A time for the kids to learn
If you are visiting the church for the first time, most people feel more comfortable if they know what to expect.
When bringing children aged 5 to 12 they will join the main service for worship and then join with other children in their own room during the sermon for more relevant teaching. If this is their first visit, parents or guardians will need to fill out a form with contact details in case of emergency.
The main service starts at 11:30 and aims to finish by 1:30pm, but if the service runs over time there is no problem leaving early.
Worship band and preaching
The service usually consists of worship led by the band (a variable combination of guitar, keyboard, bass drums and singers). After the main worship there will be a time for notices and the offering is taken with the money received going to the running costs of the church and ministries supported by the church. The sermon follows which sometimes ends with an invite for people needing prayer to come to the front if they want to be prayed for. After the final worship song followed by a closing prayer and blessing you are free to stay and chat with anyone before heading home.
The part of the service that may confuse people who do not often attend church is taking of communion, when bread and grape juice is taken to remind everyone of Jesus body and blood being given for mankind when he died on the cross. If you are not yet a christian or do not fully understand this, feel free to refuse the bread and juice as there is no compulsion to join in.
Richard Mitchell leading the Sunday morning Bible study
As the bible study is held in the same hall as the church service, if when you arrive you see someone at the front of the hall speaking to the people sitting down, it is best to wait in the lobby until the you see people getting up signalling the end of the bible study when you are welcome to enter and sit wherever you like as there are no reserved seats apart from the obvious ones by the door marked usher. Feel free to look at the books, CDs, DVDs and Tshirts in the foyer (known as the LMF Booknook) that can be purchased while you are waiting.
When you arrive there are 2 entrances. If you enter from the parking lot you will go down some steps into the community hall, just walk along the right side of the hall to the end where you will see some stairs which take you up to the main entrance doors where people coming in from the street enter. The ladies rest room is to the right of the main entrance and the stairs up to the main hall are to the left. After climbing the stairs to the top level you will be in the LMF Booknook with the doors to the main hall to your left, and to your right the steps up to the men’s rest room which is on the left at the top of the steps.
Before entering the main hall you will notice the door just to the left of the main doors, this leads to the nursery where nursing mothers can feed their baby in privacy, as well as changing facilities for babies. Some parents who are concerned about their children running around and disturbing others often use this room during the service, although as this is a family church, you will find that other people are less concerned by the noise than the parents.