Southwood on Sundays
All who wish to attend are invited to join together in prayer for the worship services, at 8:00AM, in the Senior Pastor’s study. The building starts to come alive through the people who call Southwood their church home. It is her people, through prayer and serving, that bring the church to life. It is the bride of Christ, His disciples who gather each Lord’s Day.
From the first strains of the prelude at 8:25AM to the last note of music at 12:20PM, the usually quiet building is filled with people, young and old, struggling and thirsty, weary but joyful. Sunday is the Lord’s Day. All that happens belongs to Him. We gather in worship to bring Him the glory, honor and praise that is due to Him and Him alone. Walk through the halls and discover something about Sunday mornings you may not usually experience.
As you enter, listen for a friendly “Good Morning!” or “Welcome!” by one of the many greeters. The nursery hallway fills with sounds of life, as babies and toddlers cross over the gates into the arms of nursery workers and members who volunteer. Walk around toward the sanctuary. The Tower area houses tables with different ministries bringing attention to their area. Drop off your donations to Lincoln Village Food Pantry. Register for Small Groups, or sign up for one of many serving opportunities both in our church and community. Keep walking. Many of our pastoral staff, deacons, elders and laity may be roaming the halls before the worship service visiting with folks. People are scurrying to get their Sunday school room ready. Enter the Atrium area and the Info Booth is ready with folks to answer questions.
Worship. The prelude invites you to come into the sanctuary. From the words of welcome and preparation delivered by any one of our many ordained Pastors to the opening notes of the first hymn, people are coming in. Within the first five minutes, the pews are filled. Our Chief Musician and the other musicians lead us in song so that our voices are raised as one to our God. The order of worship, the choice of music, the elements of the service are well thought out, discussed during the prior week, and work together to bring us to the preached word. The hymn texts work in tandem with the sermon Scriptures. The prayers and confessions are to draw you to the gospel, and ultimately to prepare you for the preached word. The benediction sends you on your way to merge your Christian life as a fully devoted follower of Christ on Sunday into Monday and the rest of the week, to share your faith with and serve your neighbors and your community. The quietness of the sanctuary is now filled with the buzz of voices as we greet one another. We are reminded of the ministry of presence, to find someone we don’t know and say hello.
Back to the main hall, adults are filling the Sunday school rooms in the Fellowship Hall. Our PreK and Kindergarteners may be spilling into the hallways after being in Kids Worship during the sermon. They enter the Promise Path during Sunday school and learn about God through loud songs, movement, Scripture and activities that illustrate who He is. The puppet team may also be found illustrating a lesson point through some colorful characters!
As you journey down the children’s hall, you may think you are on a safari seeing zebras and giraffes and the like. These animals represent Southwood’s covenant children in the first and second grades, also known as Truth Trek. Twenty loving small group leaders and teachers teach more than fifty eager, some quiet, some lively, and most importantly, inquisitive children who God is and what it means to believe and have faith in our Lord and Savior. The main themes that God is real and God loves you are reinforced each week through music, Bible lessons and small group time.
Back to the main hallway and the small conference room is home to our special folk; Sunday school designed for their special needs. Three adults and a student helper facilitate this class time and live out God’s encompassing love to his uniquely created children.
Head upstairs to find more adult classes. Across the hall, the music is loud, inviting our third and fourth graders into Highway 34. Traffic lights and signs mark the way to study the catechisms from the Westminster Confession of Faith. The catechisms come to life by providing an engaging manner of understanding simple theology while at the same time giving our kids practical guidance. Each week reveals ways in which they implement what they have learned with friends and family. In their small groups, their leaders get a glimpse of the heart changes that take place in the kids.
Take a walk down the hall past the Hwy 34 room and you have stumbled onto the Ascent rooms, which house our fifth and sixth graders. Ascent, defined as the act of climbing or traveling up, describes this age group as they change and climb an especially steep grade. They are being exposed to new challenges and are just beginning to develop the experience necessary to deal with them. This ministry helps our youth understand the wonderful truths of our faith with a special emphasis on how to apply them in their lives. You will hear music, see lessons via AV presentations and observe small group time where their leaders really get to know the kids, find out what they are struggling with, and help them apply biblical principals in their lives. While they may not reach the summit in Ascent, they traverse rugged terrain that gets them a step closer.
Across the street in the Lodge our seventh through twelfth grades gather for breakfast foods and drinks. Then, off to the gym area where a team of adults gather their seventh and eighth graders for fellowship and teaching. Meanwhile, the ninth through twelfth graders gather in the Living Room with our Youth Pastoral staff and another host of adults for the same.
Meanwhile, back in the sanctuary, the 11:00 band is rehearsing. At 10:50, the doors open and music is piped through the sound system inviting folks into the sanctuary. This hour fills with casually dressed folks, many visitors and families. The warm, informal atmosphere invites one to come, sing out and worship. Many new faces can be found around the sanctuary. The first notes of the drums, bass guitar, keyboard and piano draw people to sway, clap, and raise their hands and voices in worship.
It is now 12:30PM, the building is returning to its quiet state. As this Lord’s Day draws to a close on the Southwood campus, the church is still present, just dispersed around the city. Our church is living, active, breathing, advancing the kingdom, not on the Southwood campus only, but where we live work and play – in the community, for the community. Amen.
Be Our Guest
We would love you to join us Sunday mornings at Southwood! Located in beautiful Jones Valley, you'll find our campus with special visitor parking in front of our southern "Welcome" entrance and in front of the Sanctuary which faces Carl T Jones Dr. Ask a greeter at the doors for information about our Kids programs, youth Sunday school or the best route to the Sanctuary. We look forward to seeing you.
Formal Service
Sundays at 8:30
Sunday School
Sundays at 9:45
Informal Service
Sundays at 11:00