FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions by new visitors to BFCC

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"Practicing Resurrection"

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do people dress for your worship services?
When should I arrive for a worship service?
Should I keep my kids in the service with me?
Why do they ask people to sign-in on a "friendship pad"?
What if I don't know the songs?
Why do they ask for prayer requests and praises?
Should I participate in communion?
Should I participate by giving money in the offering?
Why are people invited to respond at the end of a service?
How long is a typical worship service?

How do people dress for your worship services?

You will find a wide variety of clothing styles in our worship services, from blue jeans to ties. Dress in a way that makes you comfortable because we believe God is more concerned with our hearts than with our outer appearance.

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When should I arrive for a worship service?

We have two worship service times: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. If you have children less than six years old, we encourage you to come a few minutes early if you plan on putting them in our childcare nursery. This will give you time to locate the childcare rooms and to acclimate yourself to the building layout. We offer complimentary coffee and tea service before our worship times, so enjoy a warm beverage, too!

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Should I keep my kids in the service with me?

It's really up to you. Our worship services are informal (it's okay to come and go in the middle of a service as needed) and designed to be family friendly with upbeat music and visual aids on our large screen. We think there's great value in a family learning to worship together. However, we also realize it's not easy to keep the natural "squirmies" of children from exhausting mom and dad as they try to avoid distracting others. Therefore, we offer quality, adult-supervised childcare during both our worship service times (8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.) for infants and children up through five years of age. Ask any usher for the location of the childcare rooms.

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Why do they ask people to sign-in on a "friendship pad"?

During our opening announcement times you'll hear someone refer to "signing in on the friendship pad" as it gets passed down each row. Of course you are not required to sign this pad. We offer it as a communication tool--an opportunity to be known (you and others are able to see the names of people sitting in their row as the pad gets passed along), and to express any desires you might have for a pastoral visit. There's no pressure here. If you aren't comfortable signing the pad just pass it along to the next person in your row.

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What if I don't know the songs?

That's okay. We certainly invite everyone to sing along as they are able (most of our songs are easy to learn), but we believe people can worship by listening to and contemplating music, not just by singing it. We project the words to all of the music on a large screen, so even if you don't know the tune you can follow the lyrics and consider their meaning. Then, as you become familiar with the music, you can discover of the joy of praising God with others through your voice, in addition to your mind.

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Why do they ask for prayer requests and praises?

We believe the Bible teaches us to carry one another's burdens, and praying for each other is one way to do that. No one should feel compelled to share, but it's an opportunity to experience the love and caring of the BFCC community of believers. We also have prayer cards located just inside the sanctuary doors. You can write out prayer requests on these and hand them to any usher. Written prayer requests are then included in our prayer time during worship.

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Should I participate in communion?

We remember and proclaim Jesus' death and resurrection by taking the symbolic elements of bread and wine that Jesus used at the Passover meal with his disciples on the night he was arrested. Each and every Sunday we use a small piece of cracker/wafer and a small cup of non-alcoholic grape juice as we re-enact and remember Jesus' sacrifice of his body and blood that brings us forgiveness and freedom. We call this "communion" or the "Lord's Supper" and it is open to everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, not just to members of BFCC. All we ask is that you examine your heart and reflect on what Jesus has done for you to guard against this becoming a meaningless ritual. Parents, we leave the decision about your children's participation entirely up to you. The trays of crackers and cups of juice are passed down each aisle and passed from person to person. If you aren't comfortable participating, just pass the trays along to the nearest person in your aisle.

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Should I participate by giving money in the offering?

Only if you want to do it as a willing expression of your love for God and desire to support Jesus' Church. You should feel free not to give anything if you are still seeking to know Jesus Christ or believe God is directing you to give elsewhere. God loves a cheerful giver who avoids the traps of pride (giving so others will think highly of them), guilt (giving because you want to avoid feeling badly), and fear (giving because you're afraid you'll make God angry if you don't). The offering is meant to be a joyful act of worship to the Giver of all good gifts.

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Why are people invited to respond at the end of a service?

We think it's important to not only hear God's word, but to respond to what you hear. Of course you don't need to come forward to do this--you can respond to God right where you sit in the sanctuary, and without others knowing what's happening. However, some people find it very helpful to mark a moment of commitment by asking people to pray with them. Others find it comforting to have a deep need prayed for while surrounded by a worshiping community of believers. And still others, sensing they should respond to God, but unsure what to do next, can find guidance from one of our pastors by coming forward. Our pastors ask about a person's need and then pray for them while the rest of the congregation continues to sing the closing song. We know it takes some courage to step out from your seat and come down front, but (as we like to say), the worst thing that can happen to you is that you will get loved on through the prayers and support of the pastors and the church.