WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT...

Greetings! Thanks for visiting us at the Emporia Avenue Church of Christ. We want you to feel comfortable, so let us tell you what you can expect when you honor us with a visit.

Background Our background may help you understand us.  Our goal is to restore the new Testament church in our time. We attempt to determine from the Bible what the church was like in the beginning and to be like that original church as much as possible. We believe this is a worthy goal. We strive to be a non-denominational, Bible centered church. We know our conclusions aren't flawless, and our practices are sometimes colored by habit, preference, tradition or convenience. Even so, we hold the Bible as our only guide in religious matters. Now, let us walk you through a typical worship service. If you have visited another Church of Christ, you may have noticed some variations because every Church of Christ is autonomous (self-ruled, independent). We are not associated with any denomination or organized religious group.

The Setting Doors are open at 1144 S. Emporia, which is at the comer of Lincoln and Emporia. You will enter what we refer to as the "auditorium" where you will find rows of pews for the worshipers. There are no reserved seats, feel free to sit anywhere you chose.

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The Singing In the bookrack in front of you, there will be a songbook for your use. When the song number is displayed at the front of the auditorium you can turn to that number in the songbook to find the words and music. One of the unique things about Emporia Avenue is that the music is "a cappella;" that is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. We simply want to worship God in the purest way possible, and since the New Testament leaves out the use of instrumental music, we believe it is best to exclude it also. We hope you will find the singing meaningful, with everyone being invited to participate.

The Praying Spoken prayers are a large part of our gatherings. We believe in the power of prayer. We often pray for specific needs and requests.

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The Preaching Who preaches is not as important as what is preached. Our preacher does not have a specific title. He is not referred to as Pastor or Reverend.  His name is Willis Hood, most just call him Willis, for that is what he prefers. He won't be wearing any special clothing that sets him apart. He is one of us. The reason for this is our belief that all are equal in the priesthood of believers. The lesson will likely be from 25-35 minutes in length. We hope you find it refreshingly Bible centered. We also have an associate preacher, Mark Haas.

The Inviting Inviting worshipers to make a commitment for Jesus will be a part of the sermon. At the close of the lesson, Willis will "extend an invitation" He will encourage those who wish to "respond" to come to the front of the auditorium while the congregations sings. Don't feel ill at ease during this invitation, you will not be singled out in any way.  There may be several who respond, or none.  Some may respond for baptism. Some respond to confess sins, or to ask for prayers for a specific needs. Others will come to ask to "identify" with this congregation. If anyone responds for baptism, you will witness the baptism during this service. The baptism will be by immersion for the forgiveness of sins.

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The Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper will be included in the worship service because we observe this memorial every Sunday morning. The reason for this is our desire to follow the New Testament teaching. The first-century church celebrated this observance on he first day of the weeks. We assume from this that they did it the first day of every week, and we know from respected historians that in early centuries the Lord's Supper was an every Sunday communion. During this memorial, plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus.  Each participating person will break off a piece of, bread and eat it.  Next, trays filled with cups will be distributed.  The cups contain "fruit of the vine", usually grape juice, symbolizing the blood of Jesus. Each participant will drink the contents of one cup. If you choose not to participate, don't be embarrassed. Feel free to pass the plate or tray to the person next to you. This Supper is the original way of remembering the sacrifices Jesus has made on our behalf.

The Offering How many times will you be asked for money? None. Plates will be passed to collect the weekly financial offerings from our members. As our guest, you are not expected to make a donation.  Feel perfectly comfortable in just passing the collection plate on down the row.

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What will be expected of you... Usually, nothing at all! You are welcome to participate. But don't feel obligated to. Just observe if that is your choice. You may have been asked to fill out a guest card when you arrived, if you haven't filled one out they are available in the rack in front of you. This card simply provides information so that we can write or call to thank you for your visit. Supply the information only if you are comfortable doing so.

The People... So, what kind of people can you expect to find?  Pretty much the entire spectrum; as in any group, we are diverse, coming from varied backgrounds and at different stages of knowledge and spiritual growth.  We don't know everything, but we are learning.  We don't do everything right, but we are improving.  We don't always treat each other as we should. We haven't arrived; we're on the journey.  But you see, we were not brought together by any illusion of our perfection or personal righteousness.  We were brought together by our recognition that we are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Jesus.  We were brought together by a common goal. We want to be God's people, organized and worshipping according to God's plan. We want to be Christ's church. 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. We would love for you to join us in our pursuit of Him and His Word this Sunday morning. Would you please join us?

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Notes: 1. I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12 2. Matthew 23:,8-12; Galatians 3:26-28; I Peter 2:5-9 3. Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12 4. Acts 2:38 5. Acts 20:7 6. Neander, Eusebius 7. I Corinthians 11 :23-25 8. I Corinthians 16:1-2 9. Mark 2: 17; Romans 5:6-9; Ephesians 1 :7; I John 1:7

Emporia Avenue Church of Christ - 1144 S. Emporia - Wichita, KS 67211