Join us for our Sunday series: Working for Good
Two Formats, One Theme
Working for Good is a sermon & discussion series, exploring themes of work, vocation, and how we move through the world as agents of renewal and positive transformation. With two different formats—either a worship service in our sanctuary or a more interactive group gathering in the living room/lounge on the church campus—there are lots of opportunities to learn, discover, and make new friends.
Worship Service & Community Meal
Our monthly sanctuary services this spring and summer will explore themes of work and vocation: how our work matters to God, how we are more than what we do, what wisdom in our work looks like, when work is hard, and more.
On Sunday August 16, and Sunday September 20, we will meet at 4:15pm in the sanctuary for gathered worship; these worship services will include liturgical elements like prayers, creeds, a sermon, and communion. We focus on making these services accessible to anyone, with or without any previous church background, because we want everyone to feel included and to help demystify some of the traditional Christian practices of worship. And since we love to spend time together, like our usual monthly services, we’ll still come together afterward for a community meal.
Discussion Group & Community Meal
In mid-summer, we’re taking it easy with a summer pace, meeting on July 12, July 26, and August 2 at 4:15pm across the courtyard in McHattie Hall for a more casual, interactive gathering to finish our series on the Sermon on the Mount—which is a collection of the most famous teachings of Jesus, and what that means for how we live and work for good. The way Jesus invites his disciples to live into and live out the kingdom of God will profoundly affect the ways we join in the mission of God.
For our streamlined summer version of this small group gathering, we’ll mostly focus on the Bible passage for the day. No prior background knowledge is needed, as we’ll start with a short Bible Project animated explainer video. If you need a Bible, let us know—we’d love to give you one! And if you prefer to listen rather than talk, don’t worry—you won’t have to share anything unless you want to.
We order dinner for everyone from DoorDash, so you’ll want to make sure you come on time so that you can pick what you want to order. Dinner is our treat, because we are passionate about making sure everyone has equal opportunity to gather and connect around the table.
What can you expect from a Sunday gathering this summer?
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In short: everyone! As a new church, we are focused on building community and relationships, so that everyone of any and every background will know that they are welcome and wanted.
If you’re curious about Jesus, new to church, or have been disconnected from the church for a long time, you will find a place to plug in, with a style of service that is accessible, thought-provoking, and honoring.
If you’re searching for a church family where you can use your God-given gifts to become more like Jesus, you’ll also find a home here, to grow, be transformed, and to serve. You’ll also get to experience the joy of seeing others respond to God—perhaps for the very first time!
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Our Spirit-led service is rooted in the Christian Scriptures, with a spaciousness that allows us to respond to God as he speaks with us.
Together we engage ancient and modern practices, which include participating in communion every time we gather. We also share original music and liturgy that we write for our neighborhood, as well as classic hymns and historic prayers that have been giving people around the world hope and meaning for centuries.
We follow every monthly Sunday service with a community meal, where people can continue to connect around the table. Even though we’re grateful for the way tech improves our lives, we also know it can’t replace in-person interactions. There’s nothing like being with friends in real life.
So each week, we have questions that we can discuss together over a meal, questions about what stood out to us in the service, and what’s going on in our lives. We’ll have the opportunity to get to know new people, and also get to experience being known. Together, we’ll create a safe space—whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, whether you want to go deep or are more comfortable listening than speaking, you are welcome here!
Of course, behind the scenes and beforehand, there will be people serving the community who want to help prepare and set up meals, greet people as they come in, run slides and sound, sing and play instruments, and more. If that’s you, let us know—a church service is a reflection of a church body, and takes many committed folks to make it possible!
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Relaxed and relational.
On the other Sundays, we meet at 4:15pm across the courtyard in McHattie Hall for a more casual, interactive discussion. We’ll still sing worship songs to God to open our time—just our voices and an acoustic guitar— and then we’ll dig into the Bible passage for the day. No prior background knowledge is needed, and if you need a Bible, let us know—we’d love to give you one! And if you prefer to listen rather than talk, don’t worry—you won’t have to share anything unless you want to.
After our discussion group, we’ll move to a dinner table, and before we eat, we’ll have the opportunity to either take communion together, or to receive a blessing spoken over you if you’re not ready to take communion yet.
Since this space we meet in on other Sundays is smaller than the sanctuary, and we’ll be ordering dinner based on the number of people who are coming, we appreciate your RSVP to hello@wvneighborhoodchurch.org. Let us know if you have any food restrictions or allergies that we can accommodate! (And let us know if you have questions about what communion is, and what it looks like to take part in that.)
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Either is a great place to start!
We aim to make both the worship service and the discussion group format accessible to people from any background, and there will be no pressure in either context to share your thoughts if you don’t want to.
For some people, gathering in a space that’s set up like a living room might feel more relaxed, so the small group format might be an easier first step.
For others, sitting in a circle for a group discussion might feel intimidating, and you’d rather check out a sanctuary service first, where you can sit facing forward in a row.
But the best way to know for sure what is right for you? Come to one of each and see!
In the end, we hope that people will join both formats for a more well-rounded and holistic learning experience. This will also help to cultivate deeper community and connections through more consistent presence.And as always, you can drop us a line at hello@wvneighborhoodchurch.org with any specific questions you have about what to expect—we’d love to fill in any details.
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As a new church still in development, parents and caregivers of kids 4-and-under have a couple options during our monthly sanctuary services.
Of course, when we gather for worship, we love having kids in the service with us. The adults can learn from the freedom that kids bring to musical worship in particular, and the kids can learn from the music and liturgy and seeing what it's like when the family of God comes together!
For our littlest littles (4-and-under), we also have an option for parents/caregivers to bring them prior to the service to our WVNC Littles. Our Littles are invested in by loving and caring adults who have been background-checked and trained on safety, and who love to share the love of Jesus with our youngest! We have found that this age range helps us to keep siblings together, which helps with their adjustment into a new space as well.
Please register by emailing hello@wvneighborhoodchurch.org with the name(s) and age(s) of the littles who will be joining us during our monthly 4:15pm sanctuary service and to confirm the dates as well. Drop off starts at 4pm, and pick up will immediately follow the service, prior to the community meal.
Please note: Though we do not yet host WVNC Littles during our other Sunday gatherings, please let us know if this would help support your participation. We are definitely open to exploring adding this at the right time.