Worship
​​Worship is central to the life of faith and to what it means to “be church”.
We gather both in person and virtually each week to pause and turn our attention to God with the hopeful expectation of encountering God’s holy presence. We sing and pray. We give voice to what God is doing in our lives and in the world. We respond to God as we feel led. On the first Sunday of each month, we share communion as a reminder of the depth of Jesus’ love for humanity.
OUR WORSHIP STYLE
By worshiping in community with others, we have opportunities to experience the presence of God through each other. During our worship service, we include a time where we greet each other with a warm handshake or hug. We make space for people to share joys or burdens if they would like for our faith community to pray with or for them. After worship, we occasionally have refreshments or a potluck lunch so that we can build friendships with one another.
At Commonwealth Baptist Church we sing choruses and hymns. Some people wear jeans and t-shirts, others wear their finest suits. Wear whatever makes you comfortable, you’ll fit right in.
CHILDREN IN WORSHIP
Children are a vital part of any faith community, and that is certainly true at CBC!
Because of this, children of all ages are welcome in our worship services.
First, wiggles and noises do not bother us. We know that children learn to worship by watching others, so we want them in worship as early as you are comfortable having them with you. Second, we do provide worship bags to help engage young children. And we have a "cry room" in the back of the sanctuary. You're welcome to take preschoolers there where we have toys, rockers, and a sound system so that you can still hear the service. Last, we have a nursery where young children can safely play under the supervision of loving, trained caregivers who have completed safety training and background checks. We want you to feel safe and confident either leaving young children in our nursery or having them with you in worship.
BAPTISM & COMMUNION
The Baptist tradition practices two sacraments, or ordinances, that were commanded by Christ in scripture: baptism and communion. Since these rites can have different meanings in different churches, we want to let you know what each of them means at Commonwealth Baptist Church.
BAPTISM
Baptism marks someone’s entry into the Christian faith. Now certainly, someone can be a Christian and never be baptized. In order to become a Christian, a person simply needs to accept Jesus as their Lord and decide to live their life as one of his disciples.
We believe that baptism is the way in which Christ desires for all believers to publicly confess their decision to become a Christian. We believe that it is a strong and powerful expression of faith, but we do not believe that the rite is necessary in order to receive salvation. The act of getting baptized is a public symbol of one’s decision to follow Jesus.
In the Baptist Church, we practice believer’s baptism, which means that we do not baptize infants. We wait until the individual makes the decision to be baptized.
We also baptize through immersion. Instead of pouring water onto the head of the person being baptized, we actually stand in a pool of water (a baptistry in our sanctuary), and we immerse the person being baptized in the water. Going under the water is a symbol of being buried with Christ in death, and being raised out of the water is a symbol of walking with Christ in a new life.
While we practice believer’s baptism through immersion at Commonwealth Baptist Church, we honor and accept all baptisms as being valid. People who have been baptized in other traditions and wish to become members of our church are not asked to be re-baptized.
COMMUNION
Whereas baptism marks a person’s entry into the faith, communion reminds believers that the Christian journey is ongoing. It is the symbol of Christ’s continued presence in and with his followers.
At Commonwealth Baptist Church, we partake of Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, on the first Sunday of each month. We eat bread and drink juice (most Baptists stopped using wine during the Temperance Movement) to remember Jesus’ command from the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
You do not have to be a member of Commonwealth Baptist Church in order to receive communion in our church. The Lord’s Supper is open to all who love Christ.
SPECIAL SERVICES
At Commonwealth Baptist Church, in addition to the regular Sunday worship service, we offer a variety of special services throughout the year to observe Christian holidays. We welcome you to join us in worship on the following holy days:
ASH WEDNESDAY
Pastors Robin and Marty administer ashes to parishioners as we prepare for the season of Lent. CBC does not require participation in Lent but does provide resources and ideas for those who wish to observe it.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
We mark the official beginning of Easter, remembering the Last Supper with a soup dinner followed by communion.
GOOD FRIDAY
The CBC tradition is to hold a Friday-evening Tenebrae service, in which we read the story of Jesus’ passion and crucifixion while extinguishing candles along the way. The service ends in darkness while members of the choir sing an a cappella hymn. This is a simple yet meaningful service that allows for quiet reflection as we approach Easter Sunday.
EASTER SUNDAY
Christ has Risen! We celebrate with a pancake breakfast followed by a joyful morning service and, last but not least, the annual Easter-egg hunt on the church playground.
BLUE CHRISTMAS
Each year, we hold a weekday evening service for those who may be experiencing pain or sadness during the Christmas season and would like the opportunity to observe it in a quiet and more personal way.
CHRISTMAS EVE
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This service is one of the warmest of the year, as we read the Christmas story, sing hymns, and light candles at the end of the service. It’s also one of the most fun, as we also sing merry Christmas carols and many in the congregation arrive in their pajamas!
