IN-PERSON
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Plan Your Own Visit:
We’re back to a mostly normal service at Parkside Church. We’d love to roll out the proverbial red carpet for anyone visiting. First time at Parkside? Don’t want to sit alone? Or maybe you’ve been a couple times and would like to ask some questions. Schedule your visit and we will:
- Meet you at the door like a friendly neighbor should.
- Answer any practical questions you have about the church.
- Offer you some coffee or tea.
We’ll confirm with you via your preferred method of contact the Saturday before Sunday worship. We can’t wait to meet you!
Parents of children … We do have a full range of children’s Christian formation beginning from birth. Our trained staff and volunteers provide lessons to support the child’s development – body, mind, and spirit. Both services offer childcare from ages 0-3. The 9:30 am service offers our Inclusive Atrium Montessori programming that extends to age 12. Check in begins at 9:10 am under the porch. In order to make sure we have adequate staffing and space, we ask that if possible, you rsvp your children ahead of time below.
What To Expect: Relaxed But Still Reverent.
Every Sunday we’ll gather at 9:30 am and 11 am for worship. We pack a lot into 65-70 minutes, but here’s some handy details about what happens before, during, and after the service.
Dress
Tuxedo t-shirts are recommended, since it says, “I want to be formal, but I’m here to party.” Or just dress how you feel comfortable.
Parking
For parking, there’s a bit on on-street parking on Rutledge. But for those of you who hate parallel parking, there’s also:
1) A bank parking lot across the street (please don’t park in front of the ATM machines).
2) An very large overflow lot off of Huger Street that is almost completely fenced in. You can enter via Rutledge or Huger Street. Please, the lot owners who donate the use of the lot would like to point out they are not liable for any of our cars.
Please be nice to our neighbors as well by taking care to not park in front of their driveways. That would make Sundays bad news for them (and we want Sundays to be good news for everyone).
Checking in Kiddos
Our Montessori-based Sunday school, which we call “Inclusive Atrium,” is available in the building next to the sanctuary. At the 9:30 am service, it is offered to ages 0 – 12. At the 11 am service, it is offered to ages 0 – 3. Check-in is available as early as 9:10 am and 10:45 am respectively. Registration can either be done weekly on-site or you can register your kids with a handy-dandy app after your first visit (the latter is much more convenient!).
Kids from 0 to 3, 3 to 6 and 6 to 12 have Christian formation with individualized lessons. Children 3 to 12 return to the sanctuary to join their families at communion near the conclusion of worship. You can read more about Inclusive Atrium here.
Worship
Our worship service is a little different in that we blend traditional and contemporary elements. What does that mean? Traditionally speaking, we honor the ancient Christian practices of reciting a reading from the Psalms, singing some classic hymns, praying the Lord’s Prayer with our kids, going to God in corporate confession, celebrating communion, and giving a benediction. Our contemporary elements are reflected in worship being led by an acoustic guitar and piano, singing some thoughtful worship songs, interactive response time after the sermon, and anonymous text-in Q&A. In other words, think relaxed…but still reverent. Also, we don’t pass a collection plate around solely for the purpose of asking for money (and all the people rejoiced!)
Communion
We celebrate communion every Sunday. Alongside teaching from Scripture, this is the central to our worship, and we make it a joyous occasion. All baptized Christians from any denomination are invited to receive communion. If you don’t consider yourself a follower of Jesus yet or aren’t baptized yet, don’t worry, you got options. You’re welcome to join the line and receive a blessing by simply crossing your arms over your chest. You’re also invited to light a candle, tie a prayer ribbon, select a meditation scripture, or receive personal prayer. Or if you prefer, feel free to stay in your pew and use the time to pray or meditate.
Pass the Peace, Mimosas, and Croissants Drop Down
We are sent out in Christ’s peace, but we also pass the peace among one another. It sure makes it less awkward to do it though with something in your hands. Join us right after the 9:30 am service or before the 11 am service for a quick carb and to perhaps make a friend. We have mimosas, OJ, and baked goods from the amazing Evo’s Bakery in Park Circle. On special occasions, we’ll have a food truck roll up too.
Where To Go:
We are committed to our community’s safety. To know more please review our Inclusion and Protection Policy.