Visiting for the first time?
You are welcome at our Sunday services. You will be greeted warmly, treated with dignity, and your privacy will be respected. Our congregation includes long-term members, spiritual seekers, atheists, and skeptics. The Sunday service is where we all gather to celebrate the Mystery of life, explore 21st Christian spirituality, and commit to making the world a better place. We know that it can be a little intimidating arriving in a strange place for the first time. But we assure you that we'll do everything we can to help you feel welcome.
Why worship?
Worship is central to our community life together and has been practiced in some form by cultures all over the world. It's a time to connect with the spiritual part of ourselves, to listen stories from scripture, hear a reflection of the meaning of these stories for our lives, and to hold each other, our world and our beloved planet in prayer. It's a time for celebration. The mood and the message are positive. But at the same time, we try to keep it real and honestly address the issues of our day, like ecology and social justice. Children, of course, are most welcome! We have programs for all ages from newborns through youth.
When you arrive
When you arrive in the building you will be greeted by someone with a white lapel tag on that says “Welcome”. (That’s the idea, anyway… sometimes they’re busy with a lot of visitors and you may slip by them.) They will hand you a printed booklet that contains the order of service for the day plus announcements of life of our church community.
When you leave
Coffee and tea is offered at the Centre for Peace after the Service. As you leave, feel free to meet our minister, Bruce Sanguin, as you exit through the main door of the Church. He's happy to answer any questions. If you are first time visitor don't forget to pick up a free copy of his latest book from the Hospitality table. It's our way of saying "thanks for coming".
Accessibility
We have a level access door to the Church on the west side (opposite side from Burrard street) You can get there from the lane or up the sidewalk from 15th Avenue. Handicapped parking spots are posted in the lot next to the Centre for Peace, and the Centre for Peace is fully accessible with an elevator and wheelchair friendly washrooms on each floor. There is also a bus that stop right in front of our Centre for Peace (across the back lane from the church), every 15 minutes on Sunday morning.
Visually impaired
If your visual impairment means you can read a large text document, please speak to an usher or greeter. We have the worship bulletin printed out in large print each week for this purpose.
Hearing impaired
We have audio aids for those who have trouble with their hearing. Just ask an usher when you arrive.
