Sunday
Our Sunday worship services are the highlight of our week, and we invite you to join us. Here is what you can expect.
Schedule
- 9:15 am – Sunday School for all ages in Kirkside Hall (left of the sanctuary)
- 10:30 am – Worshipworship bulletin 2-5-12
h2. Parking
Limited parking is available in our parking lot between the sanctuary and Kirkside Hall, primarily for handicap parking. However, plenty of parking is available across 7th Avenue in the Bank of America lot or behind the church building in the Asheville Savings Bank lot. – Parking map (PDF)
Nursery
If you are a visitor or new to our church, check here for information regarding our Nursery. Nursery Handout for Parents
For those volunteering to serve our children in the nursery, you may find the current schedule here – Current Nursery Schedule
Sunday School Classes
- Nursery
- 3-4 year olds
- 5 year olds
- 1st-3rd graders
- 4th-5th graders
- Middle School (6th-8th)
- High School (9-12th)
- Adult
The apostle Paul declared that a central goal of his ministry was to ‘present everyone mature in Christ’ (Colossians 1:28). We want to take every opportunity to help our members and visitors mature in Christ. We do this primarily through the study of God’s word. By studying the bible we hope to know Christ, his redeeming grace, and how we can live for him in all of life.
We have bible classes for children that help introduce them to their Lord and Savior. We also have classes for middle school and high school age students, as well as an adult class. If you are a visitor, Sunday School is a great way to meet church members and get a feel for the body life of the congregation.
Worship
Worship is primarily about the glory of God. We want to worship him for who he is and what he has done to save us from our sins. Since it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that fuels our worship, the people who are most in love with God because of his saving grace are those who give themselves unreservedly to him in worship.
But as soon as the word ‘worship’ is mentioned, two inevitable questions pop up.
Is your worship ‘traditional’ or ‘contemporary’?
Our answer is that we are trying to be neither. Our belief is that worship should take its cues from how God relates to his people in his covenant of grace. He is holy and majestic before his people; high and lifted up. But he is also gracious and merciful; lovingly present with his people. In other words, we want to celebrate both the “transcendence” of God (that he is God and we are not) and the “immanence” of God (that he promises to be with his people). We want our worship to reflect both realities about God. He is holy, righteous, and glorious. So we bow down before him in praise. But he also promises to be present with his people in mercy and compassionate grace. So we approach him not only with reverence, but in joyful communion. One way to say it is that we want our worship to be ‘solemn joy and joyful solemnity’. So, we strive to use texts, music, and language that reflect both.
What type of music do you sing?
Our belief is that writing music for corporate worship is a sign of ‘gospel health’ in the church. Therefore, every generation of the church should engage in expressing biblical faith through music. So our approach is to take the best music we can from every age. The apostle Paul commanded the church to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. So that is what we try to do. And we do our best to select the music that has profound doctrine expressed through rich wording as well as tunes that are helpful for congregational singing. Regardless, the goal is to glorify God as we retain life-changing content in a format that we can actually sing and enjoy.
Beyond our worship style, it may be important to know that we also make special place for children in our worship. There is a children’s sermon and hymn during the service. Afterwards, if parents so choose, children ages 4 – 5 may be excused to a classroom for ‘Kingdom Kids’ prior to the sermon. There they will be taught a bible lesson that is age appropriate.
Also, we observe the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month. This is a special time of celebration for our church family. It is a family meal for Christians. All those who repent of their sins, trust in Christ and pledge to live a new life for him are welcome. Finally, our practice is to serve a mixed tray of wine and grape juice.