We know visiting a new church can be a bit awkward. Hopefully the following will let you know what to expect when you honor us with a visit.

Let’s start with a brief description of the background of Churches of Christ.

Churches of Christ

We are part of what is called the Restoration Movement. Our desire is to restore the New Testament church in our day. We have studied very hard to find out what the church was like at first and to pattern ourselves after that. We believe this is the worthiest of goals. We want very much to be a Christ-centered church obedient to His Word. To us, the Bible is the sole authority in religious matters. Our conclusions are not flawless and that is why we say:

"In essentials, unity. In opinions, liberty. In all things love."

Our Worship Service

Let us walk you through a typical worship service. After passing through the foyer you will enter the auditorium. There will be rows of pews for those worshiping. There are no reserved seats, so you may sit where you please. Before the worship service there will be a welcome to our guests, usually by one of our members.

Music
Next we will begin singing. The Mesa Church really loves to sing to God. We use a screen to project the notes and words or on the bottom of the pew in front of you, you will find a songbook. When the song leader announces the number (which is listed in the order of worship, on the front our bulletin offered in the foyer), you can turn to that number to find the words to the music.

Speaking about music, one of the unique things about the Church of Christ is that the music is a cappella; that is, we sing with our voices without the accompaniment of musical instruments. This is a conviction and a preference with us. As stated previously, we seek to worship according to the New Testament pattern, and since it excludes instrumental music we feel it is best to exclude it, too. If you have never heard a cappella singing, we think you will learn to really enjoy it. Everyone is encouraged to sing along with us.

Prayer
Prayers are a key part of our worship to the Lord. There will be several prayers during the service. These prayers will be led by various brothers in the church and sometimes include petitions for special needs or requests.

Communion
One of the key elements in our time together on Sunday mornings is communion, also called the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is observed by Churches of Christ every Sunday. Again, the reason is our desire to follow the New Testament teaching. The first century church celebrated this observance on the first day of the week. Respected historians state that in the early centuries the communion was an every-Sunday  commemoration. During this part of the service plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus.
Those partaking will break off a piece and eat it. Next trays filled with small cups will be distributed. The cups contain fruit of the vine, which is grape juice, symbolizing the blood of Christ. Each participant will drink the contents of one of the cups. The Lord's Supper is for Christians only. If you do not participate, simply pass the tray to the person next to you.

Offering
Directly following communion, containers will be passed around to collect the weekly financial offering. As our guest, you are not expected to make a donation. We would like a record of your attendance. So, if a greeter hasn't done so, we would like to encourage you to fill out a visitor's card (red), in the rack next to the songbooks, and place it in the collection plate.  The song leader will then announce that children aged 4 through fourth grade may leave for Children’s Bible Hour (CBH). You’ll notice these kids will be excited as they drop off their own contribution in a glass vase on the stage steps.

Preaching
Now about the preaching. In the Mesa Church the preacher does not have a special title. We won't refer to him as Pastor or Reverend.  The reason for this is our belief in the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5). That is why you will notice that many different brothers will lead singing or prayers, etc. The sermon will be Bible-centered, relevant, practical and approximately thirty minutes in length. We encourage you to bring your own copy of God’s Word when you worship with us.

End of Service
At the conclusion of the message, the preacher will extend what is called an “invitation.” This is simply an expedient time to invite those who, are moved to do so, to express their commitment to God or request prayer support. He will encourage those who wish to respond to come to the front of the auditorium while the congregation stands and sings a hymn. Don't feel uncomfortable during  this invitation. You will not be singled out in any way. There may be several who respond, or none. Some may request baptism. Some may confess sins. Some may place membership with this congregation. The great thing is that if anyone responds for baptism, you will witness it right then and there. The baptism will be into Christ for the forgiveness of sins.


What Kind of People You Will Meet

One of the questions you most likely have about the Mesa Family is, “What kind of people will I meet there?” The answer is simple: pretty much the entire spectrum, as in any group. Of the 500 people that call Mesa Church home, you will find traditionalists . . .  and those eager to try anything new. You will find conservatives and progressives and a lot of people between. You will find people who are happy and unhappy, friendly and unfriendly. People who are learning and those who seem to know it all. People who are holy and those you might be surprised to see in church! Hopefully you get the picture. We are a diverse group, coming from different backgrounds and cultures, and at different stages of spiritual growth. We don't know everything nor do we do everything perfectly. However, we are not brought together by any illusion of our perfection or righteousness. We are brought together by our recognition that we need the power of Christ in our lives. An effective analogy is that this church is not like a hotel for those who have it all together but rather a hospital for those in various stages of recovery.

The reason we are bonded together is our desire to worship and praise God, according to His  Word and, with the help of His Spirit, accomplish some things that make a difference. You won't have to look very far for our flaws. But bottom line, you will find people who love Jesus, love the Bible and love you.

Please check out the rest of our site to discover more about our leadership team and the ministries the Mesa Church of Christ offers.