What to Expect 

Typical Worship Styles?   

We have two different styles of worship at Grace Lutheran.

We celebrate Traditional Liturgical Worship.  This is historic and rich in tradition and symbolism. This worship format is full of history and is familiar to many who have a background in the life of the church. 

We also celebrate a Contemporary service and we change things up a bit with the music and service layout for something we call Praise Worship.  This style is a continuous work in progress.  Unlike the traditional format, there isn't a scripted format to follow.  The praise style makes use of songs that are from the past couple of decades that often express biblical truths through a more modern cultural lense which can help connect those with limited or no church background. The praise style also   utilizes the aid of overhead projection where the entire service can be followed and hands can be lifted up in praise or during prayer or used for clapping along with the occasional praise song. 

We want to help you avoid that uncomfortable feeling.  You know the feeling you get when you go someplace new.  Churches have different traditions and ways of doing things, so below you'll find a few of the most common questions we've run into from people who are checking things out for the first time.

• What happens at worship service? A worship service has two parts.  The first is listening or receiving.  During this part of the service the pastor leads us in receiving, or hearing the promises of the bible.  Then there's the response part of the worship service.  This is the part of the service that involves participation from all of us together.  We do this through songs, responsive readings & prayers.
• What's the music like?  We like to have fun with the music.  The traditional worship services offer the richness and tradition of the hymns from throughout the history of the Christian church and in particular, our Lutheran heritage. At the contemporary worship services the music selections are drawn from a variety contemporary Christian sources that lend themselves to a variety of musical instruments, including guitars, drums, horns and keyboards, which are played by number of gifted musicians from among our members, our praise team, who lead the music a provide a more interactive element to the service. Music for both the 8:30 and 11:00 services are chosen according to their ability to clearly and properly convey the message of God's Word and theme for each Sunday. 
• How do people dress?  No one wants to stand out!  We know that for sure.  That's one of the cool things about the Living Word.  When you join us you'll find some in jeans and t-shirts, some in suits and still others dressed in casual wear.  Really it's not about the clothes.  It's about the heart. 
• What about my kids?  If you've got them, bring them!  Children are a valuable part of our ministry here at Grace.  The kids are absolutely welcome to join us in worship. During the 10:15am service we offer Kids Church for K-3rd graders 
• Can I take communion? We celebrate the Sacrament of the Altar, otherwise referred to as Holy Communion, the 1st and 3rd  Sundays.    Just prior to Communion, Pastor Tyler explains what we believe about Communion.  The long and short is: we believe that in, with and under the bread and the wine are the true body and blood of Jesus, sacrificed for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, simply because Jesus said so when He celebrated the Last Supper with His disciple the night before He was to be crucified. In receiving Christ's body and blood we believe that our sins are forgiven, our faith is renewed and strengthened and the promise of salvation and eternal life are assured.  So if you believe that the body and blood of Jesus are there, you've been taught and understand the importance of communion, and you are truly sorry for your sins and intend, with all your heart, to change your sinful ways. forgiveness for your sins - then welcome!  If you aren't sure or don't agree with something here, you may join us at the rail for a blessing (simply fold your arms across your chest or speak with Pastor Tyler prior to the service or by calling the church office at (707) 464-4712.  
• Where do I park?  We utilize two entrances.  The front or main door of the church on Cooper Avenue and the larger parking lot in the rear of the church off Meridian Street. 6 parking spaces are reserved for our disabled or handicapped friends.