We hope you’ll join us for our Sunday worship service to see for
yourself what we’re all about. Through contemporary music and practical
messages we present the truths of the Bible in a format that’s easy to
understand, even if you’ve never been to church.
When is the best time to arrive?
We suggest arriving 10-15 minutes early to allow for parking,
registering your children in Higher Ground Children’s Ministry, and
finding a seat.
What should I wear?
Casual dress is very appropriate at Harvest. You will see
everything from sport coats to golf shirts to shorts. Even our Senior Pastor might be in a suit and tie one week and in business casual the next week. There really is
no dress code at Harvest. We simply encourage people to be tasteful
and appropriate.
What should I bring?
If you have a Bible, bring it. If not, no problem. We can give you a copy. You can even keep it if you need it!
What happens during the worship service?
Different elements of worship are incorporated into a worship service at Harvest. Some only occasionally (responsive Bible readings) and some every week (music and preaching). The order of how we do things varies as well. Some Sundays we might take up the offering sometime before the message while other weeks we may do it after the message. The point is that we are fond of variety.
But if you want to get an idea of what a "typical" Sunday morning worship service might be like, here is a description:
We usually start with a prayer to ask God to meet with us. Then we sing some contemporary worship songs, led by a band – no choir robes or organ music. Most people
stand during this time, however, there is complete freedom to be seated
if you prefer. The words of all of the songs are projected onto a
screen, and you can either sing along or just sit back and enjoy the
music. You’ll probably hear songs you can relate to even if you haven’t
been to church in years.
Sometime midway through the music time, we have a time called
called the Friendship Register. This is the time for everyone to pass
the “Register” down the aisle and sign it. This allows us to get to
know you a bit. You can request information, ask for prayer, let us
know your thoughts, or just indicate your presence with us. In any
case, we use it to pray for you during the week.
While everyone is filling out the Friendship Register, we
usually take some time to communicate what is going on with the church:
announcements, upcoming events, etc.
After some more time for singing, Pastor Brett will encourage
and challenge you with a practical message from the Bible. There is a
place in the worship guide for you to be able to keep notes, so that
what you learn on Sunday, you’ll be able to use and apply during the
week.
After the message, we usually take up an offering. If you are
a guest – relax! The service is on us and there’s no obligation at all
on your part. Just pass the offering plate on down the row.
You can be assured that you won’t be asked to stand or raise
your hand (or anything else embarrassing) just because you’re new. Nor
will you have to recite anything or kneel at certain times during the
service.
As mentioned before, in an effort to keep things fresh, we do mix up the order of
how we do some of the elements of the service, so don’t be surprised if
it doesn’t go exactly the same every week.
How long does the service last?
Generally about an hour and twenty minutes, but special
Sundays might stretch to an hour and a half. Once the service is over,
don’t feel that you have to hurry out the door. In fact, you may want
to stop by the resource table or go by the refreshment counter and buy
some popcorn or something to drink. We simply ask that you pick up your
children right after the service ends. Although we need to clear out
of the theater soon after the service, we are free to hang out in the
hallway or the parking lot and enjoy conversation with others.
What if I still have questions?
Please feel free to contact us!