FAQs

Though our address is on Massachusetts Avenue, our parking lot entrance is off of Boulevard Drive. There is also some parking on the street.

The doors to our Sanctuary (the main gathering room where worship takes place) face north under the main steeple (roof tower), closest to the parking lot. Greeters will be at those doors, to give you a bulletin (written worship program) and a visitors’ information packet. You can also come in through the Bailey Hall doors, which face west just past the prayer garden, as you come from the parking lot. There is a hallway leading to the Sanctuary, just to the right as you come in the Bailey Hall doors. There is an upper chapel on the corner of Boulevard and Massachusetts, but it is used by another congregation.

Go through Bailey Hall (main gathering space for everything except worship) to the hallway at the back. Turn to your right, and you’ll find the men’s room and the women’s room. A family restroom is available in the Nursery, which is on the left side of Bailey Hall, coming from the outside entrance.

You should wear whatever makes you comfortable. There will be people in jackets and dresses, and there will also be people in shorts and flip-flops. The Pastor will be wearing a clergy robe, but that’s mostly so she has pockets!

Our worship service usually lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes, with some Sundays stretching longer because of special additions to the service. It has what you might call a “blended” style, with a variety of music styles and a reverent but informal feel. We spend time singing, lifting our joys and concerns before God in prayer, hearing scripture, listening for God’s word through the sermon, and celebrating communion. The preacher strives to keep her sermons shorter than the congregation’s attention span.

When you come in the main doors of the Sanctuary, you will be given a paper bulletin, which is a program for the whole service, with lots of details. Much of that information will also be shown on the screens in the Sanctuary. And most of the time, the person leading the service will make clear what’s happening and how to participate.

Yikes! Nope. We want you to feel welcome, not singled out. You will likely be greeted by multiple people before and after worship, but we promise not to make you the center of attention during the service. We’d love to get to know you better during coffee hour in Bailey Hall afterward, but again, just in casual conversation.

Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper or eucharist, is the central part of our worship service. It is a special, ritual meal in which we share small portions of bread and juice, which remind us of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love for us. In one sense, it is a remembrance of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples before he was crucified (see Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 and Luke 22:14-23). In another sense, it is a celebration of the Great Feast that will take place at the end of time. It is a time of remembrance, giving thanks, accepting God’s forgiveness and celebrating the unity of the Body of Christ.

In our worship services, everyone is welcome to participate in the Lord’s Supper. We want communion to be accessible to all. We provide gluten-free options at all services. Our communion sets always use juice rather than wine. When the communion ritual involves coming forward, there will always be someone available to serve those with mobility difficulties in their seats. We work hard to make sure everyone is served and feels welcome to participate, but we also understand if you’re not ready when you’re visiting. It is Christ’s table – all are welcome!

Most of the year, communion is served in the seats, with Deacons (worship assistants) serving each person from a tray. You are invited to take one of the pre-sealed communion cups and consume the bread and juice when you are ready. There are baskets at both exits for the empty cups.

During certain seasons of the year, we receive communion by coming to the front of the Sanctuary. For this method, a Deacon will invite your row to come forward down the center aisle, where you will be offered a pre-sealed communion cup. You are invited to return to your seat by the outer aisles and partake when you are ready. Another worship leader will serve those who can’t come forward in their seats. Baskets are at both exits for the empty cups.

As Disciples, we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and claim him as our Lord and Savior. That is the only “creed” we share. We believe God loves us. We believe God loves you. We believe God loves the whole world. We believe Jesus Christ helps us understand and live within that love.
To learn more, read through the rest of this page or visit our What Do We Believe page.

We’d like to think our congregation is a good place to try to figure out what you believe. This is a church that appreciates good questions. We definitely don’t all believe the same thing, or have the same relationship with Jesus, and we wouldn’t expect you to either. If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus and the Bible and Christianity, come join us on the journey.

We see the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, as the central guiding texts for Christianity. As Disciples, we cherish each individual’s right and responsibility to interpret scripture according to their own conscience and experience. Knowing that the Bible is a complex book, made up of many writings over centuries, we take it too seriously to pretend to read it “literally.” In worship and study, we usually use the New Revised Standard translation.

The name of our denomination is The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. We usually abbreviate that by calling ourselves Disciples (with a capital “D”). When it’s spelled with a small “d”, it’s usually referring to the disciples in the Bible, or Christians generally, whether they’re part of our specific faith tradition or not.

We understand that some people have been hurt, abused, or otherwise traumatized by previous church experiences, and that others may not have much exposure to church beyond the hateful rhetoric some churches focus on. We grieve that such experiences are so common, and we strive to do church differently. We do believe that it is easier to live a life of faith within a community, rather than on our own, as long as that community operates with care and integrity.

If you need to get to know us slowly, that’s just fine. If you have questions, please ask. If there are things we can do to help you feel more comfortable while becoming part of this community, please let us know. When we mess up, it’s usually because we’re a small group of humans, doing the best we can and making mistakes, not because we’re an institution focused on preserving power.

Our sanctuary and Fellowship Hall are all on the ground level. Our restrooms are handicapped accessible as well. If you would like us to remove a chair from a row, to fit a wheelchair in, please don’t hesitate to ask one of the greeters at the main door. The aisles are also wide enough for you to just park alongside a row, if you prefer.

Absolutely! We love children! Children are welcome in worship, and we offer “quiet creativity” bags to help keep them engaged. We also have a Nursery staffed by a paid attendant and a volunteer, for infants through 3-year-olds.

During the service, we have a Moment to Acknowledge Our Youngest Disciples, when your child will be greeted by name (or we will learn their name!) and reminded that God loves them. After that, children sixth grade and under are invited to an age-appropriate children’s program, if they want to go.

Yes! All people are welcome in God’s house and at Christ’s table. While our congregation doesn’t have a formal stance on any questions of sexuality and we have people with a variety of perspectives, we welcome all people into our community of faith.

Our current membership is predominantly White, with a small number of people of color. We take seriously the Christian Church’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist church, through study, self-reflection and action. While our worship style is most influenced by the conventions of White mainline Protestantism, we try to incorporate voices and materials from many cultures.

Absolutely! Laughter is encouraged! We believe humor is a gift from God, and that even the scriptures contain moments inviting us to laugh. Also, our pastor is hilarious. [Narrator: She is mostly just a goofball.]

There are lots of ways to participate in the ministries of VLMCC. Attending worship is just the beginning. We have numerous outreach projects in which we work together to serve our community and the world. We invite everyone to participate in classes and small groups that help us deepen our faith. We have fairly regular fellowship events like picnics, potlucks and game nights, as well as events for our neighborhood and community.

Those who want to commit to being part of our community share a confession of faith and get baptized, or transfer their membership from another congregation. We baptize by full immersion, but we receive members from other traditions and honor all forms of baptism. There is a special moment for this during the worship service each week. Membership makes you eligible to vote in our congregational meetings (usually held once a year) and to serve in elected leadership positions. (But joining doesn’t mean you have to take on those roles.) If you have any questions about membership or baptism, please be in touch with the pastor.

There are no entrance fees or membership dues required to participate at VLMCC. Almost all of our activities are free, though we do invite donations for some things to help us cover costs.

We receive a voluntary offering during each worship service. This is one of the spiritual practices that followers of Jesus engage in, to help us shape our lives around gospel principles. Some people make annual commitments to give a certain amount, as a way of living out their commitment to God and our congregation. Some people tithe, which means to give 10% of your income to the church. Others give what they can, when they can, as a sign of gratitude or joy. These donations help us cover the cost of operating our congregation, paying our staff, and carrying out our ministries. Contributions are always welcome, but as it says in our worship bulletin (program), if you are visiting with us, we consider your presence a gift!

Giving to the church helps us live out our priorities. It helps us remember that our worth is not measured by our bank account. It reminds us that all we have comes from God, and it invites us to participate in what God is doing in our world.

We would be delighted to receive your donations electronically.

Click here to make an online donation. 

If you got this far, you’re going to be fine!