HOW WE WORSHIP
We know worshiping with a church for the first time can be a little intimidating. It’s important to us that you feel comfortable and know that it’s OK to come as you are and learn as you go - just like the rest of us!
Here’s a little information that might help you know what to expect on a Sunday morning:
JOIN US SUNDAY MORNINGS
We gather for worship services on Sundays at 9:30am and are typically sent out before 11am. You’ll see some big glass doors and smiling faces to greet you as you come in.
Before our worship service, we like chatting in the foyer. You are welcome to come and join the conversation. Or, if you’d prefer, our song team typically runs through the songs we’ll sing together later in the morning and you are welcome to sit in the auditorium and join in join in or just listen.
Cole Mill Road is a diverse community of faith, and you’re likely to see that diversity reflected among those who lead our worship in various ways - women and men, young and old, different ethnic and racial identities, coming from a variety of different backgrounds and life experiences.
After worship service, we gather in our Fellowship Hall for refreshments followed by classes for all ages. Even if classes or worship have already started, you are very welcome to join in at any time.
Location
Our address is 1617 Cole Mill Road, but you’ll need to turn on Berini Drive to find our parking lot. There are also lots of restaurants nearby, if you’d like to grab a bite after. Still need help finding us? Call our office at 919.383.6338. Click here for a map.
Weekly Schedule
Worship services are at 9:30am on Sundays and typically run for a little over an hour. After worship, we have a brief time for fellowship and snack followed by Bible classes for all ages at 11am. Wednesday evenings at 6pm, we share dinner together (first time guests eat free!), and then meet for classes and various other activities at 6:45pm. Find out more about our worship services here (link to Sunday worship page)
Attire
Cole Mill Road is a "come as you are" church. We don’t expect anyone to dress in any particular style. You’ll find people dressed in suits and ties and shorts and T-shirts. It’s more important to us that you feel welcome and loved than that you dress in any particular way.
Children
Jesus loves children and we do to! Our Children’s Ministry is dedicated to providing safe and clean environments for your little ones to learn and grow in God’s love. During our worship services, children younger than 3 are welcome to play in our nursery during services. Our volunteers have years of experience watching children, and we make sure to meet and talk with you before leaving them in the nursery. If you want to stay in the nursey, you are most welcome to do so!
Children 3 years old through 2nd grade are invited head downstairs during our call for the children’s blessing. Our Youth & Children’s Minister, teachers, and greeters can help you find your children’s classrooms and answer any questions you may have.
SINGING
Singing together helps us communicate with God from our hearts. We worship in the a capella (voice only) tradition. We typically have one song leader assisted by other singers holding microphones called the song team. We understand that singing in this style may be a bit different for some folks. We also think, if you give it a try, you’ll find it as beautiful and meaningful as we do. We strongly encourage everyone to participate - no matter your singing abilities! While we try to offer God our best in worship, we also value participation over perfection. However, you’re also welcome to do whatever makes you feel most comfortable and best connects you with God.
PRAYER
It is a gift to express our hearts to God in prayer. Those leading public prayers most often use their own words, but occasionally will use a written prayer from scripture, an ancient prayer, or a contemporary prayer written by someone else. Sometimes in prayer, we also create space for silence to acknowledge that we are in the presence of God.
READINGS
The public reading of scripture in worship gives us an opportunity to hear from God’s Word each week. We typically have two readings - one is a responsive reading in which everyone is invited to make the words of scripture our own. The second is the reading before the sermon. A Bible can be found in the pew in front of you if you’d like to follow along that way. A lot of us prefer to just hear God’s Word read aloud by giving the reading our reverent attention.
COMMUNION
Jesus taught his followers to remember him with a meal. Different traditions have called this “Communion”, “the Lord’s Supper”, or “Eucharist” (which means “to give thanks.”) We share in this same meal every week. To do so, someone offers a devotion or prayer focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then we pass plates of bread. Each Christian eats a small piece. We then pass around trays of small cups of grape juice. Each participant drinks the contents of one of the cups. By faith, these emblems become the life Jesus gave up so that our sins could be forgiven. Due to its importance and meaning, we observe this weekly. Anyone may participate, however if you choose not to, please don't be embarrassed; feel free to just pass the plate or tray along.
GIVING
We worship God through giving. This allows us to share God’s love with people in Durham and around the world. Guests are welcome to participate, but there is no expectation. Baskets will be passed around after Communion. We also use this time to collect Member/Guest cards that can be found on the bulletin. Placing these cards helps us keep a record of who is present, and also creates an opportunity for us to say, “I’m all in to follow Christ and belong to this church” for another week!
SERMON
Every Sunday, you will hear a message based in Scripture and designed to encourage those listening to respond to God’s Word with faith. We trust that this will help you develop a growing, vibrant relationship with Christ and provide a strong Biblical foundation for your life. If you have any questions about the sermon, please feel free to ask the ministers or elders after the service.