What are services like?

While everything done in the worship services of the Chichester Baptist Church is Bible based, Christ centered, and done for the glory of God, each service is distinct and different from the other services.

Our Sunday School service, which begins every Sunday morning at 9:45, begins with most children and adults sitting in the main auditorium (though children aged 5 and under begin the morning in their classroom or nursery).  A few gospel choruses are sung together, led by our Pastor's Assistant, Brother James Dethmers.  After prayer, everyone is dismissed to separate Sunday School classes, which are divided by age group.  On your first visit, our friendly greeters and Sunday School teaching staff will be glad to assist you in knowing where to go.  Each class is taught by an experienced and dedicated teacher, who will share some truths from the Word of God that are targeted to be helpful to that specific age group.  All teachers appreciate questions and value dialogue with the students.  When Sunday school ends at 10:35 A.M., everyone has a few minutes to refresh themselves before the morning service begins.

The Sunday Morning worship service begins at 10:45.  Everyone aged 5 and older begins the service together in the main auditorium (though children aged 5 and under remain in their classroom or nursery).  At the beginning of each service, our song leader, Jonathan Winters, leads in several classic hymns of the faith from the church hymnbooks (copies of which are located near each seat).  There is a time for reading aloud from the Bible and for prayer.  The choir typically sings one or two Gospel songs, and the church orchestra plays a hymn of the faith, while an offering is taken.  At some point, an announcement is made that the Primaries For Jesus are dismissed to their class; at that point all children aged 8 and under are welcome to go to a special children's service held in a classroom near the entrance of the church building.  Older children, teens, and adults remain in the main auditorium, and listen to Pastor Joel Winters bring a sermon from God's Word.  At the end of the preaching time, an invitation is given for anyone who feels so led by the Lord, to come to the front of the auditorium for private counseling and prayer with one of our trained personal workers.  After a time of singing from the hymnbook and prayer, everyone is dismissed.  Parents with children in Primaries For Jesus or one of the nurseries, may pick up their children from their classroom before leaving.

The Sunday Evening worship service begins at 6:00.  At the beginning of the service, all of the Champion's For Christ sit together at the front of the auditorium, the Teen Champions For Christ sit behind them, and all others may sit anywhere they like in the middle to rear of the auditorium.  Our song leader, Jonathan Winters, will lead some hymns from the hymnbook, and one of the Champions will lead the congregation in the recitation of the Books of the Bible from memory.  One of the men in the church will present a short Bible lesson that is targeted for both children and adults, and then the Champions For Christ will be allowed to follow their leaders to other parts of the church facility, to continue their meeting.  The teens and adults will remain in the main auditorium, and will listen to a sermon prepared by Pastor Joel Winters.  At the end of the preaching time, an invitation is given to allow individuals to come forward to the front of the auditorium for private counseling and prayer with one of our trained personal workers.

Our Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting and Bible Study meets at 7:00.  This is a very intimate and precious service which opens with the singing of a hymn; attendees are then invited to share items of personal thanksgiving or prayer requests.  After a short Bible study lesson, there is an extended time of prayer; the men meet in one portion of the auditorium for prayer, and the ladies meet in a different section.  Small groups are formed, and as many as are willing, pray aloud about the prayer requests that have been shared.