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Visiting for the first time?
We know it can be overwhelming to visit a new place. At Springfield Church of the Brethren we want you to feel comfortable and at home for your first visit. So here is some information to help you know what to expect.
How do I get to your church and how do I enter? We are on the hill at the corner of Albrecht and Lessig, in Springfield Township. You can enter the parking lot from either street. When you come in at the main doors (under the large awning), go to the top of the stairs. You will be greeted by members who will welcome you and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to sit where you are most comfortable. There is an accessibility elevator available as you enter the main doors and a long ramp leading to the other entrance. Greeters will be available to assist you. Click Here For Maps What should I wear? Come dressed as you feel comfortable, Pastor Andrew typically wears a button-up shirt and slacks. But this is not expected of all, come as your are! Will my children be well cared for? Children are welcome in our services. If you desire we have excellent childcare and nursery for infants through nursery school. (The nurseries are located on the top floor on either side of the balcony.) Following our children's story, which is part of the worship service, we invite the older children (K-4th grade) to go downstairs for junior worship (although all children are welcome in the service upstairs). During this time children will be invited to participate in Bible stories and worship. What is the worship service like? Our services are relaxed, we are there to enjoy being together and with God. We celebrate with music, prayer, and Scripture. We incorporate a mixture of traditional and contemporary music and celebrate the many types of talent God has bestowed upon our family. If you are used to having communion (eucharist) regularly, it will look a bit different, we typically have communion during worship twice a year, once in the summer and again in the winter. We have communion in the fall and spring as a part of our celebration of Love Feast. Love Feast, what's that? Love Feast, also called the Agape Meal or the Last Supper, is one of most important ordinances. We gather twice a year for a quiet, reflective service where we reenact the last meal Jesus had with his followers. We wash one another's feet (or hands), we eat a meal together, and celebrate communion. This service is filled with prayer, Scripture, and music. The Brethren have been celebrating this meal since our founding, but it also invokes the worships of the Early Church. Traditionally, this service is only open to the members of the Brethren faith, but we have opened our table to any who would like to encounter the movement of the Spirit in this ancient practice. You wash feet? And what's an Ordinance? Some Christian faith traditions have Creeds and Sacraments. A Creed is formal doctrine of beliefs that acts as a basic structure of a tradition's or a personal faith. (e.g. Apostles Creed & Nicene Creed) Sacraments are religious ceremonies that impart Divine Grace upon the participants. (e.g. Baptism, Eucharist, & Confession) The Church of the Brethren does not have either. If we claim a creed it is the entire New Testament, for it is the center of our faith. We do not believe that human actions can impart Divine Grace, but we can participate in actions that respond to the Divine Grace that is freely given. Ordinances are actions that we are directed to do by the Bible as a responses. So we Baptize as adults (Matthew 28:18-20), Anoint (James 5:13-16), Wash Feet (John 13:12-15), and hold Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Washing Feet is something that we are directed to do by Jesus, as a symbol of our ongoing call to serve one another. Reminding us that the path of faith is one marked by servanthood. |
Sunday Worship at 10:30 Sunday School at 9:30
Last Week's Worship
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We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!
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Sunday Worship10:30 am
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