How do I follow along in a worship service?

• When you arrive, you will receive a bulletin from an usher which will detail the flow of the service.

• In each pew, there is a laminated card with parts of the service (The Lord’s Prayer, the Doxology and Gloria Patri, words for communion) that correspond with where we are. Those are designated in your bulletin with a cross.

Who can come to church?

• Rockland Congregational Church is ready and willing to welcome anyone who wishes to join us.

  • When we say this, we do mean everyone. We begin with grace, and hope we end up with welcome and gracefulness as well.

What is ‘the offering’?

• First, God calls us to give from what we have received from God’s creation.

• Second, our church functions because people give freely of their money, talents, and time.

• All the things that happen at our church require financial support and volunteer support.

• As a visitor, we do not expect you to give.

• Most members pledge a certain amount of money on a yearly basis, and we keep track of that so we can form a budget.

• ​Our Annual Report is available from the church office.

More Below!

What is a ‘church covenant’?

• There are several ways to organize a church. One of the most ancient ways to do so is to make covenants with one another. Another word for ‘covenant’, though with less nuance, is ‘promise’.

• As Congregationalists, we say that – in the same way we are bound to God by the covenants God makes to humankind in Scripture – we bind ourselves as a community of faith by ‘covenanting’ with one another.

• Our church covenant is:

  • We covenant with God and with one another to seek God’s will as taught in the Holy Scriptures, to walk together in the ways of the Lord, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, and to depend upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

Church Leadership

We have three Councils, or decision-making groups, in our church:

• Faith Council - Responsible for preparing the space for each Sunday, including Communion. Responsible for providing for education and edification of the congregation.

• Fellowship Council - Responsible for our outreach to the community and for support for missions we support. Responsible for providing opportunities for gathering beyond worship.

• Function Council - Responsible for maintaining the budget, the function of the church, and the maintenance of the grounds and building.

• Each of the these Councils provide two people to attend our Church Council meeting each month (the third Tuesday).

What does Membership mean in your church?

• To become a member means you promise to participate in the faith life of Rockland Congregational Church. Likewise, it means the church promises to nurture, care for, and provide for your faith life.

• We try to have a New Member class twice a year. In that class, which is usually a few hours on a Saturday morning, we go over the history of Christianity, the foundations of the Congregational tradition, and what Rockland Congregational Church is all about.

• Then, during a Sunday service, we have a special ceremony where we welcome new members and share the words of Rockland Congregational Church’s covenant together.