What To Expect

We are aware that attending any church for the first time can be a little intimidating. Will I know when to stand and when to sit? Will the people be friendly, or will they ignore me? Will my children like it (and be well-cared for in a safe environment)? Will they ask me for money? How should I dress? What do they believe? Will they force their beliefs on me?

We've done our best to make Cambridge First Church of the Nazarene as "user-friendly" as possible. Whatever your background: whether you are a longtime church member elsewhere, and have moved into the area, or this is your first time attending any church, we want to put you at ease. You will be greeted warmly by someone when you arrive. That person will give you a bulletin and a welcome packet, with a visitor’s card to fill out (you may decline, if you wish), and then show you to a seat. If you have small children, you may keep them with you or take them to our nusery downstairs.

Your Bulletin

Your bulletin will let you know what to expect in the service, along with the scriptures we'll be referring to that day. Please notice that everyone is dressed comfortably, most often quite casually. After a few opening songs, we will have a time of Fellowship, where we leave our seats and greet each other. You, too, will be approached in a friendly manner, and greeted. A few announcements will be made.

While most of our music has a pop/rock feel, we do sing some hymns. One way or another, you should have some catchy tunes to hum all week long. After a few songs, we take an offering. Our hope is that our visitors will regard themselves as our guests and not feel any pressure to give. After the reading of the Scriptures, the pastor will begin to speak. The teaching lasts somewhere between 25 and 30 minutes, and we get a lot of encouraging feedback about how relevant people typically find them to be. Our church motto is, "Healing in Community," which describes what we try to emphasize in some way in each service. The bulletin includes a sermon outline which you can use, and sometimes the sermon is illustrated by PowerPoint, or a clip from a pertinent movie.

Sermon and Prayer

After the message, whoever's speaking usually prays for the congregation along the lines of what has just been said and, if you're interested, you'll have the opportunity to receive further prayer from the pastor, or a person trained in praying for people.

Communion

Every first Sunday of the month, during the service, we take communion together. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are invited to join in, or you can sit back and meditate on the meaning of the scripture or the sermon. We are told that these times tend to be powerful, whether you take communion or not.

After the Service

Our services run about an hour and 15 minutes, and we think you'll find it moves fast. After the service, many people stick around to make new friends or catch up with old ones around coffee, cookies and the like. You are warmly invited to join us for coffee, cookies, and fellowship in our lounge downstairs.

Also, if you have children, that's when you can pick them up from Children’s Church or the nursery.

We hope you'll stop by for a visit and, if you do, please come up and say "hi" to the pastor. He'd love to meet you. And, one way or another, may you find a spiritual home that works well for you. We're here for you and your healing! And we're for you finding a meaningful and transforming connection with God.