• About Vision of Hope

  • Introduction
  • Pastor Deb
  • Pastor Deb's Welcome
  • Pastoral Staff
  • History of VOH
• Worship at Vision of Hope

  • Introduction
  • Worship Celebration
  • Recorded Sermons
  • A/V Sound Ministry
  • Drummers
  • Joyful Noise Choir
  • Liturgical Dance
  • Praise Team
  • Puppet Ministry
• Calendar of Events at Vision of Hope
• Ministry Opportunities

  • Introduction
  • Board of Directors
  • Congregational Care
  • Children's Ministry
  • Hospitality
  • Special Events
  • Outreach
  • Small Group Ministry
  • Social Justice
  • Youth Ministry
  • Worship Ministries
• Downloads, Prayer, and Resources

  • Ask for Prayer
  • Audio Sermons
• The Bible and Homosexuality

Worship at Vison of Hope: an Introduction

 

Worship Times:

Sunday Mornings at 10 am, with pre-praise beginning at 9:45 am

 

Worship is a defining moment in the life of our church. True worship ushers us into the presence of the living God and our lives are transformed by the encounter. Genuine worship seeks to bring glory, honor and praise to our Creator. We worship God in many different ways. Some times we worship in our silence and some times we worship in our shouts of praise. We are a diverse people and our worship is no less diverse than we. You will find that our morning service is a blend of tradition and contemporary, while our evening service, is a more charismatic style of worship. Nevertheless, every time we come together we come expecting to encounter the living, holy God.

Worship is a priority at Vision of Hope MCC.

Worship is an incredible journey in the life of VOH. New possibilities abound as we seek to come into God's presence and experience amazing grace.

 

Here are some aspects of worship unique to Vision of Hope that we want you to know:

Pre-praise Celebration
This is a time before worship in which we play praise music so that we might enter into and prepare ourselves for our time of worship.

High Praise Celebration
Genuine worship seeks to bring glory, honor, and praise to our Creator. During this part of the service, we lift our voices in song to praise God and to help usher us into the presence of the holy one.

Greeting One Another with the Peace of Christ
This is a brief time of greeting between people. People greet one another with "the peace of Christ be with you": followed by a handshake, hug or kiss. We always respect each other's personal space.

Giving of Our Tithes
The offering is a time for giving back to God a portion of what God has given to us. It is putting our faith in action. Vision of Hope believes in the Biblical principle of tithing, and recognizes that your giving is a personal matter between you and God. A prayer is offered and the ushers take the collection. An offertory is played as the plate is passed.

Children's Moment
This is a very special moment in our worship service. The children are invited to the front of the sanctuary as the congregation sings, 'Jesus Loves the Little Children'. God's Word is shared with them through stories, skits, and scripture. After the Children's Moment, the kids are invited downstairs for Sunday School. They return to their parents in the sanctuary before Holy Communion.

Scripture Reading
The Scripture lesson for the day is read aloud so that all might hear the inspired word of God. We used "The New Living Translation" because we believe it is easier for people to understand. Bibles are located in the pews for your use and we encourage you to bring your own bible.

Spiritual Instruction:
The Pastor uses the 'sermon' to teach on and about the scriptures, and its meaning and application in our lives today. The Pastor, through the power of the Holy Spirit, challenges the congregation to listen, study, pray, and apply God's word in our daily lives.

Holy Communion
We celebrate Communion every Sunday, and in fact every time we worship, because our Founder, Rev. Troy Perry set this precedent when he gathered 12 people in his home as the very beginning of the UFMCC Church. Rev. Perry found that people were so moved by the experience of receiving Communion that Sunday. Some of them had been denied the opportunity to come to the Table at other times and in other churches. From that day on, every time an MCC Church worships Communion is offered, making sure that every one is invited to receive at God's Table.

When Jesus took the bread and the cup during the Last Supper, he made a new covenant with all people. We celebrate that covenant with the sharing of the Communion elements of bread (wafer) and cup (non_alcoholic grape juice). At Vision of Hope, as at all MCC'S, we believe that this table belongs to God and all are invited to share in these gifts. You do not need to be a member of this church or any church to receive God's gifts of love.

Communion has several different parts. Preparation is a time of meditation to prepare our hearts to receive the gifts. We respond in song to show our gratitude. The Invitation is printed in the bulletin. This is a responsive reading, led by the celebrants. The Words of Institution is where the celebrant reenacts the word recorded in scripture of what probably occurred during the Last Supper with Jesus. The Affirmation of Faith is when the congregation recites with the celebrant the Mysteries of Our Faith which are printed in the bulletin. The Consecration is when the celebrant asks the Holy Spirit to bless the elements and bless those who receive them.

Coming Forward To Receive. Our servers will serve you the elements and offer a short personal prayer. The server to the far left as you face the altar will serve communion only. This station is for those who do not wish to receive a personal prayer. You may receive Communion with a friend or individually.