Calhoun Presbyterian Church

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Order of Service

Below is a walkthrough of a typical Lord’s Day morning service. Each element has a place in the gospel-shaped pattern described on our Worship page. The bulletin for a given Sunday may note occasional variations (for example, a baptism).

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  1. Gathering Music

    This signals the people to enter the sanctuary and prepare themselves for corporate worship.

  2. Welcome and Announcements

    Announcements are handled before the beginning of worship so as not to interfere with the flow of the service.

  3. Prelude

    The prelude is part of the meditative and preparatory environment we seek to establish prior to the call to worship.

  4. Call to Worship

    This Scriptural reading marks the beginning of our worship as the congregation is called to the joyful privilege and duty of worshiping the Triune God.

  5. Prayer of Invocation and Adoration

    The invocation is a prayer that calls upon God to be present among us by His Spirit and bless us. It also includes praise of His glorious nature.

  6. Hymn

    This is a robust, energetic song of praise that focuses on the attributes and works of God.

  7. Prayer of Confession of Sin

    As we are drawn into the presence of a holy God, we are made aware of our sinfulness. A brief moment of silent personal confession is followed by a corporate prayer of confession included in the bulletin.

  8. Assurance of Pardon

    The Bible assures us that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This truth is celebrated as a passage of Scripture is proclaimed affirming God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ.

  9. Gloria Patri

    This Trinitarian ascription of praise dates to the fourth century. We sing it in response to the redeeming work of our Triune God.

  10. The Apostles’ Creed

    This Creed is the oldest Christian confession of faith, with roots in the second century, and provides the means by which we affirm our Christian identity and faith. Because the churches of Christ have all affirmed this Creed for centuries, its use also demonstrates our unity with the whole church, past and present.

  11. Psalter Reading

    We read responsively through a portion of the Psalms in each service, working through most of the book. This is in addition to the portion of Scripture to be preached.

  12. Sacrament of Baptism (as occasions arise)

    Baptisms are administered upon request of Christian parents for their child (we practice infant/covenantal baptism) and of new believers (if never previously baptized in a Christian church with Trinitarian baptism). All those who are baptized are initiated into the membership of the church. Baptism is no mere ceremony, but a means of grace, blessing, and growth for believers and their children.

  13. Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

    This is a comprehensive prayer of intercession following the five-fold pattern of intercession found in Scripture (e.g. 1 Tim. 2:1ff): (1) for civil authority; (2) for Christian ministry; (3) for all peoples; (4) for the sanctification of God’s people; (5) for the afflicted. It is concluded with the Lord’s Prayer by the congregation.

  14. Psalter

    We sing a psalm in each service and work our way through much of the Psalter.

  15. Prayer of Illumination

    This is a prayer for God’s blessing upon the reading and exposition of His Word. We believe that it is the Holy Spirit who makes the proclaimed Word effective to the hearts of the hearers.

  16. Sermon

    Normally the sermons are sequential and expository, verse-by-verse through books of the Bible.

  17. Hymn

    The final song is normally related to the sermon thematically and prepares us to approach the Lord’s Table.

  18. Sacrament of Communion / Lord’s Supper

    We observe the Lord’s Supper weekly. The Lord’s Supper is a covenantal meal—“this is the new covenant in my blood”—which seals or finalizes covenantal commitments. In doing so, we renew the covenant and recommit ourselves to Christ, even as He reaffirms the efficacy of His atoning death on our behalf. We believe in the “true presence” of Christ in the Supper—that is, His spiritual presence. We enjoy fellowship with the ascended Christ at the Table (1 Cor. 10:16) and partake of spiritual food to the nourishment of our souls (1 Cor. 10:3).

  19. Presentation of Tithes and Offering

    A simple collection is taken for the support of the work of the church. It is our joyful and token response to the material grace that we have received from the Lord.

  20. Doxology

    The doxology was written by Thomas Ken in 1709, and perhaps has done more to popularize the doctrine of the Trinity than all the theological books ever written. It extols our Triune God as the source of all blessings.

  21. Benediction

    The benediction is a prayer for the blessing of God upon the congregation as it departs.

  22. Congregational Response

    A brief response in song by the congregation concludes the service.

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