We serve an awesome God. We live, work, and worship with a sense of awe and wonder at who God is and what he has done for us. This means that, when we gather, whether for worship, service, study, or fellowship, we do so in a way that seeks to honor and glorify God, and that we submit ourselves to the truth of God’s Word. We expect God to work in and through us, by his Word and Spirit, and we look forward to the return of Christ, when we will see him face to face.

Most of us dress casually, and the atmosphere of the church is relaxed. But, wear what seems right to you. There are good reasons to wear different types of clothing in church. Some wear their “Sunday best” as a way of recognizing and honoring that they are in the presence of the King of Kings. Some dress in their everyday clothes, recognizing that we can approach God as our loving Father, without having to dress ourselves up to earn his approval. Whatever you wear, wear it to the glory of God.

Our music is mostly contemporary, although we incorporate traditional hymns, as well as music from other languages and cultures. The kingdom of God is bigger than any one culture or expression, and we feel called to be a place where the great diversity of the kingdom is welcomed and lifted up.

We incorporate liturgical readings into our worship. This is a way to express important truths as one body, and to hear God’s grace in response. For example, we confess our sins together, affirm our faith in the ancient creeds of the church, and hear God’s word of blessing to us to end the service.

All are invited to participate in the work and worship of the church. All are invited to engage as they are able in the readings, prayers, and cooking, among other things. We pray together before service every week, eat a meal together after service, and discuss thoughts and questions about the sermon and service together. We worship with adults and children together, and help our kids learn to participate in the worship and work of the church.

We are a Presbyterian church. That word carries a lot of meaning, doctrinally and historically, but the word itself means that we are a church led by elders. The pastor does not hold all the power. The elders (referred to as a group as the session) are responsible to the presbytery (all the elders from different churches in a particular area), which is responsible to the general assembly (all the elders in the denomination). Why all these groups? Because Jesus cares about his church, and because leaders need to be both helped and held accountable by others.

We elect elders based on their maturity, both in biblical understanding and in a Christ-like way of living, as set out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. All roles in the church are open to men and women alike (to read more on this topic, we recommend Men and Women in Christ by Andrew Bartlett, and Man and Woman, One in Christ by Philip Payne).