What To Expect
What should I wear?
There is no "dress code" for worship. Tree of Life tends to be a casual church where people dress as they are comfortable. Some enjoy the tradition of dressing up in dress pants and ties or skirts/dresses, desiring to honor God with their best as they come into God's house. Others appreciate being more comfortable and wear khakis, jeans and polo-style shirts, knowing that worship is not about what we wear, rather the attitude of our hearts. You are welcome to wear whatever is comfortable to you.
How do I find my way around?
When you arrive there should be parking both in front and behind the building. If more parking is needed, there is also space across the street by one of the neighboring businesses. There are RED doors both in front and behind the church through which to enter.
If entering from the front, you will come directly into the main fellowship hall. Often there will be someone to greet you by the welcome stand as you come through the door. Here you will find information to welcome you to Tree of Life, including a guest register that we hope you will sign. To your LEFT you will see a door to the nursery. Just past that and through the double doors is the area used for worship and Bible study. To your RIGHT you will see a pass-through window and tables where refreshments and coffee are served after the service (please join us) with doors on either side, one going to the room for kids' church and the other leading into a hallway that takes you to education wing, which includes the bathrooms, children's Sunday School classrooms and Pastor and Vicar's offices. The building is well marked, and if you should need any guidance or direction in finding your way, the greeter would be happy to help.
If entering through the back, you will find yourself in the hallway entering the education wing to the left and the main fellowship hall will be to the right.
Is there anything available for kids during worship?
Children are welcome in worship. This begins the good habit of attending worship services at an early age. To keep little minds and hands occupied during worship there are children's activity bags hanging by the nursery.
Prior to the start of the sermon, there will be a brief pause for parents who wish to make use of the staffed nursery or kids' church programs. The nursery is staffed by volunteers from the sermon through the end of worship for children 6 months to 3 years of age. At the same time, children ages 3-8 are welcome to attend kids' church, a service created to allow children to have a worship experience at an age-appropriate level that engages them while still teaching them about Jesus and the elements of the worship service.
Should your little one need a break from sitting at any time during the service, you are welcome to make use of the nursery or entry area, which has speakers to allow you to still be able to listen to the service.
What is Tree of Life's practice regarding the Lord's Supper?
The Lord's Supper is celebrated during the first and third Sundays of every month. We would ask that if you are not a member of our church or one of our sister congregations that you refrain from attending the Lord's Supper until after you speak with Pastor or Vicar. For more details regarding what we believe concerning this sacrament, please visit our page on communion practices.
Is worship very traditional or a more contemporary style?
The style and sounds of our worship service will depend on the Sunday you are here. On the first Sunday of each month, the service takes a traditional flavor using one of the historic liturgies of the Christian Church and hymns from Christian Worship, the hymnal used by our church. The second and third Sundays of each month blend the traditional sounds of the past with assorted praise songs of the present. On the fourth Sunday of each month the sound becomes contemporary as we incorporate the use of several guitars, drums, keyboards, and a small choir to accompany and lead the singing.
What is meant by "liturgy" or "liturgical church"?
Being a "liturgical church" means that our worship is governed by a progression that focuses the worshipper on the Word of God and the Sacraments. Also, as a liturgical church our service themes follow the Christian Church Year. The Christian Church Year begins with the Advent-Christmas season in December to focus us on the coming of Jesus; January-February mark the season of Epiphany in which Jesus is revealed as the Son of God; March and April include the seasons of Lent and Easter in which we focus on Christ's passion and resurrection; May through November is the season of Pentecost highlighting the work of the Holy Spirit. The church year ends with the season of End Times, preparing us for Christ's second coming.
If you would like to know more about the different elements that make up the liturgy (or order of service) in a typical worship service, please visit our worship elements page.
What tools are there to guide me through the service?
As you enter the worship area, an usher will hand you a service folder which will guide you through the order of service, Scripture readings, worship songs/hymns, prayers, confession and creeds. There will also be a separate page with the week's schedule of activities and any announcements.
After entering the worship area, feel free to sit anywhere you like. Pastor or Vicar will speak a word of welcome, followed by the service as laid out for you in the service folder. If you would like to follow along with the music for any of the hymns or songs there is a red hymnal (Christian Worship) located under the chair in front of you. We may also sing songs out of the Tree of Life songbook, a black binder that can be found near the ushers at the entrance to the worship area.
After the singing of the final hymn there will be time for announcements. Following this, attendees will usher themselves out of church, so please feel free to linger as long as you like and join us for refreshments and fellowship in the entry area.
Why all the singing?
You may notice that we sing a lot during our worship service. We sing hymns (spiritual songs) to express the joy that we feel in our hearts. Some of the hymns are prayers set to music, asking God to give us his blessings. Others are strictly praise songs, giving thanks to God for who he is and what he has done for us. All of the songs which we sing during worship are chosen to enhance our service and reaffirm the message that we hear. They fit closely with the readings and message of the day to form a common theme.
Will anyone try to involve me or sign me up?
We believe that church membership should be a voluntary thing, and that the most important thing is to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. Individuals need time to evaluate and decide if they wish to become more involved. We will respect that need for time and won't pressure you to join. But we do encourage you to worship with us again. Visit us on several occasions and make an informed decision for yourselves.
How can I find out more?
There are a few ways to find out more information about us and our church. When you visit us in person, we have an information table near the entryway complete with many brochures on a variety of topics. You can also visit our Resources page, which will provide you with a number of internet resources through our church and agencies with which we are affiliated. You can also request a visit with our Pastor to discuss any other questions you may have.
We pray this information has answered some of the questions you may have about worship at Tree of Life. If you have any other questions or comments about worship, please feel free to contact us.
