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Sunday, February 7, 2010
9:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship Service with Praise Band
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
Sermon: Rev. Noel D. Vanek |
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The Church-in-the-Gardens offers two services. In addition to our traditional service, we have a more modern service to accommodate today's growing and diverse congregation. Our Sunday Church Service schedule is:
* 9 am: Contemporary service geared towards young families
* 11 am: Traditional church service
Childcare is provided for both services.
During the summer time our service schedule varies. Every other summer, instead of having two services, we offer one joint service at 10 am
All are welcomed to attend either of these services.
Holy Communion is celebrated at both services on the first Sunday of each month |
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Several factors contribute to making The Church-in-the-Gardens different from many other congregations.
First, our church to a remarkable extent blends “faith as action” with “faith as depth and passion of belief.” It’s our experience that people come to us with a predisposition toward either serving others and promoting justice in the name of Jesus Christ, or desiring to praise and know at a deep level God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We promote both “outward” and “inward” aspects of the Christian gospel, and furthermore, encourage church members to expand their “comfort zone” by trying out different ways of living the faith than those that come most naturally. We grow in faith together as we serve our neighbors through outreach ministry and as we learn to pray and praise, meditate and share our faith stories.
Second, The Church-in-the-Gardens is blessed with an unusual diversity of cultural and religious backgrounds among its members. We are liberal and evangelical Protestants, but more, we are Roman Catholic and Jewish and Buddhist and “free thinkers” too. Current members and parishioners represent over 20 nations by their birth. Our diversity is enhanced by our twice-per-year joint worship services with the Pyung Khang Korean Christian Church, a vibrant Protestant Korean congregation which meets in our church buildings on Sunday afternoons.
Third, the physical location of our Church gives it a special feeling. We are privileged to worship in a sanctuary that is of unique architectural beauty but still communicates a “community and person-centered” intimate feeling (rather than being a large, grandiose space in which the individual tends to feel lost). Our church buildings are located in the lovely neighborhood of Forest Hills Gardens, known for its greenery, winding streets, and distinctive architecture, but just two blocks off of bustling and very urban Austin Street in the heart of Forest Hills. We come together in an on oasis apart.... but not very far apart from the concerns and needs of our city. |
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