PASTOR JOHN
At Princetown, we want to make your visit an enjoyable experience, easy, stress-free, and relaxing. Princetown is laid back for people, whatever their background, including those who have never been to church before. In fact, many of our people were not regular church attenders before coming to Princetown. So you're in a majority when you visit! If we were visiting a new church for the first time, we'd like to know what to expect, so here's a brief overview:
Upon entering the church, there should be some friendly people (we call them "greeters") to say hello and answer any questions you might have. If you have kids, babies and toddlers can be put in our secure and well-staffed nursery, while other kids can come into the service. Kids age three through fifth grade are dismissed from the service about fifteen minutes from the beginning in order to go to "Kids Church." Sixth graders on up are welcome to stay in the service.
You'll notice that everyone is dressed however they feel comfortable, ranging from a suit-and-tie, to "office casual," to jeans and sneakers. We hope you will do the same.
The service usually begins with some upbeat music, followed by a welcome and introduction to the theme of the day's service. Sometimes, there will be a drama or multimedia to further explore that theme. Then someone will offer a prayer, and the pastor will begin the message. He usually speaks for about 30 minutes, and does his best to make the messages interesting, enjoyable, and relevant to daily life. The message will be based on the Bible, and will often include interesting quotes from contemporary people, songs, or movies. The message comes from solid Christian reformed theology in intelligent, understandable, and relevant terms. Hopefully, you'll laugh at times and maybe feel a tug at your heart as well.
A prayer and song usually follow the message, and about every six weeks we celebrate communion. Communion (also known as the eucharist or the Lord's Supper) is a Christian celebration of the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If you're a committed Christian, you're welcome to share in communion with us, and if not, you can just sit back and enjoy the music, because our Worship Team will be playing and singing during this time.
Speaking of the Worship Team, they do a great job leading musically, with a contemporary feel (drums, guitars, keyboards, vocalists). You'll have some new tunes to hum all week long, as well as some old chestnuts from the past.
When the offering plates are passed around, please do not feel obligated. We encourage our members and regular attenders to assist in the ongoing financial concerns in the church, but we want visitors to relax and simply be our guests. Don't worry, no one will be watching.
After the service, you can pick up your kids from their Kids Church classrooms, and then we hope you'll stay around, meet some people and enjoy some coffee, donuts, and cookies in the Kids Church Area. Church is about God and worship, but it's also about community and friendship, so we hope people really experience warmth and friendliness here at Princetown.
And don't forget we also offer a Sunday Education hour from 10:00-11:00 with classes for all ages, including adults. We encourage you to attend a class where you can meet other people and learn more about God.
Thanks for your interest!
- The Princetown Church Staff
