WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT THE
REDLAND ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST

Please consider this your personal invitation to visit with us at any of our worship services at the church of Christ on Redland Road.  We’d like nothing better than to have you as our guest.  If you’ve never attended a worship service at the church of Christ, you might be wondering what to expect.  We want you to be comfortable during your visit, so let us take a few minutes to tell you what you may expect when you arrive.

Our History
This congregation had its beginning back in 1932 as the Highland Gardens Church of Christ.  First located at the intersection of Miller and Wilena Streets in Montgomery, this congregation was a long-time fixture in the Highland Gardens community.  Seeing a much greater opportunity for growth and outreach in the Redland area, we were able to purchase the piece of property we now occupy in September 1999, and began to make plans to build.  Perhaps you watched our progress as we built our new building, and on September 29, 2002 we met for our first worship service as the Redland Road Church of Christ. 

The Setting
Our new building contains our auditorium, numerous classrooms, and a fellowship hall, along with a library and the church office.  Our Sunday school classes are staffed with teachers who love students of all ages, and we have classes for all.  Someone will always be available to help our visitors find the proper classroom for Sunday school.  For worship hour, we all assemble together in the auditorium.  There are no reserved seats, so sit anywhere you choose.  There is a convenient nursery adjoining our auditorium for the needs of those who have small children or babies.  On special occasions, we have meals together in our fellowship hall.  One of our greatest joys is to have visitors join us for any of our fellowship meals. 

Our Worship Services
We believe the Bible teaches that worship is a command for all Christians to observe, and we try to be as Bible-centered as possible with our worship services.

Every worshiper is invited to participate in our singing.  In the book-rack near you will be a songbook for your use.  Our song leader announces a number and you can find that number in the songbook, showing the words and music.  It is a conviction with us that we use only vocal music in praise to God.  The New Testament pattern we are seeking to follow with our worship makes no mention of instrumental music, so we believe it should be excluded from our worship.  This may seem a little strange to you, but we know you will respect our conviction, having learned of the reason.

We believe that prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God, and you will notice that our worship service will include several prayers led by various men.

Each of our worship services will include reading or teaching from God’s word.  The preacher’s sermons usually last from 20 to 30 minutes, and will always be Bible-centered.  Our minister is not addressed as Pastor or Reverend, but simply, brother.  We do not believe any other title would be proper, nor would it be needed.  At the close of each sermon, there will be an invitation offered.  This is simply an opportunity for those who may be moved to do so to make a commitment or request prayer.  Those who wish to respond to this invitation are encouraged to come to the front while the congregation sings a hymn.  Some may respond seeking to be baptized into Christ.  Some may respond to confess sin.  Some may respond to request prayer for a specific need.  If anyone responds to be baptized, you will witness the baptism during this service.  The New Testament teaches that baptism is immersion, and is for the remission of sins.

If your visit with us is on Sunday morning, the worship service will include the Lord’s Supper.  The Lord’s Supper consists of two elements, the loaf and the  fruit of the vine.  The loaf represents the Lord’s body and the fruit of the vine represents His blood.  Churches of Christ observe this memorial every Sunday.

Also on Sunday morning, a collection plate will be passed to collect the offering.  We believe this to be a part of our worship.  Whether or not you participate in this is entirely up to you, and as our guest, we re not expecting you to “make a donation”.

After the worship service is over, we hope you will stay around long enough to allow us to meet you.

The People
What kind of people can you expect to find with the Redland Road church of Christ?  Just regular people of most every variety.  We are people of various economic level, all different ages, and a wide range of backgrounds.  We are a diverse group, from a variety of stations in life, and at different stages of knowledge and spiritual growth.  We don’t believe we know everything, we’re sure we make mistakes from time to time, and we don’t always treat everyone as we should.  But we hope we are all trying to imitate Jesus as much as possible, with the fullest understanding that we need to grow and strengthen our spiritual lives every day.  If you decide to visit us, you’ll find people who love Jesus, love the Bible and love one another. 

What We Expect of You
Nothing at all!  As our guest, you are welcome to participate, but you may also feel free to simply observe.  You will likely be asked to fill out a visitor’s card, so that we may have a record of your visit, but this is entirely up to you.  If you have questions about the church, or about anything you see or hear, please feel free to ask.

In short, we love visitors and would treasure the opportunity to get to know you.  Come see us!  Our Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM each Sunday morning and our worship hour begins at 10:00.  Sunday evening worship begins at 5:00 PM and we also assemble for midweek Bible study at 7:00 PM on Wednesday evenings.

We’re located about 2 ½ miles up Redland Road from Highway 231.  You’ll be welcome at any or all of our services and if we can be of any assistance to you, feel free to call upon us.