What to Expect
It’s not easy visiting a church for the first time, but sometimes it helps if you know what to expect. This page is a guide to your first visit to Shepherd of the Valley.
What to Wear
People generally dress casually at SOV, but you will see everything from suits and dresses to blue jeans and red rubber boots. Wear what is comfortable to you.
Geography
The driveway to our church parking lot is immediately south of the church building. If you are disabled, the parking area nearest the church along the blue curb is reserved for you. Otherwise, park anywhere.
Enter the door at the left of the church as you face it from the parking lot. Someone will be at the door to greet you. If the greeter is off helping someone else, however, here are some basic directions. As you enter, turn right down the long hallway. Continue down the hallway and you will notice bathrooms on your left and a coat rack on your right. Continue straight through the double doors and enter the sanctuary. An usher there will hand you a bulletin with information about the day’s church service. Sit where you prefer.
Worship
We follow a basic pattern of worship common among Lutherans. We gather.
We encounter God’s Word. We share a meal at the Lord’s table. And we are sent into the world. But we do not think about worship so much in terms of what we do. Worship is fundamentally about what God is doing and our response to God’s action. Worship is an encounter with God, who saves us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Think about it like this. God’s Spirit calls us together. God speaks to us through readings from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, through preaching, prayer, and song. God feeds and nourishes us. And God blesses us and sends us in mission to our community and the world.
We experience this encounter with God through “liturgy” in which the congregation follows service patterns and prays from texts that do not change much week to week. This pattern gives worship a familiar and comforting rhythm. At first, the pattern may seem confusing, but over time you will come to enjoy it.
After the sermon, the offering plate is passed. We see the offering as part of our worship, part of our response to God’s love and mercy. No one should feel compelled to give. Let the Holy Spirit and your own circumstances guide you.
We encourage children to attend and participate in worship. Consequently, we have no nursery attendant, but parents who wish to use our preschool room as a “cry room” may do so. Our congregation genuinely enjoys having children in the worship service. We believe that their talking and singing and playing are music to God’s ears.
Our worship services continue for about one hour.
The Lord’s Supper
We have communion every Sunday. Communion is open to all baptised Christians regardless of age or denomination. The pastor distributes small pieces of bread and wine or grape juice in individual cups to the celebrants.
Times of Worship
We have two Sunday services, at 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. during the school year. Whenever a month has five Sundays, the fifth Sunday is a special worship. On fifth Sundays, we conduct one service at 9:30 a.m., which is followed by a potluck brunch.
Sunday School
We have Sunday School for all ages between worship services at 9:30 a.m. On fifth Sundays, however, we do not hold Sunday School.
After Service
After each service, most of us gather informally around the coffee pot just outside the sanctuary. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and snacks are set out for you to enjoy. Stop by and chat with other worshippers.