What to Expect 

We are thankful that you have chosen to join us, and we trust that you have felt welcomed in our midst. As a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), our congregation is rooted in the historic Reformed faith. Over the years, we have found that visitors often have questions about our confessional commitments and the culture of our church. While these distinctives may become clearer as you spend time with us, we would like to offer a brief introduction to some key aspects of our worship and community life that you may notice during your visit.

It is important to note that not every CREC congregation worships in exactly the same manner. The practices described here are shared by many, but not all, of our sister churches. 

Liturgical Worship       Covenant Renewal Worship      Weekly Communion      A Worship Conversation      Worship Centrality      A Corporate Amen      Posture in Worship      Psalm Singing     
Scripture Reading      Biblical Sermons      Optimism about the Future of the Church      Wine in Communion      Church Membership      Child Communion      Christian Education      Cultural Engagement

Many modern churches offer informal worship services, often resembling concerts or entertainment events with a “come as you are” attitude. When someone visits one of our churches, they may first notice our emphasis on reverence and dignity, which might seem more “formal.” While some might perceive our approach as “seeker hostile,” it is rooted in our conviction that worship must cultivate reverence.

We understand that “scripted” worship might feel insincere to some, but we see it as a way to offer God acceptable worship “with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28-29). Our services are carefully structured to maintain this sense of reverence, aligning with the biblical call for “good order” (Col. 2:5) in worship. We strive for this order while avoiding religious showboating, ensuring that our preparations honor what God requires.

Our worship services often share common elements with traditional services but are structured around the concept of “covenant renewal.” This doesn’t imply that our covenant with God might expire, but rather, like a meal renews the body, our worship renews our covenant with Him.

The service is structured into three main parts: confession, consecration, and communion, following the pattern of Old Testament sacrifices. We confess our sins, dedicate ourselves to God, and then share in the Lord’s Supper. After this, we receive a benediction and are sent out into the world, renewed in our walk with God.

Our practice of weekly communion stems from our understanding of covenant renewal worship, moving naturally from confession to consecration, and then to communion. This progression is central to our worship every week, with the heart of biblical worship being organized around Word and sacrament. We see the sermon and the Supper as complementary, not competing elements of the service, and we believe that communion is a key mark of discipleship.

In CREC churches, the worship service is an active conversation between God and His people. It’s a dialogue, not a monologue, where the congregation actively participates in singing, responding, and even in posture. This approach contrasts with the more passive role of congregants in some other traditions, emphasizing that worship is the work of the entire body of Christ.

In our churches, worship is central in the same way that the engine is central to a car. It’s not just an essential decoration, but the driving force behind everything we do. The Church’s mission, given by Christ, is to disciple the nations through baptism and teaching, with worship at the heart of this mission. We avoid the errors of minimizing worship in favor of activism or isolating worship from the Church’s mission. We believe that faithful worship in every place will lead to the transformation of the world.

In CREC churches, the corporate amen is a common and important response in worship. It’s a robust affirmation of the truth and a fitting conclusion to prayers, psalms, hymns, and other acts of worship. The word amen carries the force of an oath, expressing a firm and solemn agreement with what has been said, as seen throughout Scripture.

In our congregation, we believe that worship involves the whole person, not just the mind. Different postures in worship are intentional and rooted in Scripture. For example, we kneel during the confession of sin as an act of humility before God, and we stand during the reading of Scripture as a sign of respect.

During communion, we stand and share the peace of Christ with one another, reflecting the unity and fellowship we have in Christ. Additionally, we raise our hands together in the final doxology, offering corporate praise. These postures are not merely traditional; they are meant to engage our entire being in the worship of God, reminding us that our bodies are also to be presented as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him (Romans 12:1).

While we do not practice exclusive psalmody, psalms form the backbone of our musical worship. The apostle Paul instructs us to address one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and we take this seriously. Singing psalms keeps us grounded in biblical worship, and influences the hymns we sing, ensuring they are psalm-like in their content and tone.

Public reading of Scripture is central in our worship, distinct from the reading of the text for the sermon. We believe that hearing the Word of God read aloud, with the congregation responding together, honors the Scriptures and reinforces their foundational role in our lives.

Sermons in CREC churches are typically expository, working through books of the Bible and applying their teachings to our lives. We believe in the importance of preaching as a means of salvation and spiritual growth, with sermons rooted in the full counsel of Scripture, including both Old and New Testaments.

Though not a doctrinal requirement, CREC churches are often characterized by a postmillennial view, which holds that the gospel will be powerful and effective in the world, leading to a golden era before Christ’s return. This optimism shapes our approach to cultural engagement and our expectation of the Church’s influence in the world.

We use wine in communion because we believe it is biblically mandated, as Jesus used wine when He instituted the Lord’s Supper. This practice may be surprising to those from evangelical or Baptist backgrounds, but we see it as a faithful adherence to Scripture and a reflection of the potency of the gospel.

CREC churches typically have formal membership, grounded in the biblical call for mutual responsibility between church leaders and members. Membership is not about ownership or isolation, but about orderly responsibility and the commitment to one another within the body of Christ.

We practice child communion, welcoming baptized children to the Lord’s Table. We believe that the Table is a profession of faith, and by communing our children, we help them grow in their faith as a natural part of their spiritual formation.

CREC churches are deeply committed to Christian education, whether through homeschooling or Christian schools. We believe that children should be trained to understand the world in a distinctively Christian way, and we see this as a collective responsibility of the Church community.

CREC churches are known for their conservative stance on social and political issues, emphasizing the prophetic role of the Church rather than partisanship. While there is a broad antipathy toward socialism and collectivism, our engagement is guided by conservative Christian principles, not by loyalty to any particular political party.