What to Expect

 

Visiting for the first time?

No matter where you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome here! It doesn't matter if you have no religion, are of another religion, or if you've never been to church before. You will be greeted warmly, treated with dignity, and your privacy will be respected. No one will try to "convert you”. You won’t be asked to stand or even raise your hand.

 

Sacred Celebration
Worship, or Sacred Celebration, is the central ministry of Center for Spiritual Living, the time when we all gather together to celebrate the Oneness of all Life, (remember that God is in us and we are in God) as well as to reconnect with friends and fellow spiritual journeyers. The usual Sacred Celebration service lasts between an hour and an hour and a quarter.

 

When you arrive

When you arrive in the building you will be greeted by someone with a white lapel tag on that says “Welcome.” (That’s the idea, anyway… sometimes they’re busy with other guests and you may be able to slip by them.) They will hand you a printed program that contains the order of service for the day plus announcements of life in our faith community, and the day’s congregational songs and affirmations. 

 

Children

We are delighted to welcome your children into our Sunday Celebration experience.

 

Infants and children under 3 may be cared for in the nursery either by our qualified and screened nursery personnel, or by yourself. The nursery is found through the door on the right side at the side entrance of the church.

 

Our children begin in their own classrooms, then join us at the end of the service and share their lesson for the day.

 

What to Wear

A question almost everyone has is “What should I wear?”  We’re pretty casual.  The only dress code (if it could be called that) is that we would prefer it be modest, which means women and men appropriately covered: you may be more comfortable enjoying your “daisy dukes” and muscle shirts at home or in the park.  Some folks wear jeans and some wear suits; and we have a few who enjoy wearing their tie-dyes.  Those who appear on the platform get a little more ‘dressed up,’ but you don’t have to.

 

 

Entering the sanctuary

You may sit anywhere you wish. If someone comes and tells you to move because “you’re in my seat,” this person is in violation of our core value of hospitality – somewhere we have failed to communicate, and we do apologize.

 

When you enter the sanctuary, there is often music playing and people visiting with one another. If you’re early enough, you may even catch the music team still rehearsing. You may sit in silence in your seat, or chat with a friend.

 

Should you arrive a bit late and we are in the middle of the opening prayer, the usher will have closed the door and will ask you to wait quietly until the prayer is finished so as to not disturb others.  Then you may enter and find a seat. 

 

You may leave at any time during a service, but quietly please if we are in the middle of something, such as the message, a prayer, or the meditation.

Accessibility

We have a level access door to the building on the north side (Wallace Street). Handicapped parking spots are posted in front of the main door, and in the parking lot at the rear entrance.

Welcome and announcements

The Minister will begin the service by welcoming visitors. You will not be singled out, nor asked to stand up, nor raise your hand.

 

 

Where stuff is and what it's called

“Churchy people” have a sort of unique language with some vocabulary words you may not be familiar with. For starters, we have special names for rooms, hallways and so forth. There is no test - lots of folks use the common names and not the church lingo. Here’s a little primer:

 

Room where worship is held: the one with all the pews - Sanctuary

The hall, or big meeting room, coffee time place – Friendship Room

Sunday school (traditional term for Sunday morning children's programs) - Children's Church

 

Washrooms - We call them washrooms too, and there are signs posted with directions just inside the side door.

 

Music and singing

We love to sing! (Well, most of us. Some just like to listen.) We are blessed at Center for Spiritual Living with a fantastic music ministry. Music in the service is a blend of traditional and modern inspirational songs, instrumental improvisation and some songs written just for us. Feel free to join in or just listen.

Spiritual readings and message

Sometimes there will be 1 or 2 readings from various Holy Scriptures, including the Bible.

 

The sermon (or “message”) is an oral presentation by the Minister based on sacred texts or from our founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes; current events; sometimes from the teachings of Dr. Wayne Dyer or Dr. Deepak Chopra or another of today’s spiritual teachers; and the focus is on how to apply spiritual principles to make our life work better. This usually lasts about 25 minutes, sometimes a bit longer.  The service is usually complete around 11 o’clock, or at the latest, 11:15.

 

Greeting one another

Following the opening song those in attendance are invited to remain standing and either shake hands or hug (but first make sure the other is receptive to hugs – some are not) your neighbor with a friendly greeting, then sit down when you feel done. Often people will say to you "Peace be with you" and a common response is "and also with you." It is OK to say nothing, or something like "good morning". This is a time for greeting, but not for general conversation. This part of the service may seem a bit chaotic to the casual observer, but is well loved by regular attendees.

The Offering

The offering is a spiritual practice for Spiritual Living followers. It is symbolic of the fact that we believe everything we have comes from the blessings of God. It is also an act of generosity. Offerings support the ministry programs at our own church (including salaries) and through our gifts to our parent organization, various programs across the United States and throughout the world to help others. If this is your first time with us, please let your presence be your gift today.  However, if you choose to donate, put your gift in one of the small envelopes found in the pews, fill out the info, and put it in the offering bag, and we will make sure to send you a tax receipt.

 

Refreshment time

Following the service, we gather in the Friendship Room for light refreshments and a social time, and you are most welcome. Another way to get to know us is to pick up a newcomer's packet on the table at the side entrance to the sanctuary.

 

Next steps ...

You are welcome to visit as often as you wish. If you have specific questions, our contact page has ways to reach us. And if you feel this is the community for you, then our membership page will explain about formally joining. Thanks for taking the time to visit our website.