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WORSHIP HOURS
SUNDAY SERVICES
Every Sunday from 9:15 -10:15am
CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL SERVICES
Sept-MAY
Every Sunday from 10:15 - 11:15am
TEEN Confirmation Classes
Sept-May
Grades 7-10
First & Last Wed each month
Weekly Bible Study
Wednesday's
10-11:30 am Meet in Social Room
Worship
A foundation of faith for everything we do
For Lutherans, worship stands at the center of our life of faith. Through God’s word, water, bread and prayer we are nurtured in faith and sent out into the world.
Connected with and central to everything we do, worship unites us in celebration, engages us in thoughtful dialogue and helps us grow in faith. It grounds us in our Christian and Lutheran roots, while demonstrating practical relevance for today’s world.
While some of the approaches to worship may differ from one ELCA congregation to another, we hold certain things in common. Central to our worship life is the presence of God through word and sacrament. The word proclaimed and the sacraments —both Holy Baptism and Holy Communion — are called the means of grace. We believe that Jesus Christ is present in these means through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we describe worship as a “gathering around the means of grace.”
There is also a basic pattern for worship among Lutherans. We gather. We encounter God’s word. We share a meal at the Lord’s table. And we are sent into the world. But we do not think about worship so much in terms of what we do. Worship is fundamentally about what God is doing and our response to God’s action. Worship is an encounter with God, who saves us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Gethsemane worship services blend the excellence of old and new with historical architecture, Traditional & Contemporary music, and modern messages for 21st century people. The service settings offer a variety of styles, such as involving worshipers in song and spoken responses, providing a fulfilling worship experience to the experienced Lutheran and curious observer alike. Worship at Gethsemane is both uplifting and relevant.
Worship Service is on Sundays at 9:15 - 10:15 am.
A children's nursery and play area in the sanctuary are available during services. Families that are in need of these services please let our Ushers know so they can direct you.
We also have a Handicap entrance and pews for your comfort, along with ADA devices for the hearing and vision impaired. Please let our Ushers know if you need any of these items so that we can make your experience at Gethsemane, ELCA a pleasant one.
Communion at Gethsemane
Indeed, All baptized Christians are welcome to receive the Body and Blood of Christ at this table. If, however, your own church’s discipline or your own conscience do not make that possible, please know that you are also most welcome to receive a blessing as a sign of prayer for our unity in Christ.
When our visitors would like to express their participation in the liturgy they are attending and make manifest their prayer for unity in Christ by coming forward not to receive communion but to receive a blessing. They do this, usually, by coming to a minister of the Bread—among us, usually the presiding minister— arms crossed upon their chest. Our pastor and other communion ministers know what to do when they encounter this gesture.
The communion minister/presider/pastor then continues to hold the paten or basket (the vessel containing the Bread) in one hand and extends the other, laying this hand upon the head or shoulder of the person asking for a blessing. In a gracious way, looking at the person asking for a blessing and thinking of that person with respect and prayer, the minister of communion then says something like,
“Almighty God bless you, hold you in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit bring us at last together to the table of unity.” If the minister wishes, a cross could then be traced on the forehead of the person being blessed, but this is not at all necessary.
Most often when young children have not yet received communion instruction they too can come to the Lord's table with their families and receive a blessing from the communion pastor.
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