I’m New to Church
I’m New to Church
If you’ve not been to a church before, it can perhaps seem a little bit daunting. What goes on behind those doors? This page tries to answer some of the questions you might have.
Those who attend are just ordinary people from all walks of life. We don’t claim to be special or religious but we are serious about wanting to know, worship and serve the one true God as revealed in the Holy Bible.
No! the church is supported by offerings made freely by those who attend. There is a box for contributions but no one is obliged to give.
We follow a simple order of service; it usually begins with the singing of a hymn, followed by a scripture reading, a time of prayer and further hymns before the sermon, in which a passage of Scripture is explained and applied. The meeting usually closes with a final hymn and prayer. After the service there is a time for conversation and light refreshments. Typically the service lasts just over an hour but will vary depending on the particular preacher and subject.
Grace Church North Norfolk follows the practices and beliefs that have been observed for many centuries by most mainstream protestant churches in Britain. We are affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC); we are a Baptist church in the sense that we believe that Christians should be baptised upon profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we seek to base our teaching and behaviour solely on that taught plainly in the Holy Scriptures. We reject the teachings of the cults, which draw much of their philosophy from personal revelation and the influences of dynamic leaders.
One of the advantages of being a small church is that newcomers don’t get lost in the crowd! We try to make everyone feel welcome without being overbearing, so if you want to stay and talk or leave right after the service it is entirely up to you.
We have a good supply of Bibles and hymnbooks that are available by the door when you come in, including large print versions. If you have a Bible we would encourage you to bring it; if you don’t have one but are serious about reading it, we would be happy to give you one.
The Bible clearly teaches that all men and women have failed to meet the standard required by God’s perfect holiness. That is why God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to ‘seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10). We do not meet together because we are good but so that we might be made good by the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.
Even the most experienced Christians are constantly learning new things, so it is quite normal to feel a little overwhelmed! However, please feel free to ask the preacher or church leaders about anything that is said or done and we will do our best to explain things. We also have a table of free literature covering many aspects of the Christian faith that you are welcome to browse. If you want to listen to it again we can get you an audio recording of the sermon as a CD or MP3 file or you can watch the service again on You Tube.
Some of those who attend will wear smart clothes, even a suit and tie others will wear very casual clothes, we would be glad to see you, whatever you are wearing. ‘Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7).
If you have any questions concerning the answers above please contact us by using the contact page or by clicking here.