When people think about visiting a church that is new to them, they often have questions that they wish they could ask before they get there - or after the first visit. Here are a few.

If you have other questions, call us at (717) 394-6854. You will be greeted by a volunteer who can give you a response, or by one of our administrators or secretaries. If you would feel uncomfortable talking to anyone of them, ask to speak to one of the pastors.

About your worship services

• How long do they last?
• What do people wear? Do I have to dress up?
• Can I sit anywhere?
• Can we bring the children to worship services?
• Can we drop the children in Sunday School while we go to church?
• Do I have to believe in a certain creed to come to your worship services?
• Do I have to say anything during the service?
• Do you kneel?
• What are your customs with communion (the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper)?
• Do you take up a collection (if so, how much should I give?)?
• Do you expect your members to come every Sunday?

• Where do I park?
• Are you so big that I'll feel lost?
• Will somebody call on me, or us, after we visit?
• Can I just visit without joining the church?
• How do I find out more about the church?
• And if I wanted to, how would I join?

About your worship services

How long do they last? The 8:30 service is usually 50 minutes long. the 11:00 service is usually over by 12:10.

What do people wear? Do I have to dress up? It's pretty much up' to you. At our 8:30 service, people dress casually – even the pastors. At the 11:00 service, you'll see men in coats – many with ties. But you will also see sweaters, sport shirts and everyday blouses.

Can I sit anywhere? Certainly. We even have a balcony! If you are uncertain about where you want to sit, just ask one of the ushers to help you.

Can we bring the children to worship services? Yes, if they are four years old or older. (We have crib and toddler nurseries for younger children at both services.) There is a point in both services before the sermon when children up to fourth grade are given the opportunity to leave the sanctuary and go to supervised activities designed especially for children.

Can we drop the children in Sunday School while we go to church? Not really. Not a true church school. We think it is important for families to worship together, and for children to learn about worship by being with their parents. However, we know that the sermon time can be difficult for children to sit still, so we have designed special programs for children for the last half of both services.

We have an Education Hour from 9:30 to 10:30 for children, youth and adults. And on some Sundays, we have simple social conversation for adults in that hour.

Do I have to believe in a certain creed to come to your worship services? Not at all. We would hope that you are seeking a certain relationship with Jesus Christ, even if you don't know Him very well. But we are all seekers. We will stand and affirm certain creeds (such as the Apostle's Creed), but members have been known to omit a phrase or two if they are uncertain about them. What's important to Christ is that we all seek to make Him lord of our lives. He knows our hearts without having to listen to what we profess.

Do I have to say anything during the service? Relax. You won't be called on to stand up by yourself. Out of respect for our Lord, we do stand together at certain points in our services…to say what we believe and to sing. But neither of those is mandatory.

Do you kneel? No.

What are your customs with communion (the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper)? We celebrate communion the first Sunday of each month and on a few other occasions during the year. Anyone who has been baptized (in any Christian faith) may partake of the bread and the cup. (Out of respect for visitors and members who may have an allergy or aversion to alcohol, we use grape juice instead of wine.)

At the 8:30 service, when we celebrate communion, people are asked to come forward to receive the bread form one of the pastors and dip it into the cup (intinction.) At 11:00 a.m. church officers called Elders serve the people in the pews. Trays with the bread broken into small portions are passed along with separate trays filled with small cups of grape juice. We eat the bread as we are served, and we hold the cup for a sign from the pastor to drink together. No one is required to partake.

Do you take up a collection (if so, how much should I give?)? Each service includes the opportunity for an offering – a time when we can give back to the Lord just a small portion of what he has given us. Offerings go for the work of the church to deliver the Good News and to help those who need it, here and overseas.

You are the sole judge of how much to give. Most members make an annual pledge and honor it each week. Among those who do not pledge and those who visit, some will give $1, some $5, some more – and some let the offering plate pass by.

Do you expect your members to come every Sunday? Strange as it may seem to people who don't go to church very often, churches like us don't have quotas, standards, and guidelines for attendance – nor do we record who is there every Sunday and who is not for the purpose of keeping score ! But there is another strange thing among those who do go to church fairly often: the more they go, the closer they seem to grow to God and to the love and power of Jesus Christ; and the more they seem to want to be there. All we ask of our members is what He asks of all of us – be faithful.

About visiting your church

Where do I park? See “Where We Are”. In short, you can park (1) on the many streets around us, (2) across Orange Street behind the Snyder Funeral Home, (3) across from the south side of our church. Believe us, parking is not a problem on Sundays.

Are you so big that I'll feel lost? We certainly don't think so. People who visit us say that we are warm and friendly. From 400 to 600 people worship every Sunday, but you'll find that we are really interested in each other as individuals. There will be people there to greet you, and we have a Welcome Center in our lobby where someone can answer your questions or give you directions.

Will somebody call on me, or us, after we visit? We would like to stop by in a day or so and simply say “Thank you for coming.” We have a gift (hint: it smells good and tastes good) that seems to be appreciated by all whom we visit. And we will be happy to answer, or get the answer to, any question that might have occurred to you. But that's all “on the doorstep.” We won't be at all intrusive. After all, we do believe in the Golden Rule.

Can I just visit without joining the church? Of course. We would be delighted to have you be a part of our worshipping community. You might also want to join in some of the activities and programs of the church.

How do I find out more about the church? Check out the Welcome Center in the foyer after the service. Welcome hosts would be happy to answer any questions you may have and you will also find several brochures describing the multitude of activities in our church.

And if I wanted to, how would I join? If you want to start on a path to church membership, we ask that you attend a six-hour Orientation Class to get a good grounding in what we are all about – and to get to know some people. These classes are offered in various ways throughout the year: six one-hour sessions, one six-hour session, and four hours of orientation to those who have belonged to another Presbyterian church.