What to Expect

Singing

The whole congregation joins together in praising God in song without the use of musical instruments (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). In case anyone is unfamiliar with one of the songs, the words are available in our songbooks and also on a screen in front of the auditorium. Many of our visitors choose to join us in singing, while others prefer simply to listen as we worship.

Praying

At the church of Christ Finland, prayer is an important and integral part of our worship service. We believe in the power of prayer, so we offer a number of prayers during each worship service. We are led by men in our congregation (1 Timothy 2:1-8). Before the end of service we pray for specific people who are suffering or have particular areas of needs that the church can pray with and for them (James 5:14-16). Prayers are made for our government, our communities and for those who have not committed to Christ (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is a memorial of the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We partake of the bread and fruit of the vine which represents Jesus' body and blood that was shed on the cross in His death (1 Cor. 11:23-26). We observe this memorial each Sunday as the early Christians did (Acts 20:7). This memorial is not a mere ritual, nor should it be seen as something routine. Instead, it is an act of devotion that must be done in a worthy manner - truly remembering that sacrifice made for the atonement of our sins (1 Cor. 11:27).

Offering

Each member of this congregation contributes weekly to support the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:2). If you are a non-member or visitor of the church, please do not feel obligated to give.

Sermon

We will enjoy a Bible lesson that lasts about 15-25 minutes (Acts 2:42; Romans 10:14). Our male brethren, inspired by the spirit of God, present these lessons, though occasionally we give opportunity to visiting brethren from other sisters' congregations of the Lord's body to guide our thoughts with the word of the Lord. Each lesson will take a Bible passage and explain what it means and how it applies practically to our lives.

Invitation for Repentance

At the end of the sermon, the speaker of the hour will extend an invitation to the congregation. The message will mirror Christ's invitation spoken in Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. The message spoken will be heartfelt, and have a twofold purpose: One, for those who would like to become a Christian (Mark 16:15-16); and two, for Christians who have fallen away and would like to make their lives right (Acts 8:20-24). We simply ask all to follow God's plan of salvation.

Announcements

Before we are dismissed, one of the brothers will make a few announcements to let us know what updates, events or news of the church are coming up.

After Worship

After our time of worship together, we encourage you not to rush out, but to hang around for a few minutes to give us an opportunity to greet you and to get to know you. We usually have a warm meal ranging from European to African Cuisine. You are our honored guest!

During class you can expect to open the Bible so we can all study and grow in our faith. This is inspired by the example we read of those in Berea (Acts 17:11). During these times we also encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25) and help one another maintain that Christian light (Matthew 5:16) to shine for others during our work week. The class is usually interactive and discussion based, so feel free to share your thoughts and understanding, as this is how we grow spiritually.

You can expect there to be singing, joined by all present, reading and citing encouragement from the scripture, and prayers to be offered.

We recognize the God-given responsibility that parents have to train up a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6), and we have designed our children's Bible classes to assist parents in that awesome task. We have classes for children from the moment that they can sit up to the time that they graduate from high school, all of which are taught by trained, knowledgeable, loving adults who are concerned for the spiritual growth of their students. Their efforts are supported with curriculum, supplies, equipment, visual aids, ideas and other materials needed to reinforce their Bible-centered lessons.