Weekly worship is the heart of Ottawa Mennonite Church. We gather each Sunday to praise God, pray, reflect on Scripture, and connect with each other. In worship we bring together the pain and satisfaction of our lives with the beauty and love of God. In worship we us music, poetry and visual art, along with our own stories to praise the Creator and to invite God to speak to us. Sometimes worship at OMC is lively and sometimes it is quiet but it always includes singing. Our sanctuary was built for singing. Our services are usually led by one of our congregants and usually follow a printed order of worship. On most Sundays one of our pastors gives the sermon, but we also have a number of gifted lay-preachers and sometimes host visiting speakers. On some special occasions there isn’t much of a sermon at all. You can find out more about worship at OMC below.
Response to COVID-19
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the format of our corporate worship has shifted in response to local public health guidelines. We are currently worshiping in a hybrid model (in-person and live-streaming). To protect those around us, we are continuing to wear masks while indoors in the church building.
Welcoming Visitors
If you decide to visit our congregation on a Sunday morning you probably will not be the only one. We almost always have guests, and there is usually an opportunity for first-time visitors to introduce themselves. Introducing yourself is never mandatory but it is one way of making new connections. Deacons near the doors of the worship space are happy to welcome you. They can also answer questions and provide additional information about OMC.
Welcoming Children
Children are welcome to participate in worship and there are usually a bunch. Young children are often invited forward for a story or prayer before the sermon. An unsupervised nursery space is available for infants and toddlers. Children age two through five have the option of leaving the service before the sermon and participating in a supervised play time in the preschool room. Some kids make it through the whole service in the sanctuary. We leave that up to their caregivers.
Music
We are a singing congregation! On most Sundays you will find one or two song books on your seat when you arrive. We sing traditional hymns, praise choruses and we are learning a growing number of international songs. Our adult choir sings often and the Children’s Choir (grade 1-8) and Cherubs (age 2-5) occasionally contribute too. Musicians from the church share their gifts individually or as accompanists.
Celebrating Communion
Many Christian congregations celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper every week. Mennonites generally do not. On average at OMC we celebrate communion every other month. In many Mennonite congregations children do not take the bread or the cup because the celebration is intended for baptized members. At OMC we invite all Jesus’ followers to share the meal. This means that some children do take part; we leave this decision up to families. The celebration of Communion is a way that we remember Jesus and recognize that he is still present with us.
Offering
We do not collect a monetary offering during worship simply because we don’t want anyone to feel obligated to give. Everyone is welcome to worship with us regardless of their financial resources. The opportunity to freely worship God is an aspect of divine grace. However, regular participants who do want to make a financial contribution to the church’s ministry can do so in the boxes near the sanctuary doors or by arranging for automatic debits.