Following is how we prepare the worship service of Eastside Baptist Church to lead the gathered people of God in an orderly, reverent, sacred time together. We pray every week, we sing every week, we preach every week, we read Scripture every week, and we commune with God every week, all to the glory of God and the nourishment of our souls.
Call to Worship:
The call to worship serves as a moment at the beginning of the worship service. It is more than an announcement that the service is about to start, it is the start of the corporate worship. It focuses the congregation’s attention upon God. The start of the service should not be habitually missed. This moment sets the worshiper’s attention upon God and away from the otherwise routine of the world. This is to set the soul upon the thrice-holy God.
Prayer:
In a Lord’s Day service, you will practice both private and corporate prayer. We will begin with a personal prayer of confession following the Call to Worship. Next, a pastoral prayer will be offered, acknowledging the grace and mercy of God and petitioning God on behalf of the sick, our neighbors, our families, our government, and our shared gospel work. We will pray several times throughout our time.
Singing:
We will speak to one another in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual songs. These are confessional statements based upon the influence of Scripture. We sing songs of the ancient church with tunes from various regions of the world while also singing theologically rich songs of our own era.
Reading/Preaching/Teaching of Scripture:
The public reading and exposition of the Bible is central to our worship service, as it is the Word of God. Preaching is the means in which God has ordained the Holy Spirit to encourage the soul, awaken the sinner, strengthen the saints, and instruct the people of God as a united people.
Response:
The entire service is an invitation to respond to God. Responding to God is a discipline of submission, a discipline of obeying, a discipline of sanctification, a discipline of meditation, and a discipline of unity under the authority of Scripture. Your participation or lack of participation is a response. It is my prayer that you respond in humility, care, joy, and hope in God.
The Sacraments/Ordinances:
Baptism and the Lord’s Table should be administered as described by the Bible. They should be observed as often as possible with reverence and respect for what they represent. The Lord’s Table is just that, it is His table that He has invited His people to physically eat and drink at. Some will say that observing the Lord’s Supper too frequently will make us think less of God. Remembering that it was the death of Christ that the worshiper was rescued from the domain of darkness can only become mundane to the one who is deciding for God how we should remember. It’s true, churches may observe the Lord’s Supper on different schedules, but the elders of Eastside Baptist practice weekly communion.
Body/Mind/Soul
To worship God in Spirit and Truth involves our whole being. It will be appropriate for you to stand, sit, kneel, speak, sing, pray, meditate, lift holy hands, listen, respond, commune, enter, and exit throughout the gathered time. When you arrive at Eastside Baptist Church, you should know with confidence that the service has been prayed through in advance. This time on the Lord’s Day is unlike every other time throughout your week. Come prepared to participate fully in the worship of the Almighty.
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