Welcome to the
Rome church of Christ
What
to Expect
We want you to visit us at the Rome church
of Christ. We would feel blessed and honored if you would be
our guest one day. We realize that visiting a church can be a
puzzling process, and to make your visit more enjoyable, we would like to
explain what you can expect when you honor us with a visit.
The Setting
When you enter the building you will
enter what we refer to as the "auditorium". There will be
rows of pews for the worshipers. There are no reserved seats, so feel free to
sit anywhere you choose. Our worship service may be a little
different from what you are accustomed to. Please feel free to find
your own level of participation. If you are comfortable in doing so,
join right in. If not, that's fine too. Our services
usually do not begin in quiet meditation. What you hear is the
joyful chatter of our family enjoying fellowship. Connecting with
people is important to our church family, and we cherish every opportunity of
coming together.
Singing
You will notice that the whole
congregation is our choir and that we sing "a cappella." In our assembly, music
is something we all participate in, not just observe. We value the
sincerity of praise much more than the perfection of performance. (Hebrews 5:13; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16) Our music, like that of the early church,
is accompanied by the orchestra of joyful hearts. Feel free to lift
your voice to the Lord with us. In a book-rack near you, there will
be a hymnbook for your use. When the song leader announces a number, you
can turn to that number in the hymnbook to find the words and music. There
will be several prayers during the service. They may be prayers for
specific needs and or requests. You will notice that our prayers are
not from prayer books, but from hearts that know the Lord. They are
sincere conversations with our Father in heaven.
Lord's
Supper
If you visit on a Sunday, the Lord's
Supper will be included in the worship proceedings because we observe this
memorial every Sunday, as was the example of the first century
church which celebrated this observance on the first day of the week. (Acts
20:7) The emblems, the unleavened bread and the cup, remind us of
the central facts of the Christian faith -- the death, burial, and resurrection
of our Lord and savior, Jesus the Christ. Sharing the Lord's Supper
together is an expression of oneness with the Lord and each other.
During this memorial, plates containing
pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The
bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) Each
participating person will take a piece of the bread and eat it.
Next, trays filled with small cups
containing "fruit of the vine", grape juice, symbolizing the blood of
Jesus. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) Each participant will drink the
contents of one of the cups. If you choose not to participate, don't
be embarrassed. Feel free to just pass the plate or tray to the person next to
you.
Offering
Apart from the Lord's Supper, and usually following
it, there will be a freewill offering. This is a voluntary contribution of
our members and our only source of support for the ministries of the
church. Containers will be passed to collect the weekly financial
offering. (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) As our guest, you are not expected to
make a donation or offering. Please do not feel obligated to give.
Preaching
The sermon will likely be from 20 to 30
minutes. We think you will find it refreshingly Bible-centered. The
sermon will reflect the fact that we believe the Bible is God's inspired
Word. It will be a practical message from the scriptures intended to
be applied to daily life. Follow along in your Bible or take notes if you
like. By all means, feel free to ask any questions after the
service. Our interest is in discovering and applying Biblical truth
to our lives.
Invitation
Most sermons call for some kind of
response. This is known as the "Invitation." At the close
of the sermon, the preacher will "extend an invitation". Don't
feel ill-at-ease during this invitation. You will not be singled out in any
way. There may be several who respond to the invitation or none at all. Usually
the response will simply be between the hearer and God.
We traditionally stand and sing an
"Invitation Song" at the close of the sermon to facilitate those who want to
make a public response according to their various and individual needs. Some
may respond for baptism, some to confess sins, or some to ask for prayer
for a specific need. What ever the need, anyone is welcome to
respond. If anyone responds for baptism, you may witness the baptism
during the service. The baptism will be by immersion. (Acts 8:35-39, Romans
6:3-4, Colossians 2:12) And, it will be for the remission of sins. (Acts
2:38)
What
Will Be Expected of You
Nothing at all! You are
welcome to participate. But, please don't feel obligated to do so if
you don't feel comfortable. Just observe if that is your
choice. You may be asked to fill out a Visitor's Card. This
simply provides information so the church can write or call to thank you for
your visit. Supply the information if you are comfortable doing
so. Feel free to decline this request if that is your preference.
The
People
What kind of people can you expect to
find? We're a diverse group, coming from varied backgrounds, and at
different stages of knowledge and spiritual growth. We don't know
everything. We don't always do everything right. We don't
always treat each other as we should. We haven't arrived - we're
just on the journey.
We were not brought together by any
illusion of our perfection or righteousness. We were brought together by our
recognition that we are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Jesus. (Mark
2:17, Romans 5:6-9, Ephesians 1:7, John 1:7)
That's the reason we can worship
together, stick together, and, with God's help, accomplish some things that
make a difference. Bottom line, you will find people who love Jesus
and love the Bible.
