The Genesis Church
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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What to Expect on Sunday Mornings at Genesis

 
Sometimes the hardest step for our guests is that first step to open the front door and come on in.
 
We know that. We understand. Many of us have been exactly where you are now. I have been where you are now. Even though I am now a United Methodist pastor and I have spent my entire life in church, there was time quite a few years back when I moved to another state and it took me six months to work up the courage to visit a new church for the first time. 
 
Maybe there is something we can do to help you when you visit Genesis United Methodist Church in Leeds, Alabama.
 
First of all, please know that you are not a visitor at Genesis. You are our guest. And because you are our guest, we want to do whatever we are able to do to make you feel welcomed. That’s why we invite you to park in our guest parking by the front door when you first arrive, and that’s why we would like to stay in touch with you after you have left. Because Christ has already welcomed us into his house and into his family, we are now free to welcome you into his house and into his family as well.   
 
About our worship: Worship at Genesis is both contemporary and casual. 
 
No. Check that. 
 
The style of our worship is generally rather contemporary. We use guitars and keyboards and drums to help us to make our joyful noise unto the Lord, but the worship itself is timeless and even eternal because the one whom we worship is timeless and eternal. My prayer is that the message I offer here at Genesis will have all the substance, all the integrity, and all the gospel that you will find in any church anywhere.
 
Likewise the attire worn by many in our church is usually quite comfortable and casual. Of course you are welcomed to dress as formally as makes you feel comfortable, but jeans and even shorts in the warmer months are a common sight in our church. However, while the dress may be casual, the worship itself is serious business. What Christ desires most is for those who would worship him to do so in spirit and in truth. Whether that happens in a suit and tie in a church pew beneath a stained glass window, or whether it happens in casual attire with clapping and electric guitars is immaterial. Dress is casual here at Genesis, but the nature of our worship here is anything but.
 
We also celebrate the Lord’s Supper the first Sunday of every month. Here at Genesis we practice what is sometimes termed “open table” communion. In a nutshell, what that means is that everyone who can respond to the Lord’s invitation in faith and repentance, whether they are members of our church or not, is welcomed to participate in Holy Communion.
 
Of course there are other opportunities beyond Sunday morning worship for you at Genesis. We have several small groups, which we call Life Groups, for you to choose from. We also offer a variety of ministry opportunities for you to become involved in as well. You can read about some of those on our website, or you are welcomed to ask me directly about them.
 
I know that first step is the most difficult. We will do whatever we can to make that first step a little bit easier for you, but now it is up to you. I am praying that I will see you soon. 
 
Michael Burgess
Pastor, Genesis United Methodist Church