What's your Sunday worship like?

We think you'll enjoy worship at Crown of Life Lutheran Church. But if you are our guest and you're not familiar with worship at Crown of Life, you should expect it to take at least a couple of Sundays to become accustomed to our worship of Jesus. At Crown of Life we make our worship as "user friendly" as possible. Each week the songs, Scripture, sermon notes and other parts of the service are projected on the screen in the front of the worship area.  At the Corona 8:00am Heritage of Faith service, we use a hymnal for the parts of the liturgy or order of service but the songs are projected on the screen.  At the Corona 11:00am Faith for Today service, the service is projected on the screen.  At the 9:30 am Beaumont service, the service are projected as well.  You will find the service easy to follow, the music great and the message biblical and applicable to your every day life.

What is close Communion?

One of the most frequently asked questions people have about worship at Crown of Life is our practice of close communion. Close Communion means that the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion is received by those who are close or are unified in faith.   Please understand that we do not practice close communion to be exclusionary or judgmental. It is not out of a "holier than thou" attitude. Our greatest desire is that all people might be able to join us for this heavenly banquet. So please don't think that we want to exclude you. Nothing could be further from the truth.

That being said, the Scriptures do have some very definite things to say about who is to be invited to the Lord's table. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul gives us some very specific instructions concerning communicants at Holy Communion:

First of all, St Paul says, "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Co 11:28). In other words, Holy Communion is only for those who realize and confess all their sins before God.

Secondly, St Paul writes: "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Co 11:27).  What does Paul mean: "in an unworthy manner"?  Paul is writing about someone who is living in impenitence or denying some clear word of Scripture. Holy Communion is only for those who accept all the teachings of Scripture, nothing more and nothing less.

Thirdly, St Paul writes: "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Co 11:29).   In the Lord's Supper all communicants, whether believer or unbeliever, receive Jesus' very own body and blood. The Christian receives it for his benefit; the unbeliever receives it to his judgment. Many in the Christian church deny this central Christian truth, however. For such a person Paul has a stern warning: that he "eats and drinks judgment on himself."

Finally, the Apostle writes, "Because there is one loaf, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."      (1  Cor 10:17)  Receiving Communion together is a public statement of a oneness of faith.  Therefore, only those who share our our faith in what the Scripture teaches should receive Communion at our altar.

What about giving an offering?

"When will they take the offering?" "How will it be collected?" "How much am I expected to give?" "Do they want visitors to contribute too?" These are typical worries about church offerings.

Scripture teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that everything we have a gift of God. He does not compel us to give "a tithe" as he did the Old Testament believer. Instead St Paul tells us that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). In other words, don't feel compelled by guilt or embarrassment to give an offering. We want all offerings to be made freely and with joy.

Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. We pass an offering plate after the sermon so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God. Offering envelopes are available to members to keep their gifts a private matter. A child may bring the quarters and dimes his parents give him. Someone older may write a check. Both are remembering Jesus and giving their gift out of love for him. You may wish at first to learn more about our ministry before bringing your offerings to God through our church. But you are welcome to participate as the Holy Spirit leads you to give.

What's the worst that can happen?

Attending church somewhere for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some common worries:

"I would just die if they made me stand up and say something." We assure you, we won't embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel comfortable and at home with us. Church should be an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We promise to do all we can so you can learn about your Savior.

"I know my child is going to be too noisy." We love to have children in worship. If they are crying, you'll find a parents' room through the center door at the rear of the worship space.  In it are a few rocking chairs and some toys.  The service is piped into this room.  We also offer age appropriate education during the late service in Corona and the Beaumont service for children age 2 through grade 6. Diaper chaning stations are located inside the handicapped staff in both the men's and women's restrooms.

"I know I will feel out of place." We hope that this description will ease your mind, but if you have a question, please ask someone for help. Don't hesitate to say, "I'm new. What is this about?"

"I am afraid I will say or do something wrong." All of us have felt this way when in a new situation. But we hope you see our family at Crown of Life is full of ordinary people like you. Besides, we all have short memories!

"I just want to watch at first and I know that they will try to involve me or sign me up." It is unpleasant to be pressured or to be part of a "membership drive" as though we were heads of cattle, isn't it? We believe that church membership is a voluntary thing, and that the most important thing is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. It takes time for this to be cultivated. People need time to evaluate and decide if they want to get further involved. We respect that need.

"I don't know that much about the Bible." There are no "super-Christians" at Crown of Life. None of us have our Bibles completely memorized (at least not yet!). If we did, we might feel that church was unnecessary. Worship and Bible study are opportunities to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and faith in Jesus. You won't have to answer any questions you don't want to answer. And remember, sometimes the wisest words we say are, "I don't know."

"Most churches I've been to are filled with hypocrites." This is a common complaint about Christian churches. People expect to enter a church and find "perfect people" there. We make no such claims about ourselves. People who would make statements like the above one need to realize that the church is a spiritual hospital. It's not for healthy people; it's for sick people. Jesus himself said: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Mt 9:12). Jesus is the Great Physician of our souls. So don't come to Crown of LIfe expecting to find perfect people. We're far from perfect! As the bumper sticker says: "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven."

How do I find out more about your teachings?

Feel free to talk with our Pastor or even to take part in a CLASS 101.  You can feel safe about asking questions.

A Final Thought

We pray that this has helped answer some of your questions and alleviate your fears. Our mission as a congregation is quite simple. We want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all people on the basis of the Holy Scriptures. Everything we do is meant to accomplish that one goal. We pray that there is nothing that stands in your way from learning more about your Savior at Crown of Life Lutheran Church.

Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions or if there is anything we can do for you.

God's richest blessings to you. We look forward to meeting you at Crown of Life!