Visitors Guide
Worshiping at The Well
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1
If you’re visiting this page, you’ve probably got some questions and you’re looking for answers. We understand it can be hard to visit a church for the first time. You might ask yourself, “What’s going to happen when I come in the front door?” “How will I know where to go and what to do when I get there?” “What will I do with my children?” “What should I wear?” “What will the service be like?” All kinds of unknown factors can make church seem very intimidating. With this section we hope to answer some of the questions you might have about our church before you visit. All of us at The Well truly hope to make your visit with us relaxed and enriching.
What is worship like?
Every church has its own style of worship. We think you’ll enjoy the services at The Well, but as in any church you should expect to take a couple of Sundays to become accustomed to our way of praising God together.
We attempt to make our worship as “user friendly” as possible. Each week the hymns are printed in the bulletin with directions to the pages in our hymnal. The lessons are also printed for you.
Our worship is liturgical, which means that we have a set order of worship every week. Every Sunday we consistently focus on God’s Word and Sacrament because only through the words of Scripture and in the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion does God freely offer us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The Word is the only source of our spiritual lives and spiritual growth.
Music is also an important part of our worship. Through our singing of hymns and other songs we express our thanks to God for his wonderful salvation. In our worship we use traditional forms along with modern language and applications. The traditional features of our worship bring us the best from God’s Church throughout the ages, while the contemporary features remind us that God’s promises of forgiveness, guidance and peace still apply to our daily lives. We pray that through our worship your faith will be strengthened in those promises!
How should I dress?
You might wonder how you are expected to dress at a church you’ve never visited before. Since the Bible presents no dress code, except for simple decency and Christian humility, The Well doesn’t make any rules either. On any Sunday at our church you may see running shoes and heels, jeans and suits, open collars and ties. When a person dresses out of love for his or her Lord, the choice of dress, be it casual or more formal, is acceptable to God . . . and us.
What about the offering?
“When will they take the offering?” “How will it be collected?” “How much am I expected to give?” “Do they want visitors to contribute too?” These are typical worries about church offerings, but God’s Word teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is his gift to us. It teaches us that with our offerings we worship and honor God.
Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. These offering give them the opportunity to not only show love to Christ, but also to support the work of our congregation as we bring the Good News of Christ’s love to more people.
What is the worst that can happen?
Attending a church for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some common worries:
“I would just die if they made me stand up and say something.” We can assure you, we won’t embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible and at home with us. Time at church should be an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We promise to do all we can so you can learn about your Savior.
“I know my child is going to be too noisy.” Our congregation is much like a family with infants and kids and teens and adults and elderly. It is not unusual to hear the cry of a baby mixed in with the sound of hymns or readings. If, however, at any time you feel the need, we have a cry room with a couch and changing table from where you can both see and hear the service. We also offer a staffed nursery where you can bring your child. We also have activity sheets for children ages 5 and under for use during the worship service.
“I just want to watch at first, but I know they’ll try to get me involved or sign me up for something.” It’s unpleasant to be pressured or to be part of a “membership drive” as though we were heads of cattle, isn’t it? We believe church membership should be a voluntary matter, and the most important thing of all is to trust in our Savior Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. This takes time. People need time to evaluate and decide if they wish further involvement in a congregation. We believe we should respect that need.
We hope this visitor’s guide has helped to ease your mind, but if you have a question, please ask someone for help. Don’t hesitate to say, “I’m new here. Can you help me?” We can assure you our members are more than willing to help! Or call the Pastor at 434.610.9703
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1
If you’re visiting this page, you’ve probably got some questions and you’re looking for answers. We understand it can be hard to visit a church for the first time. You might ask yourself, “What’s going to happen when I come in the front door?” “How will I know where to go and what to do when I get there?” “What will I do with my children?” “What should I wear?” “What will the service be like?” All kinds of unknown factors can make church seem very intimidating. With this section we hope to answer some of the questions you might have about our church before you visit. All of us at The Well truly hope to make your visit with us relaxed and enriching.
What is worship like?
Every church has its own style of worship. We think you’ll enjoy the services at The Well, but as in any church you should expect to take a couple of Sundays to become accustomed to our way of praising God together.
We attempt to make our worship as “user friendly” as possible. Each week the hymns are printed in the bulletin with directions to the pages in our hymnal. The lessons are also printed for you.
Our worship is liturgical, which means that we have a set order of worship every week. Every Sunday we consistently focus on God’s Word and Sacrament because only through the words of Scripture and in the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion does God freely offer us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The Word is the only source of our spiritual lives and spiritual growth.
Music is also an important part of our worship. Through our singing of hymns and other songs we express our thanks to God for his wonderful salvation. In our worship we use traditional forms along with modern language and applications. The traditional features of our worship bring us the best from God’s Church throughout the ages, while the contemporary features remind us that God’s promises of forgiveness, guidance and peace still apply to our daily lives. We pray that through our worship your faith will be strengthened in those promises!
How should I dress?
You might wonder how you are expected to dress at a church you’ve never visited before. Since the Bible presents no dress code, except for simple decency and Christian humility, The Well doesn’t make any rules either. On any Sunday at our church you may see running shoes and heels, jeans and suits, open collars and ties. When a person dresses out of love for his or her Lord, the choice of dress, be it casual or more formal, is acceptable to God . . . and us.
What about the offering?
“When will they take the offering?” “How will it be collected?” “How much am I expected to give?” “Do they want visitors to contribute too?” These are typical worries about church offerings, but God’s Word teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is his gift to us. It teaches us that with our offerings we worship and honor God.
Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. These offering give them the opportunity to not only show love to Christ, but also to support the work of our congregation as we bring the Good News of Christ’s love to more people.
What is the worst that can happen?
Attending a church for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some common worries:
“I would just die if they made me stand up and say something.” We can assure you, we won’t embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible and at home with us. Time at church should be an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We promise to do all we can so you can learn about your Savior.
“I know my child is going to be too noisy.” Our congregation is much like a family with infants and kids and teens and adults and elderly. It is not unusual to hear the cry of a baby mixed in with the sound of hymns or readings. If, however, at any time you feel the need, we have a cry room with a couch and changing table from where you can both see and hear the service. We also offer a staffed nursery where you can bring your child. We also have activity sheets for children ages 5 and under for use during the worship service.
“I just want to watch at first, but I know they’ll try to get me involved or sign me up for something.” It’s unpleasant to be pressured or to be part of a “membership drive” as though we were heads of cattle, isn’t it? We believe church membership should be a voluntary matter, and the most important thing of all is to trust in our Savior Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. This takes time. People need time to evaluate and decide if they wish further involvement in a congregation. We believe we should respect that need.
We hope this visitor’s guide has helped to ease your mind, but if you have a question, please ask someone for help. Don’t hesitate to say, “I’m new here. Can you help me?” We can assure you our members are more than willing to help! Or call the Pastor at 434.610.9703