TL;DR at the bottom

Visiting somewhere new can feel awkward. Visiting a new church can feel like everyone has a copy of the rules except you. They all know when to stand up, where to take their kids, when to read something together, and somehow when the pastor finishes reading Scripture, they all know to say “Thanks be to God” at the exact same time.

I grew up at First Presbyterian Church of Douglasville and am now Director of Traditional Worship, which means there are plenty of things about church in general, and FPC in particular, that are normal and comforting to me. But, having gone to other churches on vacation and during college, I know that many of those same things may feel unfamiliar if you are new. So, here are seven things I want you to know before your first visit, from someone on the inside.

1. You don’t have to know how to “do church” at all before you come. Coming from a different church background or no church background? Don’t worry. You don’t need to know the Bible. No one’s going to ask for your favorite verse. If you don’t know the songs, that’s cool. Sometimes the congregation doesn’t either. I like to introduce new ones occasionally, as does our Director of Contemporary Worship. Not sure you’ll know when to stand or sit? Our worship leaders give those cues throughout the service. In fact, if they forget, we might be standing awkwardly with you because the pastor forgot to tell us to sit. Bottom line, you can watch, listen, participate as you are comfortable and learn as you go.

2. There’s more than one way to worship here. When I was growing up, we added a contemporary service as an option. And we have people who prefer one option or another for their Sunday morning worship. But this church has many people who have been members for years and we still love to be with each other as a whole church community when we can. We have a combined service on the first Sunday of the month when both of the later services (10:45 traditional and 11:00 contemporary) worship together. And we alternate which service hosts. On that Sunday we often have a Sunday Funday (wearing different themed clothes, having ice cream together, or sharing a meal after church) and most importantly, it’s also the Sunday for The Lord’s Supper. So, choose the worship style in which you can most readily participate, and be sure to come on the first Sunday of the month to see us all together.

3. Children are a part of church too. When I was growing up, we just had a Moments with Children as part of the regular service. Our associate pastor would give us a children’s point from the sermon or bring an object to help us remember something. Now we have Power Hour for K-5th grade and a nursery available for infant through 4-year-olds. But that doesn’t mean your kids are unwelcome in the service. On our combined worship days there is no Power Hour. And if you want your kids to stick with you on your first Sunday or two, we actually still have that Moments with Children spot in our traditional service. Kids wiggle, babies cry, kids have questions, and we love to see families together in service. And even in Power Hour, they aren’t just being kept occupied. Power Hour is one place where they are learning to worship, building relationships with peers, and becoming a part of the life of the church.

4. There’s a place to start wherever you are in your faith. Whether you’ve followed Jesus for decades, are returning to church after years away, are completely new to church, or aren’t sure about this whole Jesus thing yet, there is a place for you here. Come with questions, come with the messy stuff of life. I promise, I still have questions, and I grew up here and am leading worship every week. And all of us have messy lives too. But church is where we find people to walk with us, to share their perspectives from their own messes, to pray for guidance and wisdom for the present, and to grow together.

5. Some things may be unfamiliar, and we’ll help you understand them. All churches have their own vocabulary and practices. Going to different churches in college, I always felt like an outsider for a bit, even though I grew up going to church.

What is Presbyterian anyway? At its simplest, it describes part of how our churches are governed. FPC is part of ECO, a Presbyterian denomination within the broader Reformed tradition. We have some beliefs and practices that may be different from churches you’ve attended before, including ordaining both women and men to leadership in the church.

Presbyterians are also sometimes the first to joke that we’re the “frozen chosen.” We might not move around much during worship. We’re working on raising our hands. You might hear an “Amen!” or two from some of our former Baptists. But if something moves you during worship, please feel free to express it. You might just help the rest of us loosen up a little.

We’re also not exactly famous for loving change. You should see some of the faces I get when I introduce a “new” hymn (a lot of confusion and maybe a little panic). But new people are another story. We love welcoming new people. So, if your plan is to slip quietly into the back row and remain completely anonymous, I can’t promise we’ll be very good at letting you. Someone will probably say hello. We want to know you, but we’ll give you time to get to know us, too.

And don’t worry, there’s no quiz on theology when you arrive. We’ll explain what you need to know as we go.

For example, during communion, which we call The Lord’s Supper, the invitation is for all who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. So, if you visit on a communion Sunday, please come and receive if that describes you. It’s not a Presbyterian table. It is Jesus’ table.

Baptism may look a little different here, too. We baptize both believers who have never been baptized and the children of believing parents. We also recognize Christian baptism from other denominations, so if you were baptized in another church, you don’t need to be baptized again to become Presbyterian. You got dunked as a kid in the Baptist church? Great! We recognize that baptism.

If you’ve never been baptized and decide to profess your faith and join the church, we’ll talk with you about baptism as part of that process. And if you want to be dunked, we can do that. We’ll just have to do it outside the service. We don’t have a pool onsite.

One thing about Presbyterians: we like things done “decently and in order.” So, if it’s not in the order of worship, which is our bulletin, it’s probably not happening today.

6. Church is much bigger than Sunday morning. A first visit will only show you a fraction of life at FPC. We have men’s and women’s events, Bible studies, children and student ministries, music, fellowship, service opportunities, seasonal events like our Harvest and Spring Festivals, and more. As the Director of Traditional Worship, I am extremely partial to the choir, of course. And no need to be a member to join or even know how to read music. The choir is a little family, and we care for each other, pray for each other, and enjoy singing together.

Another program I love in my current season is Mommy and Me. Mommy and Me is for kids ages 5 and under with their mommies, grannies, or nannies. We sing, play, read a Bible story, and hang out. It always passes so quickly, and I wish we had more time together every time.

7. Give yourself time to find a church home. One Sunday can’t tell you everything you need to know about a church. Visit, ask questions, meet people, come back and do it again a few times. Worship with them, fellowship with them, serve alongside them. Ask yourself if this is a place you feel you can know, be known, grow, and serve together. Church is meant to become a shared life, not just an hour once a week. If that home ends up being FPC, we’d be delighted. But finding that place of genuine Christian community is worth taking the time to do wherever you end up.

If you do come to FPC, be sure to come say hi! I’m easy to spot. I’ll be in the traditional service, waving my arms at the choir.

TL;DR: Here’s your copy of the rules

New to church and just want the cheat sheet? You don’t need to know how to “do church” before you come. We’ll give you the cues, and you can participate as you’re comfortable. We have both traditional and contemporary worship, plus a combined service on the first Sunday of each month when we all worship together. Kids are part of the church too, whether they join Power Hour or stay in worship with you.

Wherever you are in your faith, you can start there. Bring your questions and your messy life. Some Presbyterian words and practices may be unfamiliar, but we’ll explain what you need to know, and there’s no quiz. We may be the “frozen chosen,” but we’re pretty enthusiastic about welcoming new people.

And remember, Sunday morning is only part of church. Bible studies, ministries, music, service, fellowship, and simply sharing life together are where relationships have room to grow. So don’t put pressure on yourself to decide whether a church is “home” after one visit. Come back, get involved, ask questions, and give yourself time to find a community where you can know and be known, grow, worship, and serve together.

Glenna James
Director of Traditional Worship
First Presbyterian Church of Douglasville