Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What should I wear when I visit?
A. You will find a wide spectrum of attire at the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Many folks are comfortable in suits or dresses; many are comfortable in more casual wear. Know that you will not be singled out no matter what you choose to wear. Attire on Wednesday nights and at other church functions is usually more relaxed and casual. We want people to focus on Jesus and not on what someone is, or is not, wearing.
Q. What should I bring when I visit?
A. Most importantly, bring yourself and your family or friends! It may also be beneficial to bring a Bible if you have one available to you. You should be aware that an offering is collected as part of every worship service. You are certainly more than welcome to bring your contribution to add as part of your worship, but it is up to you if and how much you choose to give.
Q. How do I get involved at Mt. Calvary?
A. It's easy. Just ask! There are no restrictions about who can or can't be involved at our church. Membership is not a prerequisite to service at Mt. Calvary. If you have a passion for a particular area of church life, the chances are great that you will be able to use those gifts. There are always plenty of opportunities available--everything from teaching to greeting to building to cooking. Simply find a staff member or talk to anyone in the congregation to share your own ideas with them. We're ready to listen and we want you to be a part of what's going on!
Q. Do you rent out your facilities for special events?
Because of the size of our ministry and the vast amount of weekly activity, all special events are limited to church member's use only. This would include weddings, funerals, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, and similar events.
Q. When is Worship Service?
A. Our Worship Service is at 11 a.m. every Sunday. We celebrate the Lord's Supper the second Sunday of the month during the 11 a.m. worship service.
Q. When does Sunday School start?
A. We have Sunday School for 1st grade through High School at and Adult classes at 9:45 AM. Sunday School is from 9:45 to 10:45 am. The children are encouraged to participate in the worship service before and after Sunday School.
Q. How Long Do Your Services Last?
A. They normally last two hours. That does not include any ministry time at the end and any fellowship that goes on afterwards. We understand people are very busy, but we also understand, and greatly desire to spend time in worship, in the Word, in ministry, and in fellowship. We do not rush the Lord, or His people.
Q. How early should I arrive?
A. It usually works best for visitors to arrive between 15 to 20 minutes before the service begins so you can find a place to park and make your way to the building.
Q. What can I except during Worship Service?
A. We believe you will experience the God of love, and the love of our people. We appreciate people that visit us. Our heart is to welcome you in, and honor you for visiting with us.
As you enter our Sanctuary for Worship, ushers will offer you the Order of Worship bulletin describing the Service. By using the bulletin, the hymnals and Bibles located in your pew, you will be able to easily follow our Service. Feel free to sit anywhere you like or the ushers can assist you in finding a seat if you prefer. Our congregation is composed of all ages, from newborn infants to retirees, and from varied ethnic backgrounds. Early in the Service, a Visitor card will be passed out. Please sign your name(s). If you would like to leave us your phone number and/or address, one of the members of the congregation will contact you to answer any questions you may have about us and to offer information about our church.
Our Worship Service typically, begins with Gathering, Praise and Worship period, processional of the choir, opening prayer, announcements, and hymn. This is followed by scripture readings from Old and/or New Testaments, anthem, Tithes and Offerings, Sermon, call to Christian Discipleship and prayers. Other events, such as the introduction of new members, or the Sacrament of Baptism, may also take place during this part of the Service. The Mt. Calvary Baptist Church baptizes persons of all ages - infants, children and adults. The final portion of the Service is the Sending Forth - typically a Hymn, Dismissal with Blessing (Benediction) and Postlude. We frequently stand during portions of our Worship Service. If you are unable to stand with ease, please feel comfortable in remaining seated. Our organist normally accompanies our hymns. The majority of our hymns are found in The National Baptist Hymnal. Throughout the year we have additional musical accompanies, such as Guitar and Drums.
An Offering is collected at each Service. Feel free to donate or not as you are moved. Holy Communion is celebrated the second Sunday of the month. Following prayer and the blessing of the Elements (bread and wine) by the Senior Pastor or his designee, an invitation to partake of the Lord's Supper is extended to the congregation. The Lord's Supper is open to all baptized believers who wish to partake, including children, but visitors who may feel uncomfortable participating or whose beliefs may prohibit participation - should not feel pressured, and may simply remain seated. If you cannot stand to come forward to receive Communion, but would like to receive the Elements at your seat, please tell one of our ushers or a Deacon prior to the beginning of the Service, so that they can relay the information to the Pastor. We receive Communion as directed by the Deacons, who act as ushers during communion service. The bread is offered usually with words such as "The body of Christ, broken for you". As the bread is received, the appropriate response is "Amen". The cup is then offered with words such as "The blood of Christ, shed for you". Again the response is "Amen"; and the elements consumed individually. After all have been served, the pastor gives a blessing and dismissal. The Mt. Calvary Baptist Church uses non-fermented juice of the grape, rather than wine containing alcohol and wafers rather than fermented bread.
Q: What is the preaching like at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church?
A. Our Senior Pastor’s style of preaching is known as expository preaching, whereby he starts with the Bible to first understand its meaning and then applies that meaning in today's context to enable us to see how the Bible is relevant for us.
Q: What do you believe about the Bible?
A. Although a fuller examination of what we believe can be found in our Articles of Faith, the following portion sums it up. "The Scriptures were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. The Bible's 39 Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books are regarded as inerrant and infallible in their respective Hebrew and Greek original manuscripts." In addition, we embrace the notion of sola Scriptura, "Scripture Alone," as our ultimate authority.
Q. Is there a Nursery?
A. A Nursery is provided for every church sponsored event and most children's events. Our staff of loving adult care givers are all CPR trained for infants. Each child is signed in and released only to their parents or guardian. When you leave your children in the nursery, you will be asked if they have any special needs. We offer nursery services for infants to 5 years at all of our Services.
Children are important to the Lord, and to us. We do not believe in just babysitting. Jesus said, “do not stop the children from coming to Me.” We believe in training even the youngest among us to know Jesus and to be His disciple. We use age appropriate material and methods in our training.
Q. What kind of activities do you have for children on Sunday?
A. On Sunday mornings, we offer preschool care for infants through eighth grade during Sunday School. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the childrens choir (Mighty Vessels) provides the music and the older youth participate in the morning worship service.
Q: Will people accept me as I am?
A. That's a question we all wonder about. We try to have the same approach that God does. The bible says that God loves us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way. Part of love is not merely acceptance of status quo, but help to become the men and women God would have us to be. If you see yourself as a sinner, that's good, because that's who we all are. We're sinners saved by grace trying to grow in that grace. We invite you to join us on that journey. We will try to make you feel welcome and help you develop a closer relationship with God.
Q: What if I have other questions?
A. You're welcome to email us or give us a call at (856) 478-2511. Of course, we invite you to come investigate for yourself. We'd love to meet you and answer any questions you might have in person.