WORSHIP

Worship at Walnut Creek United Methodist Church is a blend of contemporary and traditional styles characteristic of the United Methodist traditions. We come together each week to celebrate what God is doing in our lives, and what God is doing in the world. We create community through prayer, laughter, and experience of the Holy. Our music glorifies God whether it is written by Handel, Andrew Lloyd Webber, or is a gospel tune. Our worship service is the celebration of the Spirit that inspires and permeates all of our other activities.

Sunday Schedule

8:30-9:20 AM	Adult Bible Study (coffee available)
For May 2008: 2 Services 8:30-9:30 AM 11:00 AM	SPIRITED WORSHIP in the social hall while new windows are installed in the Sanctuary.
9:45-11:00	"SPY Kids "
10:30-11:20	Sunday School for all ages. (Children, Youth, and adults.)
In May: 10:00-11:00	Adult Christian Formation Opportunities
7:00-8:00 PM	Inner Life Contemplative Worship on the Second Sunday of the month

Note: This core schedule is modified occasionally to include new activities and participation in special church events.

Child care during the worship hour is provided.
Wheel chair accommodations and assistive hearing devices in the sanctuary are available.

Inner Life Contemplative Service
Sunday nights at 7:00-8:00 PM

“The Inner Life” worship service, with its contemplative format, music and liturgy, is offered as an alternative worship style at Walnut Creek United Methodist Church. People who seek this service appreciate the beauty of silence, and find the opportunity to quiet a busy mind to enhance their communion with God.
ABOUT INNER LIFE...

Children's Ministry

We encourage children of all ages to worship with adults of all ages and we offer many ways on Sundays for them to do so. For example, during the 9:30 worship services, children gather with the associate pastor (or with a lay person) to hear the biblical message especially created for them. At about 9:45 AM they leave the sanctuary and together with the associate pastor and other adult leaders, gather in the Children’s Creation Chapel to enjoy again the day’s Bible story through music, crafts or story.

 

Holy Communion

Holy Communion, also called the Lord's Supper, originated in the Passover meal to which Jesus gave new meaning on the night before his crucifixion. We believe it is through this common meal, symbolized with the bread and the cup, that we experience Christ present among us. United Methodists believe Christ is present as Spirit, not actual flesh and blood. All who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome, regardless of church affiliation. We celebrate open communion. While children may not understand the full meaning of this sacrament, they are welcome to share in it as part of God's family.

• Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month and at other special services throughout the year.

Baptism

Baptism is about belonging. When we are baptized, we become members of the church family, the body of Christ. Baptism is a sacrament—an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given by God. God's love is always with us and is unmerited. It does not rest on any act of ours. The promises we make in baptism are in response to God's gracious love in Jesus Christ. Baptism marks our initiation into the Christian faith community. We baptize both children and adults. We baptize infants because "our Lord has expressly given little children a place among the people of God, which holy privilege must not be denied them. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, 'Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.'"

Weddings

Pastors of other denominations may perform weddings in our church sanctuary with approval by Walnut Creek United Methodist Church pastors. Two requisites: liturgy that reflects mutuality between partners and written confirmation from the visiting pastor that the couple has received pre-marital counseling.

The service of Christian marriage, a sacred covenant, is provided for couples who wish to solemnize their marriage in a service of Christian worship. The service reflects the belief that husband and wife are equal partners in Christian marriage and that they enter into marriage by their own choice. Those who attend the service are active participants in the marriage: they give the couple their blessing and they join in prayer and praise. Holy Communion may or may not be celebrated in this service. Specific ethnic and cultural traditions are enthusiastically encouraged and may be incorporated into the service at the discretion of the pastor.

Memorial Services

The Christian funeral service is the final dedication of a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ and is, therefore, an act of worship. The congregation and its pastor want to minister to families on the occasion of death. Please call the Pastor as soon as her presence would be helpful to you.

Arrangements for a funeral or memorial service should be made in consultation with the Pastor.