Part & Meaning of Our Service

I don't get sports and I don't get church!
Think back to a time where you watched a sporting event that you didn't understand. Did it look chaotic? Was it fun? Did it seem like everyone else was getting so much more out of the game than you were? 

Sports have rules and a goal (get the most points) so that we know what to expect and so we can get better at achieving that goal. Plus, once you learn the nuisances, you grow in appreciation and joy for the event. The same can be said about our church service: there is a purpose and reason to the many parts. Understanding them, helps you grow closer to Christ. 

Our church is a liturgical church.
That means our services usually follow a certain order, a liturgy. At Immanuel, the parts of the service and the order they are in have been handed down for centuries, from one generation of Christians to the next.  

Of course, you can attend our service, not know the liturgy and still have an uplifting connection with God and your brothers and sisters in Christ. But if you knew a little bit about out liturgy… understood some of the meaning behind the parts and order… you’ll see our proud tradition has much to teach us.

Let’s look at the main parts of one of our services called the Divine Service. 

Please remember, just like learning the basic rules of a sport doesn't make you an expert... what you read on this site is by no means the end all be all either. Instead, these pages offer a better understanding of the nature and function of the chief service in the Lutheran Church, the service of Word and Sacrament.

Want to know more? Pastor Heidle is happy to share more with you... plus, he's a good guy to take to football games, too !