A Greeting from Our Pastor

What times are the worship services?
• We worship on Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. We hold Sunday School and Bible Class (for young adults and adults) at 9:15 AM. 
  
  Our summer services are on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM and Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM. This schedule runs from the Sunday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. 
  
  Please refer to our calendar for special services and special service times.

Where is Memorial Lutheran Church located?
• We are located on the west end of Williamston, MI on the north side of West Grand River Avenue.  The address is 1022 W. Grand River Avenue.  We are directly across from Bappert Automotive and east of the Admiral Gas Station.

What can I expect at a church service?
• Every church has its own style of worship. We have a liturgical worship service. Christ is at the center of liturgical worship. Some parts of the liturgy stay the same each Sunday. This is to make sure that Christ is proclaimed and praised during every service. Some parts of the liturgy change every week. These changes are based on the appointed calendar of the church. This calendar makes sure that we cover the important events and teachings of Christ every year. As with any church, you should expect to attend a few services to become accustomed to our way of praising God and worshiping Him.
  
  The bulletin you will receive will help guide you through worship.  It lets you know on what page in our hymnal you will find the order of service for that day.  The Scripture readings are printed on an insert you will find in the bulletin.
  
  Our worship services focus on the Word of God.  Listed in the bulletin you will find the theme of the sermon and the text from the Bible that is used for the sermon.  Music and singing are important parts of our worship as well, as we praise the Lord for the good news of salvation that we hear in the Bible.
  
  Our worship services usually include the following parts:
  1. The Invocation:  We call on the name of our Savior Lord as we praise Him with song.
  2. Confession and Absolution:  We acknowledge that we have not been or done what God asks of us.  Then we are assured of forgiveness in Jesus.
  3. The Word:  We read selections from the Bible.
  4. Sermon:  Our pastor offers instruction and encouragement in a Bible-based sermon for all in attendance: children and adults.
  5. Thanksgiving:  We respond with offerings and prayers for the things God has promised to us and for strength to do what He has asked.
  6. Blessing:  Before we return home for the week, we hear one last assurance of the Lord's gracious care.
  
  Services on the second and fourth Sundays of the month also offer the Lord's Supper to members of the congregation. Memorial Lutheran (and all congregations of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) practice what is called "Close Communion". Our pastor is happy to explain this to you personally so that you can better understand this practice.

Are children welcome at the services?
• Services are a blessing to the whole family, and we encourage families to worship together. Families with young children might want to consider sitting near the back of our sanctuary because there is a cry room at the back of our church if it should be necessary to take your child there. You can hear and see the worship service in this room. It is important to us that all people, regardless of age, hear God's Word and sing God's praises together since we are all family in Jesus.
  
  We hold Sunday School for children ages 3 through eighth grade. This begins at 9:15 between worship services. Our Bible Class for teens and adults is held at the same time.

What should I wear to worship services?
• You might wonder how you are expected to dress at a church you have never visited before.  The Bible presents no dress code, except for simple decency and Christian humility.  We reflect that in our attitude at Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church.
  
  Worship time at Memorial Lutheran is a special time of the week for our members.  This is often reflected in the way they dress.  How you dress is a personal matter in your worship before God.  One person may dress casually and rejoice that our gracious Lord accepts us as we are, while another may dress to reflect the awe and reverence we have for our Savior King.
  
  On any Sunday at our church you may see running shoes and heels, jeans and suits, open collars and ties, casual slacks and dresses. When a person dresses out of love for his or her Lord, the choice of dress, be it casual or more formal, is acceptable to God . . . and us.

How can I learn more about your teachings?
• The pastor offers an adult instruction class. This class is for:
  • people who are interested in becoming communicant members of our congregation;
  • parents of new students in our school in order to get the parents acquainted with the Biblical instruction their children will receive in our school’s classrooms;
  • those who want to know more about our church’s teachings;
  • current members of our congregation who wish to review the doctrines of the Bible.
  
  The class meets once a week for 4-5 months. (That may sound like a long time, but the pastor is confident that you will find that the classes move along quickly.) Each session runs 60-75 minutes, depending on the material to be covered and the discussion which class members generate. The book we use for the class is provided by the congregation at no cost to you, and the book is yours to keep after we are done. We also have Bibles to use, although you are certainly welcome to bring your own Bible.
   
  Upon completion of the class, you will be eligible to become a communicant (welcome to the Sacrament of Holy Communion) member of our congregation, if you so desire and are in complete agreement with the doctrines of Scripture as we studied them in the course. Taking the class in no way obligates you to join our church.