What to Expect

There are many good things that happen at a church, but the central one is gathering together for worship. There are many congregations in our area, and while some things are the same for all of them, there are also some things that differ. What follows is a list of 10 things that you can expect to see and hear and do if you come and worship with us at Zion .

By the way, we get lots of visitors at Zion . All of them have found something familiar and something that is a little new. Our bulletin is designed to help you follow along nice and easy. The many others who have visited before you have helped us know how to welcome you too. And remember, if they can do it, you can too! We’re all in this together, so we help each other get through.

1. You can expect to be welcomed by members of Zion . We are a friendly congregation. You will get a hearty handshake and guidance on where to go and what to do. We welcome visitors, but we also don’t smother them. We want you to be comfortable and ready to hear God’s Word. Also, you can expect to be respected when you visit Zion . God loves and honors you, and we will strive to do the same.

2. At Zion we remember that God comes to serve us in the worship service. You can expect that God will offer you the forgiveness of sins, hear your needs, offer you mercy, teach you His ways, comfort you with the peace of Christ, and feed you at Communion. All this and more God does for you because He loves you. You will have beautiful opportunities to join all the others who are gathered in saying “thank you” to God.

3. We use a traditional liturgy at Zion . That means we follow an order of service that has its roots far back in the history of Old Testament Church and in the days of Jesus. It has been shaped by generations of Christians who have gathered to worship God in different ages, all over the world. It is not hard to follow, but it may take a time or two for you to listen and learn for you to get comfortable following along. But its worth it. The liturgy is filled with comforting Scripture passages, beautiful music and singing, and promises of forgiveness in Christ. The passages in the liturgy have been chosen because they help you understand in a simple way the wonderful things God has done for you. If it didn’t work, it wouldn’t still be in use. But generations of Christians have found that it does work. It can work for you too.

4. We sing at Zion . You are invited to sing with us or to just listen and meditate on the words. Don’t worry if you don’t have a great singing voice. Everyone is welcome to join in and sing praise to God. Our culture today doesn’t give regular folks many opportunities to sing anymore. We tend to have “professionals” sing for us. But music is a language that the soul knows well, and singing helps us hear God’s Word and music allows us to speak back to Him things that are easier to communicate when sung. Music is a precious gift from God. You will grow in your appreciation of it at Zion .

5. You will hear God’s Word at Zion . The entire Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written down by the Apostles and Prophets. Our entire teaching is based on the Bible. You will hear sections of the Bible in the liturgy, you will hear longer readings from the Bible taken from the Old and New Testament. You will hear the Bible explained and applied to you in the sermon. As you hear the Bible, you will hear about Jesus and what He did and does for you. God’s Word is a powerful blessing. You will grow in it at Zion .

6. You will hear about Jesus. The whole Bible speaks of and points to Jesus. You will hear who Jesus is and what He did to save you. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word which you will hear. As you hear about how Jesus helped other people, the Spirit will help you know that Jesus offers the same help to you. When you hear how Jesus died and rose again, the Holy Spirit will help you know that Jesus did that to save you.

7. We confess the faith written down in the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed. These are ancient statements of faith, drawn from the Bible, that Christians have been using for centuries to proclaim what they believe about God. You will hear that historic Christianity is still practiced here and you can join us in proclaiming that it is your faith too. You can also listen and learn more so that you can understand better what we believe, teach and confess.

8. An offering will be gathered during the service. Visitors are not expected to donate to the offering, as you are our guests, but you are welcome to if you so desire. The money gathered in the offering is used to provide for our workers, take care of the property, and enable the ministries that we provide to our community. These include education, care for the needy, support for the elderly, and the spread of the Gospel of Christ.

9. We will probably have Holy Communion during the worship service. We have Communion every Sunday, except when it is the fifth Sunday of the month. Communion is a sacred meal given to us by Jesus, where He gives us His body and blood under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. Before someone goes to Holy Communion, they first need to be taught about what it means and what it gives, because it is very powerful and needs to be taken in the right way. We ask that all visitors speak to Pastor Horn before coming to Communion. We welcome members of LC-MS congregations, and members of denominations with whom we are in fellowship to come to Communion. Visitors who are not able to commune at Zion are welcome to remain in their seats where they can either sing, pray, or meditate on the Word. They are also welcome to come to the altar rail to receive a blessing. If you desire a blessing, just cross your hands over your heart and bow your head. If you would like to be able to take Communion, please speak to Pastor Horn. He will help you prepare for this blessed feast of forgiveness in Christ.

10. You will have access to pastoral care. After the service Pastor Horn will greet you at the door. If you have and questions, or would like to talk with him, he is happy to meet with you. Pastoral care can be a great blessing for you. Meeting with pastor is a time where you can learn, can ask for help, can confess sins and receive forgiveness, can just talk about what is on your heart, or can find help for challenges in your life, family, or other areas. Pastoral care is also confidential.