What special worship services are provide during the year?
Do I have to be a member of the church to attend worship and other activities?
What should I expect when I visit on a typical Sunday?
Will I have to say or sign anything, or be singled out when I come to church for the first time?
Does the Presbyterian denomination decide when the pastor will go to another church?
Is the music and preaching at really as good as everyone says it is?
We want to make your visit an enjoyable, easy and stress-free experience. We designed First Pres to be "user-friendly" for people, whatever their background, including those who have never been to church before. If any of us were visiting a new church for the first time, we’d like to know what to expect, so here’s a brief overview.
When you arrive at First Pres for either our 8:30 or 11:00 am service, you´ll notice that the majority of our parking is located behind the church building (towards Studebaker Hall on the Ball State campus off New York Ave.). You are welcome to park either in front or back of the church. Enter the church through any door. If you enter from the rear of the building, you’ll want to take the stairs or the elevator to the 2nd floor.
When you arrive, there should be some friendly people (we call them "greeters") to say hello, answer any questions you have, and direct you to the sanctuary. If you have infants or toddlers, the greeters will help you locate our safe, clean and fun nursery. We will register your child there and let you know about our security so you’ll know your kids are safe and well cared for.
You’ll notice that most people generally dress in a business-casual or business-dress manner. That being said, there is no dress code at First Presbyterian Church--written or unwritten. We are an informal church whose highest priority is to worship and serve God and to encourage others to do the same. We don't care what you wear. Jesus wore sandals and didn't own a three piece suit and probably didn't have many followers with a fancy, upscale wardrobe. We want to follow in that spirit. Yet, at the same time, if it's really important to you, go ahead and wear designer clothes; we'll act like we're impressed.
When you come into the sanctuary, you’ll be given a copy of the bulletin which has an easy-to-follow guide to the day's services and The Happenings, our weekly announcement sheet. During the service, we ask everyone to sign in with our “Friendship Register.” Giving us your contact information helps our leaders keep you informed about things happening at First Pres. We don’t share visitor information with any other organizations and promise not to harass you with a million mailings and phone calls.
The service focuses on a theme each week. We use prayers, songs, and a sermon to worship God. All of the song lyrics, prayers and Bible texts are printed on giant screens in the front of the Sanctuary, and hymnals and Bible are available in the pews for those who prefer to use them.
If you have children age 4 to 2nd grade, we have a children's worship center for them during the sermon time of the service. Watch for a Pastor to invite the children to come forward. They will exit as a group and be looked after by caring adults who have been screened and trained. They will all return to you in the service during the final hymn. Children 3rd grade and older will remain in worship with their parents.
During the service we take up a financial offering each week. We don’t expect for you to put anything in the offering plate. Rather we view the service as a gift to you. It’s the duty and privilege of our members to support the ministry of the church. However, nobody will stop you from giving if you feel like it.
The service ends about 60 minutes after it begins (and believe it or not, the time will fly).
Between services you're invited to stay for Sunday School depending on the time of year. Offerings are available for all ages September - May!
You’ll pick up your kids from the nursery, and then we hope you’ll stay around, meet some people and enjoy some coffee, cookies, and snacks. Church is about God and worship, but it’s also about community and friendship, so we hope people really experience warmth and friendliness at First Pres.