What should I expect when I visit North Central?
At North Central, we make it our responsibility to assure your first visit is a good one! You will experience friendly people, great singing and worship, encouraging messages, and a welcoming community. We know you may have some questions, so we’ve tried to answer a few below. Please contact us if you have more.
Where and when are North Central’s services?
You’ll find worship services in the main auditorium. We have 2 services every Sunday morning. Nearly identical in style, the first is at 8:30 am and the second is at 10:45 am.
How long does worship last?
About 1 hour, with a 15 minute interim between first worship and bible classes, and a 15 minute interim between bible classes and second worship.
What is North Central’s worship service like?
Our worship service is a sincere yet relaxed gathering.
Singing
We sing songs of praise and adoration to God who revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ. We intentionally provide everyone with a mini-songbook to promote 100% participation in our music. Though we have no problem with our Christian brothers and sisters who employ instruments in worship, we concentrate solely on vocal music. We feel an a capella format (one without instrumental accompaniment) encourages everyone to participate, and allows each person to lift his or her praise to the Lord while joining in with others’ voices which can easily be heard. We have a team of singers up front who sing their respective voice parts to aid the congregation in song.
Prayer
We talk to God plainly and without flowery language, thanking Him for all He’s done, and asking Him to help us with the next project He would call us to. We ask Him to heal those among us who are sick, and to comfort those who are struggling in any way. We bow our heads and close our eyes to help us focus on Him, and to demonstrate an attitude of submission and reverence. Sometimes we are standing when we pray, but more often than not, we sit to pray.
Communion
Every Sunday we remember the Lord Jesus’ death, burial, and triumphant resurrection by taking the Lord’s Supper together. Basically, we take a piece of cracker and a small cup of grape juice (we each take an individual cup, distributed by our ushers) to remind ourselves of the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. We gladly invite everyone to share in this celebration with us, without requiring any set of beliefs. We only ask that you partake in this ritual sincerely with your focus on Christ.
Offering
As Christians, we aim to give back to God out of our God-given gifts, our time, and our money. It’s not so much that God is short on money, but that we need to give it, and the resources will equip us to accomplish the great mission we have as a church. We pass the collection trays at each Sunday worship service to give everyone an opportunity to give back to God and thus support the various ministries of the church. Once a year in September or October, we receive a special offering to fund our global mission efforts. We call this exciting day “Harvest Sunday”.
Children’s Worship
So that all ages of the church can be shaped in a significant way, we offer a children’s worship program—Kingdom Adventures. Kingdom Adventures takes place during 2nd service only and children remain with their family for singing, prayer and communion and then leave to attend Kingdom Adventures. We offer spiritual teaching and loving care for infants through 3rd grade in these wonderful programs. More about Kingdom Adventures.
Message
Our Senior Minister presents a 25 to 30 minute lesson from the Bible on a relevant topic to the struggles we face today. He helps us understand who God is from a certain text, and what that text means to us for our lives today. He interweaves personal stories and testimonies into the message quite frequently. You’ll find that David is a warm and relaxed speaker with lots of interesting life experiences and wisdom gleaned from living for Christ for many years.
What is appropriate to wear to North Central?
Please wear what makes you feel most comfortable. Our ministers normally wear khakis and a sport shirt, so the “up front” leadership attire is unofficially business casual. We occasionally have someone lead a prayer that has a coat & tie on, but that is more the exception than the norm. By far, the majority of our members dress very casual.
What do you offer for me or my family?
Our family would love to welcome you and your family to church next weekend. We have opportunities for each member of your household to enjoy themselves as they encounter God through the Bible and other people just like you. As you look at the links on this page, you’ll see a personal note from the ministers who lead our children’s, youth and young adult groups. We hope this helps you to get a personal and friendly first look at North Central, but we realize that this is just a web site. The best way to find out all that’s here for you and your family is to visit us this weekend.
Who attends North Central and why should I attend here?
You’ll find married couples and singles, energetic children and active teens, growing families and enthusiastic seniors. You’ll find people well, a lot like you. People who care deeply about one another, who like to have fun, who aren’t afraid to ask honest questions about faith. Here you’ll find imperfect people eager to worship a perfect Lord.
You’ll find a church large enough to offer quality ministries for children and teens, but small enough that you won’t be lost in the crowd. At North Central, we’re here to meet your needs, but we also want to challenge and equip you to make a difference in a community and world in need. Jesus Christ calls us to service, not self-centeredness—to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbors as ourselves.
So take a look at what North Central has to offer you. But also dare to ask, “What does the Lord want me to do? How can I get involved? How can I serve him and others?” We’re here to help you find answers to those questions as well.
For over 65 years this church has been known for its commitment to God and people. Today God is opening exciting new doors of opportunity as we reach out to a world in need. Come and join us in this adventure of faith!
What kind of Bible Classes do you offer?
Bible classes are offered for all ages. Classes begin at 9:45 am and end at 10:30 am. All of our classes offer exploration of Biblical truths and real life applications.
