We understand that it can be intimidating to visit a new church for the first time. Here, you can find answers to some of the more common questions you may have. We hope that this will help you to feel welcome and comfortable here.
WILL I BE WELCOME?
In a word, YES! No matter who you are or where you’ve been or what you’ve done, you will be welcomed at Hanover Church!
WHERE DO I GO?
When you arrive at the church, enter through the front doors. There, you will be greeted by one of our friendly ushers who can direct you to Sunday School classes, restrooms, and the sanctuary for the service. They will hand you a bulletin, which is your ‘road map’ for the service – hang on to it so that you can follow along!
What do I wear?
Clothes. That’s all we really require. Many of our members feel most comfortable wearing dresses or suits, but many also come in jeans and sneakers. It’s totally up to you. We’ll just be happy to see your smiling face!
Where do I sit?
Wherever you want! You may have been in churches before that felt like they had assigned seats, but we aren’t that rigid. No one will hassle you for sitting in ‘their’ spot, so just find somewhere that looks comfy and have a seat!
What will the service be like?
You remember the bulletin ‘road map’ mentioned earlier? That will tell you everything you need to know about what will happen in the service. From our home page, you can view the bulletin from the most recent worship service. The basic structure looks like this:
We start out with announcements, where members will share information about events for the congregation.
Then there will be some music; a prelude (which is just nice to listen to) and some Praise and Worship music (which the congregation will stand and sing along with).
The congregation will stand and join in a responsive reading and a unison prayer that is printed in the bulletin. Then there will be a hymn that is sung together. The bulletin will tell you the title, page number, and color of hymnal (red or blue) where you can find the words and music for the hymns.
Then there will be a children’s story for the youngsters. The children come up front and hear a short, fun lesson just for them! If your kids are feeling shy, you can go up and sit with or near them – parents often do this, so don’t be embarrassed!
There will be a time for sharing of our tithes and offerings. This is when the offering plates are passed through the congregation and members give money as they feel led. Don’t feel obligated to put anything in – not everyone does, and that’s okay.
After the plates are passed, the congregation will stand and sing a short Offering Response hymn. Again, the title, page number, verse number, and color of hymnal will be indicated in the bulletin. (I told you that was an important piece of paper!)
Generally, there will also be a time for the congregation to briefly share any joys or concerns that they may have that week. A microphone is passed around and prayer requests are shared before the Pastor leads us in the morning prayer. If you have something weighing on your heart, don’t be afraid to share it with us. We want to pray for you, even if we don’t know you yet!
At some point, there will be some special music. During the summer, this is provided by various members of the congregation and friends. During the rest of the year, the adult choir shares a song. Just sit back and enjoy. If you feel like clapping, clap! If you feel like shouting Amen, then shout! Go with whatever the Spirit leads you to do.
The Pastor will share his message with us and then we will stand and sing one last song or two!
And that’s it! If you are a first-time visitor, we would appreciate it if you filled out one of the BRIGHT PINK visitor cards that are located in your pew. After the service is over, there will be folks at the back of the sanctuary at our ‘Welcome Station’. Take your pink card to them and they will give you a gift, just to say thanks for coming!
What about my KIDS?
First of all, we are so glad you brought them! There are Sunday School classes available for them that you can read about here. Once you get here, an usher can tell you where to find those classes.
During the service, all children are welcome to stay in the sanctuary. We have children’s activity bulletins available that an usher can give you. We also have activity bags in the foyer that can be borrowed during the service. They contain all kinds of things to help keep wiggly kids occupied so you can enjoy the service. Again, the usher can show you where they are located.
Nursery care is also available during the service for kids age 2 and under. Just let an usher know and the Nursery attendants will take care of everything for you. We understand if you don’t feel comfortable leaving your children with a stranger, so you are welcome to stay in the nursery with them. The service will be playing through a speaker, so you won’t miss a thing.