The United Methodist Church of Bay Shore - Visitor's Guide

ALL OF US WERE ONCE FIRST-TIME VISITORS HERE - SO RELAX!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Except for “Family Worship” Sundays, Sunday School classes are held at the same time as the Service.  Feel free to keep your kids with you or go off with them to Sunday School, get them settled, then slip back into the Sanctuary (or stay, watch, and help out with the class).  Ask an Usher or Greeter for help finding the right class.  Classes last until the end of the regular Service in the sanctuary.  They are fun and age appropriate – be prepared to “ooh” and “aah” over the crafts the younger kids make.

Sunday School classes are in the Educational Wing.  To get there, go out the right rear sanctuary door, through the Fellowship Hall and into the hallway at the other end.  Follow the hall as it turns right (note the restroom on the right) and make a left through the fire doors into the Educational Wing.  Classes are upstairs.  The teachers will keep smaller children in their classroom until you come and get them after Service.

TODDLER ROOM

While you are welcome to keep your young children with you during the Service, we have a Toddler Room located on the second floor of the Educational Wing.  It is supervised by at least one adult and typically staffed by kid-loving teenagers.

FUSSY BABIES AND RESTLESS CHILDREN…

are God’s blessing (though it might seem otherwise sometimes to a harried parent).  If your child makes a little noise don’t worry about it – it will keep the rest of us from falling asleep during the boring parts :).  If you prefer, take a walk out to the Fellowship Hall and come back when things have cooled down – the Service is piped to the Fellowship Hall through speakers so you can listen as you soothe.

STANDING AND SITTING

At various points in the Service the congregation is invited to stand.  If you are juggling a baby or are not feeling up to it, by all means feel free to remain seated.

ATTENDANCE AND RITUAL OF FELLOWSHIP

Each pew has a red attendance pad, which gets passed back and forth for everyone to write their names down.  This is a low-key way for you to learn the names of the folks sitting next to you. For the Ritual of Fellowship we greet each other in whatever fashion we choose for a minute or two.  Some stay seated; others get up and move around.  It’s a good opportunity to stand up and stretch while shaking a few hands.

PRAYER REQUESTS

These are the little white cards in the pew pockets.  You can fill them out with any request for prayer and remain anonymous if you choose.  They are collected by the ushers and read out loud before the Pastoral Prayer.

CHILDREN’S MOMENT

The Children’s Moment is a time during Family Service when the Pastor invites the kids to come forward.  The children sit on the altar steps with the Pastor, who tells them a short story (most  times something  with a theme close to the one in the sermon later on).  If someone feels shy, they are welcome to bring along a Big Person for company. 

OFFERING

Give whatever amount is comfortable for you. Some of our members give by mail rather than at Service so you won’t look out of place whatever the amount of your offering. Offering envelopes are in the pew pockets if you would like to use them.

COMMUNION

We serve Communion on the First Sunday of each month.  Everyone is welcome to participate in Communion – you don’t need to be a member of our congregation or indeed of any church – you just have to desire to feel closer to Jesus and do this “In Remembrance of Him”. 

Parents can decide if they wish to serve their children – you can tell them this is one way we remember Jesus and the things He did for us. The elements are plain wheat bread and fruit juice served in individual cups. We usually serve at the altar rail but will sometimes serve in the pews during holidays when attendance is up.  If you find it difficult to come to the altar rail during Communion, an usher will serve you in your pew. If it’s difficult to kneel you may receive Communion standing at the rail.

POSTLUDE AND COFFEE HOUR

Some in the congregation sit through the musical postlude, others prefer to leave the sanctuary “On Wings of Song” – follow whichever course seems most comfortable for you.  Our Pastor and Lay Reader will be waiting to greet you at the right rear entrance to the sanctuary, and most people leave in that direction.

We have an informal “Coffee Hour” in the Fellowship Hall immediately following Service on most Sundays.  We serve decaffeinated coffee, tea, cold drinks, juice or punch for the kids, and usually some cookies or cake.  It’s an opportunity for people to stand around and chat for a few minutes, then leave at their own pace.  We especially hope you as a visitor can stay for Coffee Hour so you can get to know us a little better.

PARKING AND DISABLED ACCESS

Our main parking lot is on Mechanicsville Rd. (runs east-west) between Bay Shore Avenue and Second Avenue (both run north-south, Second Avenue is one-way going south – you can’t turn onto Second Ave. from Main Street).  On-street parking is available on these streets as well as on Main Street. Our buildings are wheelchair-accessible except for the second floor of the Educational Wing.  The wheelchair entrance is in the middle of the north wall between the Fellowship Hall and the Educational Wing, directly adjacent to our handicapped parking spaces.

RESTROOMS

There is a restroom (with a diaper-changing table) in the hallway at the back of the Fellowship Hall on the way to the Educational Wing  (for detailed directions look at the directions to the Sunday School Classes above).  Additional restrooms are in the back of the first floor of the Educational Wing.

We hope to see you at our Worship Service soon. 

God loves you and we are happy you have come to worship with us.  We want you to feel like you are visiting Grandma’s house, not taking a trip to the Principal’s Office.  We hope this lighthearted introduction to our worship traditions will let you sit back and enjoy the Service a little more.