What To Expect When You Visit There are some individuals who are thrilled by the thought of visiting a congregation for the first time. Other individuals look forward to visiting, but with more reservation and some nervousness. Still others dread the entire experience of going to a new place and meeting new people. Please allow us to take a moment and explain what you will see and encounter when you visit one of the worship services of the Warm Springs Road church of Christ. We genuinely hope you will consider worshipping with us. Upon your arrival and entrance into our church building, you will probably immediately "run into" a group of our members talking and enjoying each other's company. Whether it is brothers and sisters catching up on each others' lives, someone asking our preacher a question about a sermon or Bible class, or members getting to know a new individual or family at services, the minutes leading up to and immediately following our Bible classes and worship services are always warm, welcoming, and encouraging. You will quickly notice that our members come from all walks of life. You will meet Christians who are drawing social security, but will also see babies still in diapers. You will see young singles, and will see middle-aged couples. You will encounter a number of different races, ethnicities, and differences, yet we believe you will find the kind of unity which is desired by our Lord (John 17:20-21; I Corinthians 12:12-27). How could such a diverse group of people come together and enjoy such oneness? In the inspired words of the apostle Paul, we have determined to "walk by the same rule" and to "mind the same thing" (Philippians 3:16); that is, we stand behind a common devotion to the authority and teachings of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17). Once the worship service begins, all visiting is postponed until after the service is completed. While we enjoy the opportunity to mingle, we realize the primary purpose of our coming together is to worship our Great Creator. Indeed, a perusal of numerous Bible passages shows clearly that God is to be the focus of worship assemblies (Psalm 95:6; John 4:21-24; Revelation 4:8-11). As we begin our worship to Him, you will notice that the atmosphere remains joyous, but at the same time is most reverent and orderly. The picture the Bible paints of appropriate worship is that of individuals and families bringing their absolute best before God, displaying spirits of thanksgiving, respect, and humility (II Samuel 24:24; Psalm 100; Psalm 122:1; Lk. 18:10-14; I Corinthians 14:40). When it comes to the specific format and acts of our worship services, you will probably notice some things which are different than many other religious groups in our community. The reason is, in accordance with both numerous Biblical examples (Leviticus 10:1-2; I Kings 12:25-33) and the teachings of Jesus (John 4:24), our worship is precisely patterned after the teachings of the Bible; more specifically, the New Testament of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 2:13-17). Though there are numerous acts of worship which many churches incorporate today, the New Testament only speaks of five acts of Christian worship, and you will find that those to be the exact avenues of worship in which we are involved each Lord's day. First of all, we pray together (Acts 2:42). You will notice that our prayers are led by faithful men within the congregation, per the instructions of the New Testament (I Timothy 2:8-15). Secondly, we lift up our voices together in singing praises to God (Ephesians 5:19). There are two things which you will most likely notice are absent from our singing. We do not use any mechanical instruments of music as we sing, nor do we incorporate any solos, choirs, or performance oriented praise teams. Our singing is acappella and congregational. This is in accordance with both the authority of the New Testament and early church history, as both indicate clearly that this was the only kind of music that was acceptable in the worship of the early church. Thirdly, we open our Bibles and receive a sermon from God's Word (Acts 20:7). Our sermons are designed to encourage and challenge, but most importantly, they always present the pure and unadulterated truth of the Bible (Galatians 1:6-12; Revelation 22:18-19). They typically close with an opportunity presented for non-Christians to be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and for spiritually-needy Christians to request the prayers of the church (Acts 8:18-24). Fourthly, we give financially as we have been blessed by God (I Corinthians 16:2). Though our collection plate is passed down every aisle, we do not expect you to make a donation to the church. The New Testament teaches it is the responsibility of a congregation's members to support its work through voluntary contributions. Finally, we observe the Lord's Supper, a memorial of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 11:23-29). Our partaking of the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine is done only on Sunday, and on every Sunday, to follow the pattern presented for us in the New Testament church (Acts 20:7). Following our Bible-based worship service, we always leave our assemblies encouraged by each other's presence, motivated by God's Word, and determined to live faithfully until we meet again (Hebrews 10:24-25). Won't you come and visit with us? You will truly be our honored guest.