What to expect at our Sunday service
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘church’? Maybe you picture rows of pews and people sitting straight-backed and stuff, and a droning voice from the pulpit that’s about as interesting as white noise. Maybe you think of a room full of people muttering strange things that you don’t understand. We know people have all kinds of opinions about church - and that's exactly why we want to pull back the curtain and tell you what a Sunday morning with us actually looks like. Let’s do a quick walkthrough of what to expect.
First: what to wear
Come in what’s comfortable. We’re a church for college students - you don’t need to be business-casual to come to church. You'll see people in t-shirts, people in their nicest jeans and people who clearly woke up late.
When you walk in
Someone will probably say hi before you've made it ten feet inside. We believe in the power of authentic connection and we make a point of getting to know everyone who comes through our doors. The welcome team will greet you and give you a nametag - and everyone wears one, whether they’re new or have been around for years. Feel free to mingle and get to know a few people and their stories!
The service
We usually open with a short welcome or icebreaker, so you can get a sense of who’s there and the room will feel smaller. Then we go into praise – live, contemporary worship songs that you don't need to know ahead of time. The lyrics will be up on the screen. You can sing along, but you don’t have to. Either is welcome!
After praise, our pastor will get into the message. Our talks are rooted in the Bible and written for real life, the kind of stuff people are actually wrestling with. We think the Bible was written thousands of years ago but has stayed relevant till this day – and we encourage you to see if it has something to say to you!
We wrap up with a bit more music and some time to just pray, reflect, or talk to whoever's nearby. Don’t worry – you won’t be asked to pray out loud or singled out as the new person. But if you have questions or want to talk through your thoughts with someone, we want you to have that space.
The community part (the part people don't expect to love)
What surprises most newcomers is how they feel genuinely seen at church, and how it feels like a room full of people who actually know each other, rather than people who only see each other once a week. We're a family — people who've walked through hard seasons together, celebrated together, shown up for each other when it mattered – and you’ll probably hear lots of these stories as you hang out with us.
That doesn't mean it's cliquey. It DOES mean that when you come back a second time, there will be ten people who remember your name.
Do I have to be Christian to show up?
Not at all! We have people in various stages of exploring faith, questioning faith, and just being curious. You don't have to believe anything in particular, or raise your hand if the pastor says "are you Christian?"
What happens after
We love sports so we’re probably going to play volleyball or Spikeball, and you’re welcome to join us. Honestly, we love to just stand around and talk. People will linger and sometimes go out afterwards for Blenders or for a study session. We take down all the equipment together and get ready to do it again next week!
Oh, and there’s free lunch! That’s usually a hit.
Kelly Nguyen (c/o 2018) graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Cognitive Science Major. She is an enneagram 7 and works as a Product Owner. She’s currently serving as a mentor to the Sophomores at acts2fellowship SB.