Let us walk you through a typical Sunday worship service …

If you have visited other churches, you may notice some variations from this description, because we as a congregation are autonomous (independent). We are not associated with any denomination or organized religious group.

The Setting

At the beginning of each worship time, you will be greeted at the door by one or more of our members. Worship takes place in the auditorium where you will find rows of pews for the worshippers. There are no reserved seats, so feel free to sit anywhere you choose.

The Singing

We display the music and lyrics of  each song on the big screen. You will also find most songs by number in either the hardback or softback songbook in the rack in front of you.

Our music style is A cappella. That is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. We hope you will find the singing worshipful and meaningful. We invite everyone to participate.

The Praying

Spoken prayers are a large part of our gatherings. We believe in the power of prayer, and we often pray for specific needs and requests.

The Preaching

Who preaches is not as important as what is preached. Our pulpit minister's name is Mike Shero. Mike will deliver a lesson of about 25 to 35 minutes in length. We think you will find it Bible-centered and relevant. You will find Bibles for your use during the service on either end of the pew.

The Inviting

Inviting worshippers to make a commitment for Jesus will be a
part of the lesson. At the close of the lesson, the speaker will invite anyone who would like to respond to the message to come to the front of the auditorium and sit on the front pew. The speaker and one or more of our elders will be there to meet and minister to anyone who responds.

Responses may include a request to be baptized, confession of sin, or a specific prayer request. Others take this opportunity to be identified as members of the congregation. There may be several who respond, or none at all.

If someone requests to be baptized, you will witness the baptism during the service. The baptism will be by immersion (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3,4; Colossians 2;12) and for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper, also called communion, is a special part of our worship to God. We observe this memorial each Sunday to remember the sacrifice His Son, Jesus, made on our behalf.

During this memorial, plates of unleavened bread – unsalted cracker – will be passed throughout the congregation. This bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. Each participating person will break off a piece of the bread and eat it.

Then, trays with small cups filled with grape juice will be distributed. This  "fruit of the vine" symbolizes the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Each participant will drink and place the empty cup back in the tray.

Baptized believers are encouraged and expected to participate in the Lord's Supper each Sunday. If you choose not to participate, feel free to simply pass the plate or tray to the person next to you.

The Offering

Each week, we collect an offering of money from our members to support the work of the church (I Corinthians 16:1,2). As our guest, we do not expect you to make a contribution.

What Will Be Expected of You?

We place no expectations on our guests. You are welcome to participate in any portion of our worship service.

Should you decide to place membership with us, make your request known to one of our elders so that they can learn more about your desire to become a part of this body of believers and answer any questions you may have regarding membership. The New Testament church clearly expects every believer to be committed to his or her local fellowship. Christians are expected to:

1. be a regular participant in our worship services (Hebrews 10:25).
2. be "plugged in" to Sunday School and other opportunities for teaching, contact, fellowship, friendship, and intimacy (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
3. be involved in a ministry or a service (Ephesians 2:10).
4. be a good steward of the resources God has given us, and faithfully support the Lord's work (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).
5. develop personal and spiritual disciplines in one's life, such as prayer, Bible study, giving, and fasting.

The People

You can expect to find a broad spectrum of people at the Anchorage church. We have varied backgrounds, different levels of understanding, and are at different stages of spiritual growth.

We do not claim to know everything, but we are learning. We do not do everything right, but we strive to improve. We do not always treat each other as we should, but we are on a journey together.

We were not brought together by any illusion of our perfection or personal righteousness. We were brought together by our recognition that we are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ (Mark 2:17; Romans 5:6-9; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:7).

We were brought together by a common goal. We want to be God's people. We want to be Christ's church. That is the reason we worship together, stick together, and "do life" together. With God's help, we hope to accomplish some things that make a difference for Him. You will not have to look very far to find our shortcomings, but you will find people who love Jesus and love the Bible. We hope you will join us in our pursuit of Him and His Word this Sunday.