What to Expect

Welcome!

A lot happens in our church throughout the week, but the cornerstone of our week is Sunday worship, where two different services revitalize us with worship, preaching, music, prayer and fellowship.

Our less formal early service takes place in Fellowship Hall (on the right, as you face our church from Old William Penn Highway). Light refreshments (coffee/tea/juice and doughnuts) are available – and people take them into the service, sitting in small groups at tables or in rows of chairs. We have a Praise Team to lead the congregation in singing, and we also enjoy special music from volunteers and members of our Music Academy – clarinets, flutes, brass, guitars and drums – even a jazz band.

Our late service is more traditional, and takes place in our Sanctuary (beneath the Celtic cross on the roof towards the left of our main building as you face it from the street). Here the seating is in pews and the music is led by our organist and our Sanctuary Choir. Both services last about an hour.

Of course you're always welcome to drop by, talk to a pastor or office staff (office open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday), pray, or just sit quietly in one of our gardens.

We know some people have not been a member of a church community before, or are unfamiliar with Christian practices and customs, and may be nervous about their first visit to a Christian worship service. Even if you come from a church background, there are many ways Christians worship, and our ways of worshiping may not be familiar to some people.

So, whether you're new to Christian worship or just new to our particular congregation, here's some basic information to give you a glimpse of what to expect.

What to wear

The late service in the sanctuary is a little more formal, but casual dress is fine at both services. We're not a "dress up" church, and you won't be out of place whatever you wear.

A warm welcome is waiting

Everyone is welcome to attend our worship services. It doesn't matter if you're of another religion, if you have no religion, or if you've never been to church before. People with questions and doubts are especially welcome. You will be greeted warmly, welcomed, treated with dignity, and your privacy will be respected. No one will try to convert you. We're just happy you came and hope you find some spiritual sustenance with us. We invite you to ask questions of our elders, pastors, greeters or members.

Parking

Our parking lot often appears to be full, but there are usually visitor spaces close to the building, in the front row, which is mostly reserved for visitors. If the parking lot really is full, additional parking is available in the Tarr Hollow Road lot (down on the left as you face the building – reached by steps).

What to do when you arrive

If you arrive before the early service, please join us in the kitchen just off Fellowship Hall for coffee and doughnuts that you may take into Fellowship Hall. The early worship service is usually held in Fellowship Hall. Fellowship Hall can be reached from outside doors at the right of the building (this avoids steps), or up the stairs from either doors into the main corridor.
Late worship takes place in the Sanctuary, which is on the left side of the building, and is reached through the main doors into the Narthex, or from the main corridor inside the building.
You'll probably see a pastor and an elder greeter outside welcoming people. They'd love to show you where you need to be, and answer any questions you may have. Ushers inside will give you a bulletin (our order of worship) and show you to restrooms, childcare, Sunday school and other amenities.

Handicapped Access

Handicapped access from outside to Fellowship Hall is easiest through the doors at the end of the ramp from the parking lot (at the far right of the building). Access from outside to Common Ground is from the front, down the ramp to the doors.
Inside the building, a wheelchair lift [requires a key – pleases ask someone for help] provides access between the lower, Common Ground, level and the upper Fellowship Hall level and can stop at the building main corridor.
The center doors lead into the building main corridor – all on one level – which links both ends of the building.
The Narthex, which leads to the Sanctuary, is handicapped accessible from the parking lot. The Narthex is also a section of the building main corridor.
Inside, a ramp to the left of the Narthex leads to the upper level of the Education Wing. The building main corridor makes a left turn at the top of the ramp and provides access to the Education Wing upper level class rooms. The building main corridor then makes a right turn to access the class rooms on the front of the Education Wing. Along this section of the building main corridor is the elevator that can be used to access the lower level of the Education Wing. Although there are steps directly in front of the external doors to the Education Wing, these doors may be accessed from the parking lot on the far left side of the complex. At the ARC sign there is a path between the front of the Education Wing and the shrubs in front of the Education Wing. By making a right turn and taking the path, the Education Wing external doors are handicapped accessible. Once inside the Education Wing external doors, handicapped access to the upper floor of the Education Wing and the Sanctuary is via the elevator located to the left after entering the doors.
The ARC (gymnasium) is reachable from the outside, by following the pathway round the left side of the complex, down a path to the patio.

Finding your way around the church

Please look for floor layout "maps" inside the main entrances – or just ask someone for directions.
Newlonsburg has developed a unique vocabulary that will be unfamiliar to you – we have our own names for many rooms in the church. Here are a few you may hear:

Common Ground: adult bible study – restrooms - access to Loaves and Fishes Emergency Food

Fellowship Hall: early Sunday worship service – adult "Feasting on the Word" Sunday school – church dinners

The Office: administrative hub – office manager – pastors' offices

Gathering Place: small group meetings – contemporary affairs Sunday school discussion group

The Narthex: entrance to the Sanctuary – link to the Education Wing – restrooms

The Sanctuary: late service

The Ed Wing: Sunday school classrooms – Nursery – Children and Worship - Music Academy – link to the ARC

The Activities and Recreation Center: gymnasium

We also love acronyms – so you may see "CG" for Common Ground, "FH" for Fellowship Hall, "ARC" for Activities and Recreation Center and "GP" for the Gathering Place. It's a Newlonsburg thing – please bear with us.

Some of these rooms have their own entrances, but these may be closed. The ones typically open on Sundays are the side entrance to Fellowship Hall, the two entrances to the front of the building, and the entrance to the Narthex.

Coffee and Donuts

We serve light refreshments (coffee/tea/juice/donuts) in the kitchen just off Fellowship Hall, before our early service. Breaking bread together is a Newlonsburg tradition from the 1960s, and we often meet and greet before the worship service. If you're a newcomer, please feel free to join us, and meet other members of our congregation for a chit-chat and to enjoy the treats. Many people take their coffee into early service. Members make a donation to cover the cost, but if you're a first-time guest, this is our gift to you.

Child Care

Child care is offered for the late service. For infants, we offer child care in the nursery on the upper level of the Ed Wing. Our child care is well-controlled and always attended by two caregivers. All adult volunteers have clearances as required by Pennsylvania state law and have participated in a Child Protection Training provided by Newlonsburg Church. You sign in, and someone will come and get you if reaching the child care room presents a challenge. Otherwise, our Visitor Greeters or Ushers will be glad to take you to the appropriate room (the Nursery for infants, and the log-cabin room on the upper level of the Education Wing, for children 2 years-Kindergarten).

Children

We are always delighted to welcome children into our worship experience, and children of any age are welcome to stay with their families throughout the whole worship service. All children are in worship for the first part of the service. About 10 minutes into the service, the young children are called to come to the front, to share a Children's Message (we call it "small talk"). This may be a message about a Christian characteristic, like sharing or kindness, or may be a story from the Bible. After the Children's message, the children who wish to go to Children and Worship (CAW) are met by an adult greeter at the door and escorted to the CAW room, RM 105 in the Education Wing, and parents who want their children to go to child care take them to the Nursery and then return to the service.

"Children and Worship"

This worship service runs concurrently with the late worship service during the school year, and quietly takes the four year olds, kindergarteners, and first and second graders through a service they can understand. This worship service takes place in the Room 105 in the CE wing. The service follows the adult order of worship and involves a storyteller. It is designed to prepare our younger church goers for a lifelong faith journey. It uses "Young Children at Worship", based on Montessori methodology with hallmark biblical stories. All adult volunteers have clearances as required by Pennsylvania state law and have participated in a Child Protection Training provided by Newlonsburg Church.

The Bulletin

Everything you need to know about our worship service is contained in the Bulletin. We call this our Order of Worship. It's a "play-by-play" of everything that will happen during the service – and includes everything you need to fully participate in the worship.
When something is in bold type, it means it is said by the whole congregation
When something is indicated with an asterisk, it means the congregation stands (if it is awkward for you to stand, please feel free to sit)
Hymns are found in the Purple Hymnal, the Red Songbook, or printed in the bulletin (at the early service, words are shown on a screen at the front of Fellowship Hall)
The bulletin also contains announcements, contact listings and other information
Once the service starts, please turn off your cell phone, and follow along with the order in the Bulletin.

Standing and Sittng

Generally the congregation is seated during the service. We have some parts of our service where it is our tradition to stand, like the "Gloria" (Glory Be To The Father), the "Doxology" (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) and the parting "Benediction". In most cases, you can take your cue from other members of the congregation. Our community includes people with physical challenges, and we invite you to stay seated at any time you feel it's more appropriate or comfortable for you.

Music and Singing

Newlonsburg loves music in worship, and we base our music on the Scriptural theme of the day. Like the Psalmists, we share in our singing as a prayer. In our early service, a Praise team leads our singing, typically with guitars, drums and piano. In this blended style service, we incorporate traditional and modern hymns into a contemporary format. We're blessed with musical talent – teachers and students from our Music Academy frequently enhance our worship, with cellists, clarinetists, flutists, brass, saxophonists, even a jazz band! At this service you may hear anything from harp to bagpipes! click here for more information.
In our second service, in the Sanctuary, singing is accompanied by organ or piano, and led by our Sanctuary choir of about 30 volunteers. This service is a more traditional Presbyterian service, where service music includes a Kyrie, Gloria Patri and traditional hymns. There's a special anthem each week to support the Scriptural theme, and the Sanctuary choir offers a variety of music ranging from African songs like "Siyahamba", to the classical excerpts from Mozart's Sparrow Mass. Sometimes our Hand Bell Choir rings us an anthem and an offertory. For Christmas and Easter, we hire professional musicians, like brass quartets, string ensembles and tympanists, to enhance our worship services. click here for more information.

Bible Readings

There are usually two readings from the Bible – one from the Old Testament and one from the New. These may come from a 3-year rotational schedule called "the lectionary", which is chosen by the Christian church as a whole, or they may be chosen by the pastor to support the sermon of the day. In general, the readings and the music will be related to the sermon topic.

Sermon

At Newlonsburg we have a history of excellent preachers. Our sermon topics are available in advance. Past sermons are available on YouTube and as podcasts

Communion

Once a month, and on some additional occasions, we celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion (known by some as "the Lord's Supper" or "the Eucharist"). All Christians are welcome to participate. You'll probably hear the pastors say "all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome" – and they really mean it. The sacrament is open to everyone, regardless of religious denomination, church affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, race, language or age.
In our Fellowship Hall service, we line up at one of the Communion stations, and when we get to the server, we take a piece of gluten-free bread from a basket held by the server, a small cup of grape juice, and eat and drink it. Then we return to our seats. If you're not comfortable, or don't understand the ritual well enough to take part, just stay in your seat and don't worry. No one will pressure you to take part. But if you want to take part but don't know what to do, just do what others around you are doing.
In our Sanctuary service, we line up in two lines in the center aisle. At one of the Communion stations when we get to the server, we take a piece of gluten-free bread from a basket held by the server, a small cup of grape juice, and eat and drink it. Then we return to our seats. If you're not comfortable, or don't understand the ritual well enough to take part, just stay in your seat and don't worry. No one will pressure you to take part. But if you want to take part but don't know what to do, just do what others around you are doing.

The Offering

The Offering is an act of worship for Christians. It is a symbol of our belief that everything we have comes from God. It is also an act of generosity, to support the ministry programs at our own church and the many programs we support across the United States and around the world to help others.
In the Fellowship Hall service, offering baskets are on the tables, or at the end of a row of chairs. The offering is announced by the pastor, and people contribute cash or envelopes. In our Sanctuary service, the ushers typically pass the offering plates to the seated congregation. As our guest, we don't expect you to participate in the offering – but you're certainly welcome to contribute, if you wish to. Consider the worship service our gift to you, with our hope that it gives you spiritual sustenance.
If you decide to make Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church your church home (and we hope you do!), we hope you will consider regular participation in our offering, and choose from many different ways to contribute your time and talents and resources.

Special Needs and Accessibility

Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church is fully wheelchair accessible – see Handicapped Access above.
If you have other needs, please ask an usher or greeter for assistance. At the late service we offer hearing assistance, and large print bulletins are available at both services for those who need them.
If you have someone in your family who cannot come to worship,
The late service is streamed live (see home page for the link.
Please ask the pastor or an usher about getting a CD of the late service.
Past sermons are also available on YouTube and as podcast.

Restrooms

Restrooms are available in Fellowship Hall and next to Common Ground. For the second service, restrooms are between the Sanctuary and the Ed Wing. For our summer patio service, which is held on the patio outside the ARC, restrooms are available inside, on the way to the Ed Wing.

Sunday School

In the school year we offer a variety of Sunday school options from 10:00 to 11:00 between services.
Adult Bible Study – usually a video, followed by discussion – in Common Ground
Contemporary Issues – an adult discussion group – in the Gathering Place (formerly Adult Meeting Room)
Feasting on the Word – led by Pastor Curtis explores the what, where, so what, and now what of key Biblical passages each week– in Fellowship Hall
Children's Sunday School classes – curriculum available – in the Education Wing
MINTEC – an adult education class for exceptional citizens – in Common Ground
Labyrinth – an ancient Christian spiritual tool – available in the ARC in March.