What to Expect

When you visit First Christian Church of Greater New Orleans (FCCGNO) for the first time you might be a little confused because we have one other congregation that shares our building with us. We share our facilities with Metro Church of New Orleans, which we refer to as our "sister church." However, this is the home of FCCGNO. We are a mid-size congregation who are open to all as we are called by Jesus Christ to love all. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35 NIV).

We begin our Sunday morning with early prayers at 9am where a small group of congregants gather to share prayer requests, then we close with prayer. At 9:15am we have a Disciples Study Group that discusses a wide range of religious topics. We have a “traditional” worship service that begins at 10am and ends at 11am. “Traditional” doesn’t mean that “Amens” and “Halleluiah’s” aren’t often heard. Everyone is free to worship in the way that they feel comfortable. After our worship service we have a wonderful fellowship/hospitality time were everyone is invited to stay for a while and enjoy the company of others and the good food that we have prepared for one another in our gym. There is handicapped accessible parking to the back of the church and we do have several parking spots available for visitors for your convenience.

As you walk through the doors, you will be warmly greeted. You will be given a bulletin detailing the day’s service and other information about the church. If you are new to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) we have information about our beliefs available for you (Page 1 & Page 2). Concerning the service, we sing hymns, have public and communal prayers, and we have a friendly moment to greet one another in Christ’s name called the Passing of the Peace. You will also discover that that we believe in incorporating our lay leaders, our elders, as co-leaders of our worship service.

We begin our service with announcements and a call to worship. We have a children’s moment where children are invited to come to the front of the sanctuary for a quick lesson and afterwards, children (ages 4-10) can attend Children’s Church. A nursery is available for younger children. We have a small group of mixed aged children, but we are a growing congregation. Scriptures will be read, a choir anthem will be sung, joys and concerns will be announced, and the pastor will proclaim the Word through his sermon topic for the day. We do not always follow the Revised Common Lectionary, but we are not opposed to it either.

We have an offering time, but do not feel compelled to give if you do not have the means. We are just happy that you are with us. We believe in what we call “open table fellowship”, which means that it doesn’t matter what denomination you may have been raised in, if you belong to another church, are a “seeker,” or haven’t been to a church worship service in a while, anyone of sincere faith are free to participate in communion.

"Disciples’ observance of the Lord’s Supper echoes the Passover feast, when Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the living Christ is met and received in the sharing of the bread and the cup, representative of the body and blood of Jesus. The presence of the living Lord is affirmed and he is proclaimed to be the dominant power in our lives."

At the end of the service we have a dedication moment when anyone who wishes to transfer their membership, become a member of FCCGNO, or affirm their baptismal vows is invited to come forward. This is purely voluntary. A benediction is printed at the end of our bulletin. The benediction is often communal or an exchange between the pastor and the congregation.

We hope you have found this information useful and we look forward to having you come and visit with us. We have provided a sample bulletin so you can familiarize yourself with our order of worship. This bulletin is from one of our past worship services.