Worship
Our worship services center on the teaching and proclamation of the gospel through corporate singing and reading and hearing the Word of God. Come be our guest as we worship the Lord together!
Pastor George Davis or a member of the pastoral staff will be preaching in each worship service on most Sundays.
In Heritage at 8 a.m., a worship leader will lead the congregation in singing historic hymns and gospel songs, accompanied by a piano and organ.
Encounter at 9:15 a.m. features guitar-driven music including hymns and contemporary songs.
Exaltation at 11 a.m. includes the use of historic hymns and contemporary music accompanied by a keyboard-driven rhythm section. The choir and orchestra minister in this service every other week in the fall, winter and spring.
Our Philosophy of Worship
In attempting to describe what different public worship services will be like in our church, it is important to first describe the elements that need to be evident in every service without regard to musical style, location or atmosphere. With that in mind, here is a general description of worship services.
All of the public worship services at the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey should be ...
Gospel-centered
Every aspect of the services should be evaluated in light of the gospel. The questions that should be asked are, “Do I understand the gospel better and do I have a deeper gratitude for what God has done for me in Christ as a result of attending and participating in this service?”
Scripture-centered
The Scriptures need to be preached, and they need to be heard and read at every service.
Rooted in historic patterns of worship
In his book “Deep Church,” Jim Belcher says, “Worship is rooted in two thousand years of the church and the historic flow of worship. The order of service, the liturgy, should be both old and new. The goal is to take the best of the tradition and breathe new life into it for the twenty-first century.”
An expression of the transcendence and imminence of God
When we worship God, we must proclaim his majesty, glory and “otherness” while at the same time praise him for coming near and dwelling among us.
Highly participatory
Our services should not be concert-like, with spectators watching what is happening on the platform. All who attend should be encouraged to participate in singing, reading of the Scriptures, prayer, confession of sins, giving of tithes and offerings, listening to and responding to the sermon and partaking of communion. All of this should be done with enthusiasm and awe for all that God has accomplished for us in Christ.
Accessible
All who attend the services – whether Christ-followers or truth-seekers, whether guests or long-time attendees – should be made to feel comfortable and at ease.
Welcoming
All who attend the services should be made to feel welcome without regard to age, gender, race or socio-economic status.
Edifying
When we gather as believers, our services should lead to spiritual growth and maturity. As David Peterson observes, “Worship and edification are different dimensions of the same activities.”
Community-building
The Scriptures say that we should “speak to one another” and that we should “encourage one another.” This should be an emphasis of our services. While large public gatherings probably are not the best way to develop community, they should be structured with community-building in mind.
