What to Expect

  Most people are a little apprehensive about visiting a new church. We hope a few words will help set your mind at ease about visiting the Celeste Church of Christ.

    We begin our time together on Sunday Morning at 9:30 with Bible Classes. There is an Adult Bible Class that meets in the auditorium and there are classes for the children that meet in various classes. The Adults study various topics and books of the Bible. Every attempt is made to make the classes not only scriptural but also practical. There is always time for discussion and there are no foolish questions. The children always are looking at the Bible in age appropriate material. Our bible class teachers are committed Christians who love children and who love God.

    We begin our time of worship at 10:30 also in the auditorium after a fifteen minute break after classes. Our services generally open with a brief welcome and a few announcements from one of the members. The song leader then leads the congregation in a few songs before the opening prayer is offered, followed by another song, and then we partake in the Lord’s Supper and the Offering. Then the Preacher delivers a sermon from the Bible. At the end of the sermon, the preacher will offer an invitation for anyone who might want to become a Christian by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or rededicate their lives to God. The worship service lasts generally about an hour and concludes with a closing prayer. Guests may sit silently through the worship service or they may participate.

The Singing:
    Our worship music is “acappella.”  That is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. We do this in keeping with the practice of the early Christians. We simply want to worship God by focusing on praise to our heavenly Father (Ephesians 5:19).

The Praying:
    Spoken prayers, led by one of the men, are a large part of our gatherings. We believe in the power of prayer, and we often pray for specific needs and requests.
The Lord’s Supper:
    The Lord’s Supper is observed every Sunday as a memorial of the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The reason for this practice is our desire to follow the pattern of the early church and observe it on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The unleavened bread is passed first (which represents the body of Christ) and then the fruit of the vine is passed next (which represents the blood of Jesus Christ). The congregation remembers the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the Love of God.

The Offering:
    You will not be expected to make a contribution. Our members will give weekly as part of our worship to God (1 Corinthians 16:1f). As a guest, you are not expected to make a contribution.

The Preaching:
    Our preacher does not have a special title nor does he wear special clothing. He is not referred to as “Pastor” or “Reverend.” The reason for this is our belief that all are equal in the brotherhood of believers (Matthew 23:8-12; Galatians 3:26-28; and 1 Peter 2:5, 9).
    The sermon will be generally about 25-30 minutes long and it will Bible centered. You will notice that we use Power Point during the entire worship service to facilitate our time together.
    At the conclusion of the sermon, the Preacher will offer an invitation to anyone who wants to respond by obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ or asking for prayers.

Baptism:
    If someone responds for baptism, they will confess their faith in Jesus Christ and will be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins. ( Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-5; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 16:25ff). You will witness the baptism generally at the conclusion of the worship service.

We look forward to meeting you!  And we certainly want to invite you to attend the Bible Classes and Worship Services of the Celeste Church of Christ.