Visitors – What to expect.
We love meeting visitors here at Heritage Family Church! New visitors often have questions about what to expect when they visit. If after reading this you still have questions, feel free to contact us personally. We are more than happy to answer any questions for you.
Our day of worship starts Sunday mornings at 10:45 at the Pringle Hall Community Center located at 606 Church St SE in Salem. Our service begins at 11:00 and includes Christ-centered singing and scripture reading, a sermon from one of our teaching elders, and sharing of the Lord’s Supper together. We typically have a shared meal after our service followed by a time of fellowship.
Preparing for the Lord’s Day
One of the most significant things you can do on Saturday evening and Sunday morning is to prepare your family for worship at home. This can be accomplished through reading the scriptures, singing songs to the Lord and praying together. If reconciliation needs to take place in order to heal broken relationships, it is important to do this before church. In Matthew 5:24, Jesus says if we have broken relationships, that we are first be reconciled to them, and then come and offer your gift. This is not only important for preserving the unity of the church, but also because Christ himself commanded us to do it.
Soon after establishing this habit you will find it easier to start every day off in this manner. Not only does this help to prepare your heart for worship, but it teaches your children to approach the throne of grace each day with reverence.
10:45 – 11:00 – Fellowship
Arrive and settle in. Greet one another, enjoy a cup of coffee, and find a seat.
11:00 – 12:30 Worship Service
One of the first things you will notice about Heritage Family Church is that families worship together. This may be difficult if you are new to the practice of age integrated worship, but we are patient with one another while offering encouragement. We start the service off by worshiping the Lord with songs, scripture reading and prayers.
This is followed by the preaching of God’s Word from one of our elders. You are exhorted to be a faithful hearer of God’s Word. Too much expectation is placed on the preacher to inspire and move his audience. Instead we should receive the sermon as God’s Word to us for that week, and be faithful throughout the week to reflect, meditate, and study further the message presented. Encourage and lead your children to do this as well; teach them at a young age to be a faithful hearer of God’s Word. One way to do this is to have them write notes and give a report at the end of the day.
We celebrate the communion each week. This has become a source of joy for us.
12:30 – 2:30 – The Lord’s Supper/ Fellowship Meal
The shared meal is a time for us to exercise loving service towards one another as Christ did for His disciples on the night He was betrayed (John 13:13-17). One way that we can serve each other is by preparing our food with excellence. Bring enough food to feed your whole family and, if you are able, a little extra for any visitors. Visitors are invited to stay for the meal and are not expected to bring any food. We also look for ways to help other families with their children, or with the general setup and cleanup. This is an important time to involve your children and disciple them in service.