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What You Can Expect As You Visit the Church of Christ
We want you to feel comfortable as you visit us at the Westport Church of Christ. We know an unfamiliar place can be intimidating. So, let us tell you what you can expect when you honor us with a visit.
The Singing
In the chair you sit, there will be a hymnbook for your use.
When the song leader announces a number, you can turn to that number in
the hymnbook to find the words and music. One of the unique things about
churches of Christ is that the music is a cappella. That is, we sing
without the accompaniment of musical instruments (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
This is a conviction with us, not just a preference. We believe you will
respect our conviction, and we think you'll find the singing meaningful,
with everyone being invited to participate.
Prayers
There will be several prayers during the service. These prayers may
include specific needs and requests lead by men (1 Tim. 2:8; 12).
Preaching
You will notice that the preacher doesn't have a title. He won't
be referred to as Pastor or Reverend. He may be referred to as brother
Kepke, but quite often, just Ryan. Our preacher has no special title nor
special clothing. The sermon is usually about 30 minutes in length. We
think that you will find it refreshingly Bible centered, yet very related
to today (2 Tim. 4:2).
Invitation
At the close of the sermon, the preacher will "extend an invitation."
This is simply an expedient time to invite (Matt. 11:28ff) those who decide
to do so to make a commitment or request prayer. He will encourage those
who wish to "respond” to come to the front of the building while the congregation
sings the selected hymn.
Don't feel ill at ease during this invitation. You will not be singled
out in any way. There may be those who respond, or none. Some
may respond for baptism, to confess sins, or to ask for prayer for a specific
need. It's a time when some may wish to “identify" or “place membership"
with the Westport body. If anyone responds for baptism, you will
witness the baptism during this service. The baptism will be by immersion
for the remission of sins.
Lord's Supper
If you visit on a Sunday, the Lord’s Supper will be included in the
worship proceedings because churches of Christ observe this memorial every
Sunday. Again, the reason for this is that we believe the first century
church observed the Lords Supper every Sunday (Matt. 26:26ff; Acts 20:7;
1 Cor. 11:23ff).
During this memorial, plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the broken body of Christ. Each participating person will break off a piece of the bread and eat it.
Next, trays filled with small cups of grape juice will be distributed. Each participant will drink the contents of one of the cups.
Offering
Also, if you visit on a Sunday, collection plates will be passed to
collect the weekly offering (1 Cor. 16:1f; 2 Cor. 9:2 ). As our guest you
are not expected to make a donation. Feel perfectly comfortable in just
passing the collection plate on down the row.
What Will Be Expected of You
You are welcome to participate, but don’t feel obligated to. Just observe,
if that is your choice. We appreciate your respect for the order and peace
within our services (1 Cor. 14:33), and invite you back at every opportunity
you may have. We would appreciate your filling out a Visitors Card.
This simply provides information so the church can write or call to thank
you for your visit. Supply the information if you are comfortable doing
so. But feel free to decline this request if you prefer.
The People
What kind of people can you expect to find? We're a diverse group,
coming from varied backgrounds, and at different stages of knowledge and
spiritual growth. With Gods help, we believe we can accomplish some things
that make a difference. You won’t have to look very far to find our failures,
but you will find people who love Jesus, His word and people.