Sunday Gathering

9:30am Sunday mornings
Trinity United Church, 21 Arthur St. N., Elmira, ON

Our Sunday gathering is a weekly time where we come together to look up and focus on God. In Acts 2 we see the testimony of the early church who were devoting themselves to gathering together for the purpose of celebration, teaching and being a witness to the work of God in their lives. We see each Sunday as an opportunity to recast God’s vision for our lives and our church.

We practice this gathering by doing these five things.

Worship Through Music

We worship God in song together with music from the past and present. The bible calls all of us to sing songs and to make music from our hearts to God (Eph. 5:19) because of who he is and all that he has done. We want to do this with excellence so that our hearts are captured by the goodness and truth of God.

Prayer

Prayer is one of the foundational ways that we practice dependence on God. Throughout the Bible we see examples of this dependence on God through the act of individual and corporate prayer. Prayer reminds us that God is in control and that he hears us at all times. We will practice prayer together each Sunday.

Hospitality

We want to be a community where people are known. Anonymity can lead to being disconnected and living outside of God’s good design of christian community, so we often provide opportunities for our church to slow down and enjoy conversation with each other over food and drink.

Scripture

We devote time each week to humbly hear the Bible taught in a way that connects it to our everyday lives. The Bible speaks to all areas of life, so as we teach through books of the Bible we learn about God’s good vision for our lives. This teaching is normally about thirty minutes and is a place where adults and children are encouraged to learn together, unless the topic is deemed otherwise.

Confession

What we call confession is a time where our church pauses to reflect on the provision of Jesus and the cross. The time of reflection may be experienced through the Lord’s supper, scripture readings or other ways that help us remember Jesus’ work.

DISCIPLESHIP AND CARE OF CHILDREN

We believe God has called parents to be the primary disciple-makers in their home.

As part of the larger family of God, we believe the church is also called to be a part of the discipleship of children by welcoming them into our midst and by supporting, encouraging and equipping parents in their calling.

We work together
with parents to
disciple their children.

Sundays

Our vision for the discipleship and care of children on Sundays is to provide an integrated gathering where young and old can worship and learn together.

We encourage parents to work towards having their children become accustomed to being a part of the whole Sunday gathering. We want children to know they are welcome and not an inconvenience, and we expect that they will be both seen and heard, reminding us that the gospel is for all generations.

Having your children join you during Sunday services may be a new venture for you. If you feel your younger children (grade 3 and under) are not yet ready to stay for the whole service, you may choose to sign them in each week for our children’s gathering. After sitting with you for the first part of the service, they will then be dismissed to this separate children’s gathering.

On the occasion that the sermon topic isn’t suitable for children, we will offer a children’s gathering for all ages.

If you need additional support for your child, we ask that you please bring your concerns to us so we can work together to provide the help you need.

Our children’s gathering will provide a safe environment where volunteers have been screened and trained to follow the standards of the Plan to Protect program.

Our vision for this children’s gathering is that it will play a part of children coming to know both the Bible and the God of the Bible as they take part in a gospel-centred gathering where we reinforce what you are already teaching them at home.

During the Week

Children are a welcome part of our missional families. We invite parents to have their children join in and be a part of these groups in whatever capacity works well for them.

As a church family, we will support parents by looking for ways to serve, encourage, and pray for them and their children. Parents can expect that the teaching in our Sunday gatherings will be relevant for their lives as they model the Christian life to their children and take the main role in their discipleship.

Although we believe teenagers will also mainly be discipled within their nuclear family, parents and teens may find it a help and support to pursue having their teens join their own Sacred Community. This would provide other friendships and mentor-type relationships where they can take the time to look in.