Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church

Description of Our Worship

Worship at Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church is a significant part of the faith journey for all who believe in God. It is the time when we come together as a community of believers to praise God for the ways God is at work in our lives. Throughout the year our Sunday morning worship service occurs at 10:00 a.m. A nursery is provided during worship for the convenience of families with children from birth to age 3, and is staffed each week by a competent, childcare provider, Leah Abcede. We also have a paging system in place, so parents can feel assured that they can be reached during worship should their children need them.

During the summer, we occasionally enjoy worshiping outside in the midst of God’s creation. These services are held in the amphitheater located on the church property. The dates for these services are always announced well in advance, and worshipers are encouraged to call the church office the morning of the service to see if the weather will cooperate with our plans to worship outdoors.

So that all members, friends, and visitors can actively participate in our service of worship, the order of service is printed in bulletins handed out by ushers before each service. Worship is divided into four parts: THE APPROACH, LISTENING FOR THE WORD OF GOD, OUR RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND GOING FORTH TO SERVE. The complete text of congregational prayers, responses, and statements of faith are provided for the convenience of each worshiper.

Part of each worship service is set aside for our children. The pastor provides a special "Time for Young Christians" during LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD. This is a brief children’s sermon seeks to relate the message of the scripture lesson to the children in language they can understand. The children, knowing that this has been their special part of the worship service, depart for their Sunday school classes following this part of the service.

"Joys and Concerns" is a participatory part of our RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD. During this part of the service, worshipers are encouraged to share with each other their joys and concerns and to ask for special prayers. A portable microphone is used so that all can hear what is said. This is a wonderfully interactive way of sharing our lives with each another and has been part of our worship for a number of years.

Music, too, is an integral part of worship at Mount Hebron. The Pastor chooses the hymns, which are sung in praise and are relevant to the sermon. The Adult choir typically sings an anthem and then the organist or other church members provide a second piece of special music. Occasionally our worship is also enriched by the Sonbeam Choir (a choir of Elementary School aged youth) or the Sunday School choir. Once or twice a year, the choir will also sing a cantata.