Greetings,
We are so excited about what God is doing at The Hand of God Ministry and we are glad to have you be a part of it. So, in order to provide the best church service possible for all who attend, we have made available a guide for church etiquette to help our services run smoothly and with minimal distraction.
Church etiquette is a set of rules that govern behavior in the house of God. It comes from the same principle as the etiquette that governs behavior in polite society. With that said, let's look at some basic rules of etiquette. We always want to give the highest honor to the Word of God coming from the one who is delivering it and to those who are receiving it. So, we would ask that you please observe the following:
FOOD/DRINK/CANDY
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All drinks (including water and coffee) can be enjoyed in The Social before church service starts on Sundays 9:30 AM-10:15 AM and on Wednesday nights from 6:30 PM-7:15 PM.
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No food, gum, candy, or drinks in the sanctuary.
PHONES/DEVICES/WATCHES
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Turn off or silence all cell phones, devices, and watches before entering the sanctuary.
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Disconnecting and Unplugging help one to receive the message of God’s Word with no interruptions.
LEAVING THE SERVICE
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Please do not leave the service once the service has started if at all possible.
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If you must leave, when returning to the service, please be seated in the back in an unreserved chair.
RESERVED SEATING
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If you have small babies that are not yet crawling, please sit in the Reserved Row section. If the Reserved Rows are taken when you arrive, you may sit in another back row that is available.
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All Reserved Row Sections remain reserved even if not filled unless Ushers directs otherwise due to an overflow in attendance.
PARENTS WITH BABIES WHO ARE NOT YET CRAWLING
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Reserved seating is designated for parents with infants to enjoy the service. Parents may take the baby to the Children’s room if the baby begins to cry, starts getting vocal, or cooing loudly, and then return to the sanctuary when the baby is calm.
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If the baby gets playful and wants to play with musical toys, talking toys, or rattles, please take them into the Children’s Room to play and then return to service when the baby is done playing with toys with sound.
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Once the babies begin to crawl, we have child care provided. Parents can check their babies into the Children’s Room when they arrive before joining the worship service. Check-in starts Sundays at 10:15 AM/ Wednesday nights at 7:15 PM.
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If you have a child that is at Crawling Stage through 7 years old, we have Child Care provided where they can play and learn in our Children’s room so that the parents can enjoy the church service. Check-in the children before joining the service.
USHERS
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Ushers will be there for assistance and gentle reminders before, during, and after the service if needed.
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We would ask that everyone honor and respect their guidance and leadership.
I Corinthians 14:40, "But be sure that everything is done properly and in order."
We want to thank you for observing The Hand of God Ministry Church Etiquette. We are a church that is sensitive to the Operation of The Holy Spirit and because this is the House of the Lord, we do not want to do anything that takes away from the Lord and how He is moving in the lives of those around us. We want to provide not just a church-as-usual experience, but an encounter with The Lord Jesus Christ. So, if at all possible, please refrain from talking, texting, being on your phones, or leaving the service unless you are a parent with a baby. A special thanks to all of you again for worshiping with us.
We Appreciate Your Reverence,
The Hand of God Ministry