Christ Community Church of the South Hills

Worship

What To Expect

It's not easy visiting a church for the first time. Am I really welcome? Will the people be unfriendly, or too friendly? Will I be conspicuous? Will it be easy to leave if I don't enjoy it? Will they ask me for money? Will my kids enjoy it? How should I dress? Am I welcome if I don't believe?

At Christ Community Church our worship services (we call them worship gatherings) are designed for people who aren't really interested in attending a traditional church, but wrestle with a longing inside that there's more to life than working constantly, racing to endless kids' activities, and spending all weekend working on the house with nothing much to look forward to except the next summer's vacation that you really can't afford. We think you’ll find the people at Christ Community are real and friendly, the dress is casual, the messages are relevant and meaningful, the kids' programs are awesome, the band is great, the coffee is strong, we don't beg for money, and people come because they want to. Imagine that! We like to call it an “uncommon church experience.”

When you arrive at Christ Community Church (we meet at Eisenhower School on Fort Couch Road and Warrick Drive in Upper St Clair- near South Hills Village) for our 10:00 AM Worship Gathering, you'll make an immediate left turn into the parking lot and use the nearest entrance. The signs should help you find your way.

At the front door, there should be some friendly people to greet you, answer any questions you have, and direct you to our worship space. If you have children pre-k through 5th grade, they will join you for a portion of the worship gathering and then they will be dismissed to Faith Factor, a creative, dynamic, hands-on experience for kids to grow in their faith. If you have younger children (birth through pre-k), you are welcome to bring them to our Little Sheep Room before our worship gatherings began. If your kids are shy, they're welcome to remain with you during the entire worship gathering, but most kids really enjoy Faith Factor. If you have a middle school student, they will be invited to go Backstage, where they will get an up-close, behind the scene look at the way of Jesus. If you have any specific questions we encourage you to visit our Connection Center in the lobby.

When you enter our worship space, you'll be given a copy of our Sunday bulletin (we call it "our Sunday Communication Piece" or SCP) which has the week's announcements and an agenda for the morning worship’s experience. As well, when you enter the worship space, you'll notice that everyone is dressed comfortably, in anything from "office casual" to jeans. Take your pick.

The worship gathering begins with music (we have a great band). You’ll be invited to sing along or feel free to enjoy the music and take in its message. We’ll spend some time in prayer and maybe express our faith using the words of a historical church creed or a contemporary expression. We’ll read from the Bible, God’s Word and then our lead pastor (or another speaker) will present a message that’s based upon the Bible – and yet is interesting, enjoyable and relevant to real life. It’s an ancient book but we believe you’ll find it is amazingly applicable to where you live in today’s world.

A prayer and song usually follow the message. On occasion we celebrate Communion (also known as the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper). We do this in remembrance of Jesus - His life, death, and resurrection on our behalf for the forgiveness of sins. If you're a follower of Jesus, 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.

After worship, you'll pick up your kids from Faith Factor and Backstage, and then we hope you'll stay around, meet some people, and enjoy some really good coffee and conversation. Christ Community Church is all about God and worship, but it's also about community and friendship, so we hope you will experience warmth and connection at Christ Community Church.