|
|
The People
We are just regular people of most every variety. We are people of various economic levels, all different ages, and a wide range of backgrounds. We are a diverse group, from a variety of stations in life, and at different stages of knowledge and spiritual growth. We don’t believe we know everything, we’re sure we make mistakes from time to time, and we don’t always treat everyone as we should. But we hope we are all trying to imitate Jesus as much as possible, with the fullest understanding that we need to grow and strengthen our spiritual lives every day. If you decide to visit us, you’ll find people who love Jesus, love the Bible and love one another.
The Setting
On Sunday Morning there are greeters located at the doors you come in and, if necessary, they will point you in the direction you need to go, whether for worship, Bible class, the restroom or nursery. No person will approach you in such a manner as to embarrass you. There will be nothing to make you wish you hadn't come, or make you feel out of place.
Once you pass through our front outer doors you will arrive in the large fellowship area we sometimes call our Narthex. If you arrive early enough for attending one of our bible classes, you will find a listing of our classes on the Welcome board in our Narthex. To the Left as you enter is our classroom wing. Here are classes for children from cradle to the 5th grade. To your right are classes for Adults. Straight ahead through the Narthex, you will enter what we refer to as the “auditorium,” where you will find a place to sit.
There are no reserved seats, so feel free to sit anywhere.
What to expect
Don't expect to be entertained. We offer no bands or talent shows. Our purpose is to worship God in the way He has directed. Perhaps you will hear scriptures read or truths preached that you are familiar with. We encourage you to open your Bible and take notes - asking any questions that may arise from the studies.
Expect the worship to be simple and devout. Since our purpose is to be governed in all acts of worship by the Bible alone, our worship consists of only those elements which were part of the worship of the early church. We sing spiritual songs, pray often, partake of the Lord's Supper each Sunday, teach God's Word, and give as we have been prospered. We seek to maintain the attitude Christ enjoined when He said, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth," (John 4:24).
Expect congregational singing. Our singing, to many visitors, is the most inspirational part of the worship, deserves a special word. Since the New Testament instructs Christians to sing in worship, (Ephesians 5:19 & Colossians 3:16), we encourage everyone to sing. You will probably be familiar with most of the hymns and are invited to join with us in the singing. Our visitors are often astonished at how beautiful and spiritually stirring it is when, unaided by mechanical instruments, all worshipers sing to praise God.
Expect to find Christians only. We wear no distinctive name that would divide Bible believers. We submit to no religious authority other than the inspired scriptures. Thus, by following only the teachings of Christ and His Apostles, we are simply Christians (Acts 11:26), just as His disciples were in the first century. Expect to find a friendly spirit and atmosphere. We believe that friendliness is a natural attribute of God's people. Our visitors, who always receive a warm welcome, appreciate the courtesy and cordiality of these Christians.
What not to expect
Don't expect to be embarrassed. You will visit us as a welcome and respected guest. You will be greeted with kindness and courtesy. No person will approach you in such a manner as to embarrass you. There will be nothing to make you wish you hadn't come, or make you feel out of place.
Don't expect to be entertained. We offer no bands or talent shows. Our purpose is to worship God in the way He has directed. Perhaps you will hear scriptures read or truths preached that you are familiar with. We encourage you to open your Bible and take notes - asking any questions that may arise from the studies.
Don't expect to be asked for money. The church depends on the local members only for financial support.
The Music
One of the unique things about Manassas is that the music is ‘a cappella;’ that is, we sing without the use of any mechanical or musical instruments We love the beauty and joy of worshipping God from our hearts with our own voices We believe you will find the singing meaningful and uplifting, with everyone being invited to participate. We sing to praise God and exhort one another, not for entertainment. (Ephesians 5:19) We believe that if we follow only the approved examples of the first century Christians in our worship, we are assured beyond any doubt that our worship is acceptable to God. The Bible teaches that we cannot approach God with our own righteousness (Romans 10:3), so we know when we pattern our worship according to New Testament worship, adding nothing to, nor leaving anything out, we are approaching God in worship according to His righteousness.
Other Aspects of Our Worship
When you honor us with a visit you will hear spoken prayers and a lesson from God’s Word We believe in the power of prayer and God’s Word, so these aspects will take up a considerable amount of our worship time. The lesson is normally 25-30 minutes long. We hope you find it refreshingly Bible-centered and applicable to your life. Accurate and relevant Bible teaching is an important element of our assemblies. We believe that we should have Scriptural authority for everything that we do as Christians, and as a church. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and it is all that we use to determine our practices and beliefs. (Titus 2:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:2-5)
The Lord’s Supper will also be included in our worship time. During this time, trays of unleavened bread (symbolizing the body of Jesus) and cups of grape juice (symbolizing the blood of Jesus) will be passed throughout the auditorium. This is a celebration of what Jesus did for us on the cross. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) You do need to feel compelled to participate. You are welcome to just pass the trays to the next person.
In our Sunday assembly, trays will be passed to collect a weekly financial offering. Our members will give as they have been prospered to meet the needs of the church in teaching and benevolence. Our guests are neither asked nor expected to participate. (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2)
We do ask that you complete a card found on the racks in front of you with your information, and any needs you may have and place that in the tray as it is passed. There are name tags that you may wear so that we will know your name as we greet you.
At the close of the each lesson, the preacher will “extend an invitation”, which is an opportunity for anyone to make a need public. He will encourage those who wish to ‘respond’ to come to the front of the auditorium while the congregation sings. At this time, if you need help spiritually in any way, please come forward. If you need help in study so that you understand what God’s will is in your life, we have an open invitation to supply a study partners available at your convenience.
What is Expected of You?
We hope that you will participate in the worship service, through singing with us (song books are provided, pray with us, and read scriptures with us (a bible is also provided in the racks in front of you). But don’t feel obligated. Just observe if that is your choice. Please stay a while after our worship service, as we would like to introduce ourselves to you, and get to know your needs if you have any.
Highlights
- Heartfelt, simple Biblical worship.
- Solid Bible teaching in sermons and classes.
- Children’s classes for all ages. Children welcome in our worship.
- Easy access for handicapped and elderly.
- Correspondence studies and home classes available.
