. Standing and either listening to or following along
in our own Bibles helps us focus our attention on the reading.
Singing is a special opportunity to worship
God. When we feel happy, we often sing! It's natural.
It's no surprise then that God would want us to channel some of our
worship through singing. You will find a hymnal in the rack on the
back of the pew in front of you. The song leader will announce the
song number and soon we will start singing together. . . in harmony!. .
.and we try to make it just as beautiful and joyful as we can! But
what you won't hear are musical instruments. Frankly, we don't
need them! But the reason we sing without instruments is not
merely our preference. We want to worship God
according to the New Testament pattern. And that pattern does not
indicate that instrumental music was used or desired. Many
visitors unfamiliar with "A Cappella" music are deeply moved by this
experience--it's all a part of God's plan!
Prayer is our communication to God.
While each Christian should pray often and in private, we, as a
congregation, pray together. A man will walk to the front and
speak a prayer. We all try to focus our attention on his words and
make his prayer our own. We are commanded to pray for each other,
so this prayer may include many specific names and circumstances.
Prayer changes things!
Expect to hear a Bible-based sermon which
will encourage faithful Christian living! Our preacher, Grady
Miller, or our evangelist, Kevin Ballard, will usually preach during the
service. You may notice that Grady and Kevin are not given special
religious titles such as "pastor" or "reverend," nor do they wear
any special garments to set them apart from others. That's because
all Christians are viewed by God as "priests" (1 Peter 2:9). A
sermon usually concludes with an invitation to respond personally to the
message. One of our elders (a specially-qualified man who serves
as a congregational leader) will meet with everyone who responds and
talk with them about their particular need.
Each Sunday we follow the New Testament
pattern by sharing the Lord's Supper. The unleavened bread and
grape juice are each distributed throughout the assembly. The
Lord's Supper or "communion" is a both solemn and joyful occasion.
Jesus commanded that His followers observe this as a means to remember
the price He paid for our sins. It is sad to think that Jesus had
to suffer and die to redeem us. But it is wonderful to think that
He loves each one of us that much!
Giving is a way of expressing our gratitude
for God's blessings. Each Christian should cheerfully give to
support the works which God has directed. However, you--our
guest--are not expected to give. As the collection basket comes to
you, please just pass it along.
Many visitors unfamiliar with a cappella worship are deeply moved by the experience.
Some Thoughts About Worship "In Spirit and In Truth"
The Pikes Peak church of Christ seeks to
worship God according to Christ's command: "in spirit and truth" (John
4:24). To worship God "in spirit" requires that we come to God
with a humble attitude, understanding that our salvation in
Christ is not by our own righteousness or works, but by God's grace
(Ephesians 2:8,9). We humbly come to God to worship Him, and He lifts us
up (James 4:10) with the understanding of His love for all men through
His Son Jesus (John 3:16) and the anticipation of being in
Christ's presence for all eternity! (I Thessalonians 4:17, 18).
Worshipping God at the Pikes Peak church of Christ is a humble
celebration of the love we share in Christ and our anticipation of
heaven!!
Equally important is worshipping God "in truth." The New
Testament gives specific commands, shows positive examples or
implications of how the church worshipped God during the period of
inspired guidance--the first century. Rather than trusting man-made
ideas on how we should worship God, we trust God's word, the Bible, to
provide the pattern of how we should worship Him.
Worshipping God this way is refreshingly simple and clear. There is no
need for great ceremony or the slickness of a stage show. Together, we
w pray (I Timothy 2:1)
w sing songs that teach the truth
and encourage Christian living (Colossians 3:16)
w are reminded of God's will for
our lives as we hear the preaching of God's word (Acts 10:42)
w give to help others and support
the many works of the church (II Corinthians 9:7)
w "break bread," (Acts 20:7) by
partaking of the bread and grape juice, simply called the Lord's Supper
(I Corinthians 11:20).
Worshipping God in truth is truly a time of fellowship with God, His Son
Jesus, His Holy Spirit and God’s children, the church.
Worshipping God in spirit and in truth is a time we look forward to!
It's a time of learning, spiritual growth and encouragement. It’s a time
of peace and personal reflection. It's a time for receiving God's love
and mercy.
Isn't it time you were there?
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