About Central Christian Church
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WELCOME!
Our Identity
We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord's Table as God has welcomed us
- Disciples of Christ identity statement
If you are a visitor, we would like to welcome you to the Central Christian Church in Fairview, Oklahoma! Here are some things you might want to know about our service, facility and church family:
1) What time should I arrive
2) Parking
3) Entering the Building
4) Greeters
5) Children
6) Worship
What time should I arrive?
Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. and Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. Please come early and join in the many conversations taking place. We would love to get to know you better!
Parking
Parking at Central Christian Church is plentiful. If you wish, you may let off passengers at the front door before you park.
Entering the building
Most people enter the building through the front door which is located on the south side of the church directly off of Broadway. As you enter, you will be met by a greeter who will provide you with a program for the service and you will also most likely be greeted by other members of the church. Please feel free to chat and ask questions. You may also enter the building through either of the side doors if you park in the side parking lots on the east and west sides of the church. You will not be met by a greeter on the east side of the church but will most likely be met by other members of the church so feel free to ask any questions you feel necessary. We are here to make you visit as enjoyable as possible.
Greeters
As you walk through the gathering space and toward the sanctuary, greeters will greet you and offer you a copy of the day's bulletin. The bulletin contains the order of the service, which includes the parts of the service, hymn numbers, and parts spoken by the congregation as part of worship. Much of this information will be projected on screens during the service.
Besides offering the bulletin, the greeters will be happy to assist you in finding seating, showing the location of the restrooms, and answer any other questions you might have.
Children
For children age infant through preschool, childcare is available in the newly renovated nursery. Simply ask any member how to get to the nursery and they will be happy to show you the way.
Parents are welcome to keep their children, including infants and small children, with them during worship. We celebrate children and enjoy having them with us, so you are encouraged to keep your child with you if you prefer. There are coloring sheets, programs and books as well as crayons and pencils available in the fellowship hall for your children's enjoyment during worship if you feel it necessary. If you need help finding the supplies the greeters, or any church member, will be happy to assist you.
Worship
Members and visitors may sit anywhere they prefer. Worship is conducted similar to most mainline Christian churches. There will be some music, some singing, some readings, and a sermon/message. At times the congregation is asked to stand, but individuals may continue sitting if they prefer. Hymns are listed in the bulletin and on the projector screens. The components of the worship service are listed in the day's bulletin; however, generally the following apply in each worship service:
Announcements: The pastor or worship leader leads in providing announcements of events or deadlines that the membership should know about.
Praise Hymns: During this time music is played, which allows individuals to prepare themselves mentally and spiritually for worship.
Joys & Concerns: The pastor leads in communicating particular joys or concerns among the congregation. Individuals often use this time to ask for prayers for loved ones who are going through difficult times.
Call to worship: A reader reads a passage or two that reminds us of scripture and the day's topic, with responses from the congregation. The words are in the bulletin and/or projected on the screens. This marks the beginning of worship and helps get the congregation in the frame of mind for worship.
Communion: The Disciples of Christ have an open table. This means that we do not distinguish between members and visitors. All participants, including visitors, are welcome to participate in our communion. The table is central to our worship, so we have communion weekly (and often at other events). The congregation remains in their seats, while servers provide trays of bread squares and grape juice (instead of wine) for people to serve each other in their seats. Each person takes a bread square, eats it, and then each person takes a small cup of grape juice and drinks it, replacing the cup in the tray. Anyone may choose not to participate in communion for any reason.
Offering: Offering plates are passed among the congregation to receive freewill offerings. Most members pledge an amount annually and provide their offering in other ways (such as electronically), but some choose to provide their offering during this time. The offering is used to pay the bills needed to run the church and to fund our many missions.
Children's Sermon: Directly after the offering the children are called to the front where a member provides a short message about the day's topic geared toward children (and there is usually laughter involved as well). Immediately after the children's sermon the children are taken to one of the Sunday school classrooms to participate in children's church or they may remain in the pews with their family.
Sermon: The pastor will read scripture and reflect on the scripture readings to help us understand and relate the messages to our daily lives.
Closing Hymn and Benediction: A hymn is chosen to uplift people and prepare them to reenter the world. The benediction marks the end of worship with words that remind us of the day's scriptures and links them to what we can do as we go out. Visitors are encouraged to take one of our music CDs, created by members of our congregation, so they can listen to several of our common hymns for personal worship at home.
Fellowship: Once worship is over, individuals may leave if they want, but many choose to stay in the gathering space at the back of the sanctuary where refreshments are served and people can get to know each other. Visitors are especially encouraged to join us to talk and ask questions.
