Join us Sundays at 9:00am
Sunday Worship
Every church has its own style of worship, and St. Peter’s is no exception. We believe that there is no biblically-mandated form of worship. We also believe that the forms and emphasis of the church service should accurately reflect the primary purpose of God’s Word, which is to lead us into a right relationship with God through His Law and his Gospel, the good news about Jesus. As such, we typically chose to do liturgical worship. Worship using the liturgy gives expression to God’s Law and Gospel as well as our relationship with Him. Through liturgical worship, God serves His people through His Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
The services usually include the following parts in a variety of forms:
- Call to Worship (sometimes called the Invocation) – We call on the name of our Savior God as we praise him.
- Admitting sins and finding forgiveness – We acknowledge that we have not always done what God asks. Then, we are assured of forgiveness because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.
- Bible Readings – We hear selections from God’s Old Testament prophets, Jesus’ apostles, and from Jesus himself in the Gospels.
- Sermon – Our pastor offers instruction and encouragement in a Bible-based sermon. We hear how we can expect God’s guidance and grace for dealing with problems, as well as the promise of eternal life in heaven through Jesus.
- Response to the Word – We respond with a confession of faith, offerings, and prayers for the things God has promised to us and for strength to do what he has asked.
- Communion – Typically on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month our services also include the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. To find out more about our communion practices, click here.
- Parting Blessing – We hear one last assurance of God’s care before we head out into the world to live as God’s children. Mixed throughout these different parts of our service are hymns and short songs to praise God. Our worship uses traditional forms and hymns blended with contemporary songs, modern language, and application. We strive to use the best of the tried and proven with the best of what modern hymn writers and composers have produced. We hope you enjoy both!
We know that it can be confusing, even uncomfortable for a guest when the collection plate comes by. We gather an offering as an opportunity to express our thanks to God for giving us his greatest treasure, his Son Jesus Christ, and to support the Lord’s work that we do here and around the world. This is very important to us. If you are visiting us, please do not feel that you must participate in the offering. You are our guest!
If you are wary about attending a church service because it is strange to you and you aren’t sure what you are supposed to be doing, that’s perfectly ok. Our pastor is very aware of that, and he always does his best to let people know where we are in the hymnal, when people are asked to stand out of reverence for God, etc. Other than being a new face who is likely to receive a warm welcome from one of our friendly members, you will fit right in.
