A Visitor’s Guide to Apostles Lutheran Church

It can be hard to go to a church for the first time. There are so many questions that aren’t answered in mailings and newspaper ads. With this section we hope to answer some of the questions you might have about our church before you visit. 

We'd like to make your visit with us relaxed and enriching.  Our deepest wish is that when you visit Apostles, you will hear about your Savior, Jesus, and come to know the grace and love of God more and more.

Dress

Sometimes people wonder how they are expected to dress at a church they’ve never visited before.  Since the Bible presents no dress code, aside from simple decency and Christian humility, Apostles doesn’t make any rules either.

Like most people, our members try to make their worship time at church a special time. This is often reflected in the way they dress.  One may dress casually and rejoice that we have a God who accepts us as we are. Another may dress to reflect the awe and reverence we have for our Savior King. 

Sunday Worship

Our Communion Practice It is taught in scripture that through communion we build our intimate relationship with our Lord and God. God also makes known to us that our relationship with one another as believers is strengthened and that we become as one in our confession. In light of scripture, we do not want to impose our beliefs on anyone who is not familiar with the doctrine subscribed to by the WELS. We ask that you speak with the pastor before you join us for the Lord's supper.

Every church has its own style of worship. We think you’ll enjoy the services at Apostles, but as in any church you should expect it to take a couple of Sundays to become accustomed to our way of praising God together.

The services usually include the following parts in a variety of forms:

The Invocation - We call on the name of our Savior God as we praise him.

Admitting sins and finding forgiveness - We acknowledge that we have not been or done what God asks. Then we are assured of forgiveness in Jesus.

Bible Readings - Selections from God’s Old Testament prophets, Jesus’ apostles, and from Jesus himself in the Gospels. The pastor also gives a brief explanation of each reading.

Sermon - Our pastor offers instruction and encouragement in a Bible based sermon. Expect God’s guidance and grace for dealing with problems as well and the promise of eternal life in heaven through Jesus. 

Response to the Word - We respond with offerings and prayers for the things he has promised to us and for strength to do what he has asked.

Parting blessing - We hear one last assurance of God’s care.

Mixed throughout these different parts of our service are hymns and shorts songs to praise God. 

Offerings

The Bible teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is his gift to us. It teaches us that with our offerings we worship and honor God.  Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give.

We pass an offering plate during the service so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God.  You may wish to learn more about our ministry before bringing your offerings to God through our church. But you are welcome to participate as your heart leads you to give. 

The Worst That Can Happen

Cry Room Praise be to God who has blessed us with so many children! It is awesome to see and also to hear so many little kids regularly attending services. We thank God for the opportunity to minister to all ages and encourage parents to bring their children. We ask that parents use their discretion and respect others by making use of the cry room if their children are being loud. If there is anything that we can provide for parents to assist with their children, please contact Ken Petro or Pastor Bickelhaupt.

Attending church somewhere for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some common worries:

"I would just die if they made me stand up and say something."  We assure you, we won’t embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel comfortable and at home with us. We promise to do all we can so you will feel at ease. 

"I know my child is going to be too noisy."  Feel free to take your child into our preschool room at any time during the service. We ask that you not use this as a playtime for the children, but as an opportunity to get them settled down before coming back to the sanctuary.  The room has a window and a speaker system to allow you to continue to participate in the service.  Also, changing tables are located in both the women’s and men’s restrooms.

"I know I will feel out of place."  We hope that this visitor's guide will ease your mind, but if you have a question, please ask someone for help.  Don’t hesitate to say, "I am new. What is this about?"

"I just want to watch at first and I know that they will try to involve me or sign me up."  We believe that church membership and involvement should be voluntary.  People need time to evaluate and decide if they want to get involved further.  We respect that need.

"I don’t know that much about the Bible."  Church and Bible Study are opportunities to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and faith in Jesus. You won’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to answer. And sometimes the wisest words anyone can say are, "I don’t know." 

About Our Church Body

If you would like to read more about our beliefs and practices, check out our denominational website www.wels.net.

Apostles Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). This church body got its name because it was formed in Wisconsin in the 1850's. Our membership in this Synod unites us with Christians across our country and the world. It allows us to pool our resources for mission work as well as for writing hymnals, Bible classes, and other materials. 

Our congregation and Synod are solidly based in the Bible. We believe that Jesus is our Savior and the only way to heaven. Through faith in Jesus we are united to him and each other.

The name "Lutheran" comes from the great reformer Martin Luther. In a period in history when the Church had lost sight of its Savior and the truth of his Word, Martin Luther boldly challenged these errors and preached Jesus Christ as Savior. We are proud to remember his work in bringing to light the truth of God’s Word by using his name to identify ourselves. 

A Final Thought

We hope that this has helped answer some of your questions and alleviate your fears. Our goals as a congregation are quite simple. We want to grow in faith and share that faith with people like you. Everything we do is meant to accomplish these two goals. We pray that there is nothing that stands in your way from learning more about your Savior.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if there is anything we can do for you.  God’s blessings to you and we look forward to seeing you in church.