Worship

God created us so that we may glorify and enjoy Him forever. Nothing is more important in our lives than worship. Regular communal worship is an essential part in the life of a Christian. It is a time for us to meet God as His community. God speaks to us through His Word and sacraments, and we respond in song, in confession and in prayer. At Ocean View, weekly communal worship of our Triune God is the central focus in the life of our church.

Worship at Ocean View

Preparation for communal worship begins at home. We prepare by reading the passage for the Sunday sermon ahead of time. We gather for communal worship twice each Sunday - in the morning and in the evening.

Sunday Morning Worship

Our morning worship is led by the preacher, praise team and a pianist. We sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. We blend hymns from past centuries and contemporary songs. The sermon is an exposition of a passage from the Bible. The first of every month, we participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Sunday morning sermons are recorded and posted at Sermon Audio later.

Sunday Evening Worship

Our evening worship is led by the preacher and a pianist. We sing songs chosen by the congregation. There is a time of communal prayer. We read our weekly Psalm and the Scripture passage from morning service and delve into a deeper study of these passages.

Fellowship Meal

A fellowship lunch immediately follows our morning worship service on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Sharing a meal allows us to connect with visitors and strengthen our bond as a worshiping community. If you’re a visitor, we heartily invite you to stay for the fellowship meal and give us an opportunity to get to know you!

Children in Worship

Children are a gift from the Lord. We welcome children in our worship services just as our Lord Jesus did. We encourage children to remain with parents during worship and worship as a family. God has made children to be active and wiggly, so don’t feel pressure to suppress this in God’s house! We know that sometime little ones can get real fussy. We have a bench just outside the sanctuary, where you can console your little one and still follow the service. We also provide a nursery for babies and toddlers (up to 3 years old) during the morning worship. Children ages 4-8 can remain with their parents during the whole service.

Questions

Q. What should I wear?

God values hearts ready to worship Him, not if we wear flipflops or dress shoes. Which is why we don’t have a particular dress code. Some like to come wearing their ‘Sunday best’ and others wear casual clothes. Most are in between. We welcome everyone. Dress in a way that you’re comfortable with.

Q. How long are the worship services?

Our worship services last about 75 minutes.

Q. What is your safety policy?

The church of Jesus Christ must be a safe place. We take the safety of our members, guests and especially children very seriously. We have a detailed safety policy in place. All staff and volunteers who work with children are vetted by background check and trained in our safe church policy. See Safe Church Policy document for details.

Q. Are you wheelchair accessible?

We have wheelchair accessible ramp at our main entrance which faces Beach View Street.

Q. How often to you celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion?

Once every month on the first Sunday on the month in the morning service.

Q. I plan to be in Norfolk in a few weeks. Can I participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion at your church?

We welcome visitors to the Lord’s Table if you are able to answer ‘yes’ to the following three questions:

1. Have you been baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

2. Have you publicly professed your faith in Christ alone for your salvation in agreement with the articles of the Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles’ Creed?

3. Are you presently a member in good standing of a Protestant congregation that bears the marks of a true church, that is, a local church wherein governing elders assure that the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached, the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ are maintained, and church discipline is exercised?

If you answer ‘no’ or are unsure how to answer these questions, please abstain from the table today and see the pastor or one of the elders.