New Here?

If this will be your first time worshiping with us on Sunday, we would like to welcome you with open arms!  Let us answer a few questions for you to make your first visit more comfortable.

Where should I go first when I arrive?

You are welcome to park wherever you like in our parking lot, then walk to the center of our campus to the plaza where you'll see an Information Booth.  The volunteers at the Information Booth will be able to answer questions for you about the service and help you find your way to the Sanctuary entrance.  At the Information Booth, you'll also find a guest book and gifts waiting for you as our way of showing how excited we are that you are here to worship with us!  

What should I wear?

Many members of our church choose to dress in business casual, but you are welcome to dress as you like!

How long is the worship service?

The services are about one hour long.

Will there be communion during the worship service?

We celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion in every church service with the exceptions of Christmas and Easter services.  To learn more about our beliefs on Communion (also known as The Lord's Supper or The Sacrament of the Altar), please read a statement written by our synod, "What About The Sacrament of the Altar."

What is the style of the church service?

Community's Sunday morning serivices at our Escondido campus are a blend of traditional and contemporary. Our pastor is dressed in traditional vestments, but his sermons are personal, relatable, and Scriptural. Some of traditional elements of the service include the Confession and Absolution, Scripture Readings, and Communion. The choir and instrumental anthems are both traditional and contemporary. Congregational music at the 7:45 AM service is accompanied by piano and organ, while music on the first and third Sundays at the 10:00 AM service is accompanied by a full band of musicians and vocalists. Whichever service you attend, we hope that you will know the love of Christ for you and that you will leave filled with the Holy Spirit!

Can I bring children into the worship service?

Children are invited to worship with families in the service and are celebrated in many different ways:

• Busy Bags - Pick up an activity bag on the left side of the Narthex (church entrance) before going in to worship.
• Children's Bulletins - Activity pages that are related to the church service are available from the ushers.
• Children's Message - All children are invited to come up to the front of the church during a part of the service for an object lesson related to our Scripture Readings and sermon.  Parents, you'll get something out of it, too!
• Children's Choir - Children who practice with the choir throughout the year will sing in the church service as scheduled.
• Cry Room - When you need to leave the service with your little one for a few minutes, you are welcome to use the Cry Room located just off of the narthex.  The room provides a window into the Sanctuary so you won't miss a minute of the service while you take a few minutes to yourselves.
• Nursery -  If you don't think your young ones will be able to sit through the church service, feel free to use our staffed nursery as another option during worship.  Bring your child to the nursery in Room 1 of the Preschool Building before the service starts and pick them up when the service ends.  Alternatively, you can bring your children to worship up until the children's message and take them to the nursery after the children's message has concluded.
• Changing Table - A changing table can be found in the women's restroom located off of the Narthex.
• Sunday School - Sunday School classes are not offered during worship services because one of our values at Community Lutheran Church is family, and we hope that families will come together before our Lord in worship together.  Sunday School classes for children and adult Bible studies are offered from 9:00 - 9:45 AM on Sunday mornings between church services.

What do you offer for people with special needs?

We hope that everyone will be able to worship comfortably on Sunday mornings, so the following services are available for those with special needs:

• Bulletins - Our service is provided on screens, but printed bulletins are available for those with trouble seeing the screens.
• Headsets - Headsets can be picked up from the ushers to help you hear the service at the volume of your choice.
• Accessibility - All of our seating can be accessed with a wheelchair or walker.  To reach the balcony seating, an elevator can be found off of the Narthex.  If you would like to use our seating in the Sanctuary but have a walker or wheelchair, an usher would be happy to put your walker or wheelchair aside during the service and bring it back to you at the conclusion of the service.
• Restrooms - A changing table, baby supplies, and senior supplies can be found in our men's and women's restrooms.

How can I become baptized?

Baptism is one very special way God delivers to us the blessings Christ won for us. Baptism is not something we do, but something God does. Therefore, it is far more than a symbol. It is a sacred act in which God Himself is at work forgiving sins, giving new life in Christ and bestowing on us the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts. Baptism gives us the faith through which we receive these gifts.  We believe baptism is a beautiful gift of God, not something you have to earn or prove that you are worthy of.  At Community, our pastor baptizes infants through adults in our 10:00 AM church service on the date of your choice.  Adults are encouraged to attend an informational class or meet with our pastor before the baptism.  To learn more about our beliefs on baptism, please read "What About Holy Baptism."  

What is membership, and how do I become a member of the church?

Church members are regularly attending worshipers who also volunteer their time and talents in the congregation.  Members are in agreement with the beliefs of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and have voting rights in congregational meetings.  To learn more about the beliefs of our church while you prayerfully consider membership, please join us in our Adult Confirmation Class offered several times throughout the year.  Contact Kristen Beyer in the church office for class dates.