| What can you expect when you come to visit us?
Moorpark Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of Peach Hill and Spring in Moorpark. (See area map) The entry to the parking lot is off of Peach Hill Rd. There are parking spaces set aside for visitors like you as close as we can get them to the main entry.
We are pleased to announce the recent completion of our new sanctuary! It is located on the corner of Peach Hill and Spring street. It’s bigger than it looks since it has a full basement that is just as large as the upper area. This 10,000 square foot walk-in first level is used for youth ministry, offices, and worship support.
As you approach the Sanctuary doors, look to your left to the building of offices and classrooms. You will want to know about this area! Between services, we hope that you will join us for coffee and fellowship on the patio that is in the center of this building and it is here that you will find childcare classrooms for your little ones! (See campus map)
We love kids! We have lots of them as part of our church. There are several options for children during worship.
If you desire to put your children in Nursery care immediately, go across the patio to the second door from the end – the one with the colorful stand outside. You will be welcomed there and have the opportunity to sign your children in. Catherine Maciel heads our nursery assisted by Ashley Waybright and youth volunteers.
You are also welcome to take your children with you to worship for all or part of the service. Many families have their younger children with them through the opening part of the service until after the Children’s Sermon. Then they accompany the children to the Children’s Celebration program or childcare and return to worship. Please contact Children’s Ministry Director Laurie Loring for more information about these programs.
When you arrive to Sunday morning worship, please make sure that you stop by our greeter table (just outside the sanctuary doors). You will be greeted by one of our friendly greeters! These greeters have a special gift for our first time visitors! After you have visited with our greeters and you make your way into the sanctuary (through entry area called the Narthex) you will see our ushers. The ushers will provide you with a weekly bulletin that includes the order of the service, along with a sermon outline, a prayer list and announcements about what’s happening in the life of MPC.
If your child is attending worship with you, the greeters will also provide your child with an activity sheet. Immediately to your left when you enter the sanctuary, you will find a table that has pencils for your use and crayons for your child(ren). As you make your way into the sanctuary, feel free to sit anyplace you are comfortable! If you don’t immediately see a seat available, our ushers will be happy to assist you. We love families and family members of all ages at MPC. In an effort to make it comfortable for you to attend with your entire family, we have a “Cry Room” for families with very young children who might feel more comfortable in this space.
If you arrive even fifteen minutes before worship begins, you might think you are among the only people coming to worship. But the place will start to fill up. Our average worship attendance is about 350 each Sunday with somewhat larger attendance at the earlier service. The two services are identical.
When you are seated, you will find a Bible and hymnal in the pewback. We typically sing two traditional hymns and you may choose to follow along in the hymnal, however, all lyrics and scripture readings are projected on the large screens so that you may follow along.
Approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the service, one of our Praise Teams will lead the congregation in a praise song as people continue to enter the sanctuary and get seated. We understand that Sunday mornings can be hectic and this is a time to slow down and prepare for worship. Following the first praise song, a Lay Leader will begin the service by leading the congregation in an invitation to celebration. Following the invitation to celebration, the Praise team will continue to lead the congregation in singing praise. All of the praise lyrics will be projected on the two large screens at the front of the sanctuary.
At the conclusion of the praise music, a worship leader will give the congregation some updates on prayer needs and praises within the church family and the community. The worship leader will also acknowledge any flowers that may have been given in celebration or commemoration. At this time, we will pray together and will conclude the prayer by saying the Lord’s Prayer. The version we use (with “debtors’) is printed on a sheet inserted in the bulletin along with some other notes for visitors.
The creative arts are an important part of worship at MPC. Following the Lord’s Prayer, we will often have an offering of worship provided by the Drama or Music ministries.
Children will usually be invited up to the front of the church to hear the Children’s Sermon. They will hear a message based on the same scripture and theme of the upcoming sermon that is intended for adults and older youth. At the conclusion of the children’s sermon, children will be excused to various places to continue age-appropriate worship. Please refer to your bulletin for where your child should go, and accompany them to the appropriate room. One of our terrific members of the Children’s Ministries will be on hand to lead them in lessons, songs, crafts and other fun activities!
A brief update on the News of the Family will be provided in order to give the congregation updates on activities in the various ministries and groups that are part of the life of the church. This will include, but not be limited to Men’s and Women’s groups, Youth Ministries, Fellowship activities, Senior’s groups and Mission activities. Most of the items announced at this time can also be found in the printed bulletin, but listen for important updates!
Following the News of the Family, registration pads will be passed down each row. Please complete your name and address so that we can keep you informed of what is happening in the life of the church. On the registration pad, you will also find a space to indicate if you require a pastoral call or would like more information on becoming a member of the church. As the registration pad is passed, Ushers will also begin passing collection trays as we continue to worship by bringing our offerings. As the ushers come forward with the offering, those who are able will stand and sing the Doxology (which you will find printed in your order of worship and projected on the screens at the front of the sanctuary) and a Lay Leader will pray a prayer of blessing.
At this time, you may wish to refer to the sermon outline that is provided in your bulletin while one of our pastors delivers the sermon. The sermons are usually about 20 minutes, except on the first Sunday of the month when we normally share in the Lord’s Supper. The sermons are very biblical. Click here to read the sermon for last Sunday or here to search our sermons for a particular theme of verse in the Bible.
Once we have joined together in singing our final hymn and have received the Benediction, we hope that you will join us on the upper patio for coffee and fellowship!
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