What to Expect

WORSHIPING AT BCOC:  WHAT TO EXPECT

What is “worship”?

“Worship” is the time we gather together on Sundays as a group of believers to praise and glorify God, remember Jesus' sacrifice as we take communion together, and to interact with and encourage each other.

 

What happens during worship?

Our worship time together includes:

 

What should I wear?

You will see a variety of clothing styles worn at BCOC, from casual to more formal.  Just wear what makes you feel the most comfortable.  At the Bellevue Church of Christ, we are more interested in your heart than what you’re wearing!

 

Start Time

We have Bible Study classes for all ages from 9:00 – 10:00 AM.

Worship starts at 10:15 AM and lasts for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

 

Do you have coffee?

Yes, we do!  You can find coffee, and usually some breakfast pastries, in the lobby area.  So come early and grab a bite to eat or a caffeine boost!

 

What should I do when I get there?

Come on in!  You’ll be warmly greeted as you arrive and pointed in the right direction.  Be sure and grab a bulletin/order of worship and your individually packaged communion elements on your way in.  These items can be found on the large table in the lobby.  We gather for worship in the auditorium, which is located to the right of the main entrance. 

 

Where should I sit?

There are no assigned seats!  Sit wherever you like when you come into the auditorium.

 

What about my kids? 

We love the sound of babies and children in our assembly!  However, sometimes parents need a place to take them during worship.  We have a nursery in a separate room right at the back of the auditorium, for your convenience.  It has a large viewing window and a speaker so you can still see and hear what’s happening in the auditorium while your kiddos get to move and play.

 

Who will be serving during worship? 

You will see different members of our church family serving at various times during worship.  One person may make announcements, another will lead a prayer, and a different person will read scripture.  You will see both men and women up front, young people and older people, new Christians as well as seasoned believers, and people of all different races and ethnicities.   

 

Why are women serving from the front during public assembly?

After several years of dedicated Bible study and prayerful reflection on women’s roles in public gatherings of the Body of Christ, our elders concluded that part of being true to the fullness of Scripture was to include women in various capacities of public assembly, while also embracing unity and peace. The result is that you will see both men and women serving up front during our public assembly. 

 

If you'd like more info on how this decision was reached, please read the Bellevue Church of Christ's Elders' Position Statement on Women Serving in Worship, by clicking on the following link:    


BCOC Elders Document on Women in Worship  

 

Music

We love to sing!  Our music is all a cappella, which means that we don’t use instruments – we just sing! We sing a mix of traditional hymns and contemporary worship and praise songs.  A song leader will start the songs for us and keep us together.  You are encouraged to join in, even if you don’t think you’re a good singer or don’t really know the songs.   God is more interested in your heart than the sound that comes out of your mouth.  We project the songs with both words and music notation up on the screen at the front of the auditorium.

 

Communion/Lord’s Supper 

We share Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper, Lord’s Table, or Eucharist) each week.  The bread/cracker, which represents Jesus’ body on the cross, and the cup of juice (“fruit of the vine”), which represents the blood Jesus shed for our sins, help us remember the sacrifice Christ made for us when he gave his life on the cross.  These emblems also bind us together as a community of believers, with each other and with God, when we take them together as a family of believers.  We use individually prepared communion “kits” that you can grab on your way into the auditorium.   Using these kits keeps the spreading of germs to a minimum during this important part of our time together.

 

Contribution/Offering

Each week, our members have an opportunity to give financially to help further God’s work both locally and worldwide.  Our guests have no obligation to give during this time.   There are several ways to contribute, for those who would like to leave an offering: 

 

Preaching

One of our ministers will share a message each week.  These lessons are based on scriptures from the Bible, and help us apply God’s Word to our lives today.  You can listen to sermons from previous weeks on our website:  Click HERE for Sermons & Bulletins   

 

Afterwards

After our formal time together is over, we like to stick around and visit with each other for a while before going our separate ways.  We hope you’ll let us get to know you a little bit better before heading out! 

 

Monthly Potluck

Eating together is a great way to develop relationships with others.  To this end, we have a potluck lunch – typically the 1st Sunday of the month – immediately after worship.  Our guests are welcome and encouraged to join us.  Don’t worry about bringing food – there’s always plenty!