VISITOR'S GUIDE

Whether you are searching for a church family or simply visiting for a special occasion, we welcome you. We hope that you feel the love of Jesus when you visit one or more of our churches! If you have any questions leading up to your visit, this visitor’s guide may be able to help. 

Although having “apostolic” in our church name may cause some to mistakenly think we are a Pentecostal church, we are actually rooted in the anabaptist tradition. Our denomination name is intended to convey that we follow the teachings of Christ and his apostles. 

Fellowship

As a loving church family, Apostolic Christians enjoy fellowshipping together before, between, and after church services. Depending on when you arrive, you will likely see lots of active conversations and heartfelt interactions. You may also notice church members of the same gender greeting one another with a kiss of charity, as practiced in the New Testament.¹ 

Worship 

Apostolic Christian services are traditional and begin with a time of song worship. Music consists of time-tested hymns that connect us to our history and heritage, sung in four-part a cappella style (no instruments). You’ll find 2-3 hymnbooks in the benches and selections are typically given off by church members.

Our services generally follow this routine: 

• Hymn singing (10-20 minutes) 
• Moment of silent prayer 
• Introduction 
• Bible reading (often from the Old Testament) and reflection 
• Hymn and Prayer 
• Bible reading (usually from the New Testament) 
• Sermon (~20-30 minutes) 
• Closing thoughts, usually by a second minister 
• Hymn and Prayer 
• Greetings from across our national/international brotherhood 
• Announcements and any other closing remarks 

We value prayer as a precious opportunity to praise and petition our loving God in reverence. We typically kneel during prayer, though we often stand for prayer during wedding, baptism, or funeral services. While a few of our churches have kneelers, we most often kneel on the carpet, if physically able. 

Everyone is encouraged to participate in worship through singing, engaged listening, and silent prayer throughout the service (a minister or a male church member will offer spoken prayers). Our ministers rely on the prayers of the congregation, as they entreat the Holy Spirit to inspire their preaching.

Our ministers and elders are men who love Jesus Christ and his Word. They are selected for the ministry by the local church from within the local church. Our ministers generally have (or are retired from) full-time jobs apart from their church duties. For this reason, most churches have several ministers to help distribute responsibilities and ensure accountability.

The King James Version Bible is used during our services. Bibles are available for use in the assembly room, but you may bring your own if you prefer. 

Seating 

During services you will usually see groups of women sitting with women and men sitting with men, rather than family units sitting together — although some families may choose to sit together. In addition to assisting our four-part singing, we find that separate seating helps us be conscious of individuals who attend church by themselves and helps build valuable relationships that cross family and generational lines. However, feel free to sit with your family/friends during your visit, if they plan on attending with you! 

Lunch 

Apostolic Christian churches typically have two services on Sundays, with lunch served in between. Sermons and scripture readings are different at each service, so church members usually attend both. Even if you plan to attend one service, Sunday lunch is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen friendships or meet new people.   

Attire 

You do not need to wear a particular type of clothing when visiting our church. While there is no requirement, our church members typically “dress up” for church, meaning that men often wear suits or shirts/ties, and women usually wear dresses or skirts. Some of our congregations are less formal.

Female members wear headcoverings² as directed in 1 Corinthians 11. Men’s heads remain uncovered.³  Visitors can cover their heads or leave them uncovered — whatever you choose.

Children and Sunday School 

We love to see (and hear) a church full of children! If you bring a baby or toddler and you find that your child needs to rest/refresh, most of our churches have a baby room (quiet room) that is furnished with changing pads, rocking chairs, a few toys, etc. Many baby rooms have individual sleeping/nursing rooms with cribs and rocking chairs. Infants/toddlers stay with their grown-up during morning and afternoon services; childcare is not usually provided for that age group. 

Children preschool-age (3 or 4) and older may attend Sunday school during one of our services, often the morning service. Note that Sunday school is not offered during the summer in some places. If you have Sunday school-age children, they are welcome to attend, or they can sit with you in the main church service if you prefer. Parents may bring quiet toys, books, or snacks to help occupy children during the main service. 

Giving 

We recognize that our material possessions are gifts from God, and we desire to freely give as we have freely received. Charity fund boxes are located near the fellowship area of most of our churches, for anyone who feels led to give financially. 

Want to know more? 

We hope you enjoy your time with us! If you have any additional questions about the Bible, God’s plan for salvation, or our specific church, you are always welcome to talk to one of our ministers or any believer that you meet during your visit. You may also contact us here. 

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1. Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14 
2. 1 Corinthians 11:3. The style of headcovering that you will typically see at our church has evolved over time and today resembles a strip of lace or tulle worn on the hair, though any headcovering could fulfill this biblical principle. 
3. 1 Corinthians 11:4