The Gathering

Essentially, church isn’t something you go to, but a group of people who follow Jesus.  And ever since Jesus’ death and resurrection 2,000 years ago the church has been assembling on a regular basis to worship our Creator, to sit under teachings from The Bible, and to celebrate the Good News of salvation through Jesus.

The Worship

In The Bible we find the practice of singing, the use of instruments, and the integration of the arts as an essential way to give God worship when we assemble. During our services, we have a time of musical worship. We sing as a way to give God our worship, recognizing and declaring his worthiness and goodness as our Creator and Rescuer. 

There is freedom in how each person desires to express their worship during our time of singing. Some may sing loudly with raised hands, while others may sit and take a more reserved posture of prayer. As this may be a new experience for you, feel free to lean in to whatever you feel comfortable with.

The “Family Time”

Following a time of worship through singing, we will enter into a section of our service that we call “family time.” This is a moment where we as a church family get to hear about what’s going on in the life of our church.

During this segment, we also remind our church family of the opportunity to give a portion of their wages back to God to continue to fuel the mission of his church.  Please know, this spiritual discipline of recognizing God as the giver of all things and offering a fraction of our earnings is for those who call Awakening their home church.  Please don’t feel any pressure to give.

At the end of our announcements, we will then typically have a few minutes to stand up and introduce ourselves to those seated around us.  This is a casual way to simply connect with other people who live in the Bay.

The Teaching

A key part of our weekly gathering is to sit under the teaching of God’s Word, which we’ll also refer to as “The Bible” or “the Scriptures”.  We believe all 66 books of The Bible (Old and New Testament) are divinely authoritative and unfailing on all matters of faith and practice.  As The Bible is a main way God communicates to us today, these writings require regular studying, and teaching to ensure that we capture the timeless principles from yesterday and apply them practically today.

The teaching time is typically 35 minutes, allowing us time to fully absorb the selected Bible passage, so that we not only understand God’s heart for his people, but also what practical application may look like in The Bay.

The End

Our service typically ends with a 1-2 minute word of blessing or challenge, called the “benediction,” along with a reminder of key next steps.  When service ends, don’t feel like you have to leave right away.  Enjoy some coffee and snacks at our café or stop by the connections table for a gift.

Overall, we’re glad you are here.  You’re free to engage at whatever level you feel comfortable.  You belong and hope to see you with us next Sunday!