What to Expect on Sunday Morning

It can be daunting to go somewhere for the first time and entering a church building is no exception.  Hopefully, this short guide will give you an idea of what to expect.

We worship in person on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.   There is no dress code of any kind, everyone is welcome to come as they are.  Masks are available if you choose to wear one.

The format of the service is similar week to week, except quarterly the congregation stays together throughout worship. We call this inter-generational service our “whole community worship”. Musically led by the Ensemble the hymns tend to be more contemporary and we explore our faith in different and unique ways, led by members of the congregation.

When you come through the front doors, the Sanctuary will be directly ahead of you. At the Sanctuary entrance you will find the weekly bulletin showing that Sunday’s order of service as well as a weekly announcement sheet detailing what events are happening around the church. Please feel free to take a copy of both.

In our Sanctuary you will find rows of pews – you are welcome to sit anywhere. If you are worshipping with children or youth, they should sit with you at the beginning of the service.

We use two hymnals:

• Voices United (indicated in the order of service as VU) which is the red hardback hymnal, and
• More Voices (indicated in the order of service as MV) which is the soft copy hymnal at the end of the pews.

Hymn lyrics and prayers are also projected on the television at the front of the Sanctuary.

During worship, towards the beginning of the service, the children are invited to come to the front of the church for ‘children’s time’ and are then invited to go downstairs for children’s programming. At the same time the youth also head downstairs for youth discussion.

Babies and toddlers are welcome to sit with you during worship, however if you prefer a nursery adjacent to the sanctuary is available. You can either stay with your child(ren) or leave them with a nursery supervisor.  The “quiet room” has a large one-way plate glass window so you can see and hear the service if you choose to remain.

Throughout the service there will be times when we stay seated and times when we stand, in that case you will be invited to “stand/rise as you are able” (or just follow everyone else).

When the service is finished there is an opportunity to chat with other members of the congregation in the gathering space outside the Sanctuary (you are welcome to join in, but it is not obligatory) and Rev. Valerie will be at the exit to greet everyone as they leave.

If you would like to attend a church service but are not comfortable entering by yourself, please contact the church office. We would be happy to have a “pew buddy” meet you at the entrance to the church, sit with you throughout the service, if you wish and answer any questions you may have.

Still not sure?  We livestream our weekly worship so why not check out what happens on a Sunday morning by visiting our YouTube channel where you will find previous worship services.

Riverbend United Church is proud to have integrated technical and design considerations into its building and services to assist persons with disabilities. Please follow this link for details of some of our accessibility features.