NHCC Worship Information

Each Sunday at 10 AM (but see below for summer worship), we gather to praise God through a blend of modern and traditional forms of worship. Coming from diverse faith traditions, we discover God's word in music, prayer, and preaching and relate it to the concerns of our lives and our world. It is a time of nurture and challenge, of sharing and contemplation. Services are enriched by our organ and choir music. Our main floor is wheelchair accessible, and hearing-assistance devices, as well as large-print bulletins and hymnals, are available.

Holy Communion is generally celebrated on the first Sunday of each month but with some variation for special days in the church calendar or practical reasons.  Scheduled communion Sundays are usually indicated with this symbol in the Calendar, but there can sometimes be mistakes or late changes.  Please check with the church office if you need to know for sure.  We use grape juice as our communion drink in order that all may participate.

Children's Chapel offers children (typically preschool through grade 5) an opportunity to experience and learn about worship in an age-appropriate way. The program is designed to teach the traditional stories of our Christian faith, reverence for God, and respect and concern for others through participative forms of worship.  After they attend the start of the main worship service, the children process downstairs for a program of praise through song and instrumental music, storytelling adapted from the Bible, and collection of an offering.  (On communion Sundays, the order is reversed: children begin worship downstairs, then come upstairs when it's time for communion.)  We recognize that young children are hands-on learners, and we invite them to share these activities in cooperation with each other and the adult leaders.

Each summer, this parish reflects its deep commitment to the ministry of the laity by promoting lay members as worship leaders.  This tradition has for many years reflected the Protestant value of "a priesthood of all believers."  That is, we are all ministers to one another, and the Holy Spirit can give vision to any of us to preach, guide, and serve one another. And so we do. Summer services start at 9:30 AM, and summer hours are in effect from late June until Labor Day.  See the Calendar for exact dates of changeover.

Our Mission Statement and church covenant and some additional information on our worship practices are available by clicking on the links.

Some recent sermons:

"These Baptisms are Killing Us" Ken Baily, 2008 February 24

"Wanting Prayer" Ken Baily, 2008 February 24

"Last Minute Gifts" Ken Baily, 2007 December 24

"Peace Repent, Peace Remember" Ken Baily, 2007 September 16

"Praying Well = Praying Much" Ken Baily, 2007 September 23

"Choosing Church" Ken Baily, 2007 September 9

"A Model Church" Ken Baily, 2007 June 3

"The Empire Struck Back" Ken Baily, 2007 April 1

"Love is Patient and Primary" Ken Baily, 2007 January 28

"Manifestations" Ken Baily, 2007 January 7

"The Green Grace of God" Ken Baily, 2006 October 8

"Signs of Sacred Things" Ken Baily, 2006 October 1

"A Deal with the Future" Ken Baily, 2006 September 10

"Free from Fear" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2006 July 2

"To Carry Each Other" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2006 May 7

"With God in Death; with Each Other in Dying " Ken Baily, 2006 March 26

"Healing Prayers" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2006 March 5

"Facing God's Miracle" Ken Baily, 2006 February 26

"Finding All Three" Ken Baily, 2006 January 8

"God as a Baby" Ken Baily, 2005 December 18

"What Does It Mean" Ken Baily, 2005 December 11

"Controlling Christmas" Ken Baily, 2005 December 24 (second worship service)

"Finding Jesus" Ken Baily, 2005 December 24 (early worship service)

"Katrina's New Covenant Call" Ken Baily, 2005 September 12

"On Open Doors and Lilies" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2005 July 10

"Neighbor Talk" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2005 April 24

"Elevate Your Expectations" Ken Baily, 2005 March 27

"See: the Healing" Ken Baily, 2005 March 6

"Lifeless Chaos and Living Creation" Ken Baily, 2005 January 9

"Rapt Gifts" Ken Baily, 2004 December 24

"Welcome to Reality" Ken Baily, 2004 December 5

"Offering Up Thanks" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 November 21

"Blue State Blues" Ken Baily, 2004 November 14

"Are we not entitled to thanks?" Ken Baily, 2004 October 10

"Ancient Pieces of Peace" Ken Baily, 2004 October 3

"Noticing Neighbors" Ken Baily, 2004 September 26

"A Summer Day of Renewal" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 August 1

"The Road to Emmaus" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 July 11

"A New Thing" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 June 20

"Breath of New Life" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 April 18

"Easter" Ken Baily, 2004 April 11

"Sin: Currently Tense" Ken Baily, 2004 March 28

"Why are You Angry?" Ken Baily, 2004 March 14

"Anxiety over Sin" Ken Baily, 2004 February 29

"Isn't Marriage Gay?" Ken Baily, 2004 February 22

"A Marriage Grade in Heaven?" Ken Baily, 2004 February 15

"Expanding the Body of Christ" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2004 January 25

"Miracles: Seeing More in our Midst" Ken Baily, 2004 January 4

"Turning to God" Gretchen Elmendorf, 2003 December 7

"Why Are You in Church?" Ken Baily, 2003 November 9

"Remember your Baptism," Ken Baily, 2003 October 12

"Every Day Spirituality," Ken Baily, 2003 September 21

"The Cross and Joy of Love," Ken Baily, 2003 September 14

"Welcome Back," Ken Baily, 2003 September 7

"Living Together," Ken Baily, 2003 March 23

"Transforming Destruction," Ken Baily, 2003 March 2

"The Work of Healing," Ken Baily, 2003 February 16

"Peace," Ken Baily, 2002 December 8

http://www.nhcc.net/worship.htm