General Atmosphere
Our worship services are nearly always upbeat and about 70 minutes long. Most people dress nice but casually, but you can actually come any way you want. Our desire is that you will feel comfortable and welcomed in every way. Prayers and readings and songs are written out –participate in as much or as little as you feel ready for. After the service, as long as you’re comfortable with this, we invite you to meet the pastor and introduce yourself. He’ll be standing at the back, shaking hands and chatting.
Worship through songs and the arts
Our worship is centered on our God. Our music is gospel-centered and seeks to reflect the vibrancy of believing people today on Long Island, but also of people who have rejoiced in God over the centuries. It incorporates both the modern and ancient– hymns and contemporary music, accompanied by instruments such as bells, guitars, drums and the organ. We incorporate the visual and spoken arts and liturgy.
Prayer for real needs
We believe that we have a personal God who desires to hear from his people. Thus, we pray for the peace, healing, and renewal of our world, our town, our friends, and ourselves. We pray for the church to be an agent of gospel grace and real restoration.
Bible Reading
We believe that the Bible is the trustworthy, authoritative word of God. Each week we read a portion of it and interact with its claims and truths.
Sermon
We seek to challenge the skeptic and the Christian with the radical and transforming nature of the gospel. Our preaching and teaching is biblical, thoughtful, and culturally engaging.
Offering
We believe that all we have is a gift from God. This is an opportunity to give back a portion of what God has blessed us with. For those who are visiting, your presence is a gift to us, but for those who are part of our church, this is a time of worship by giving sacrificially for the needs of the community, the world, and the church.
Communion –the Lord’s Supper
We believe that the central event that animates our lives is the perfect life, sacrificial death, and conquering resurrection of Jesus Christ for us. We celebrate this, and actually participate in Christ’s real presence with us, by gathering to receive the bread and wine. At St. James, the Lord’s Supper is celebrated at every worship service. If you have not yet believed in Christ, or don’t understand what the Lord’s Supper is, or are just not ready to come to communion for whatever reason, simply remain in your seat and enjoy the music, etc. at that point in the worship service.