I’m New Here – What Can I Expect?

Real life. Real people. Real questions. Real God.

That’s at the heart of the Threads community. We hope you will want to step inside.

Check Out a Day in the Life of a Worship Gathering…

As you drive up, you may be thinking all kinds of things. “Will I know anyone?” “What will people think of me?” “Is there a place for me?” You may also be thinking, “I had no clue Milham Rd. runs this far off of Westnedge!”

When you enter, there are some real people who welcome you. Nothing high pressure, they simply want you to know that they are glad you’re here.

You see a sign that points you to a coffee bar. As you make your way, you smell some great fair trade coffee, or find a cup of hot chocolate, or a glass of lemonade.  It’s a gift of hospitality for you, and you can bring it with you into our Gatherings.

Coffee in hand, you enter our gathering space, there is a vibe that draws you in. A mix of rock, alt, pop, and R&B plays in the background. Some people are connecting with guests, some with people they know and others are silent in their seat, meditating or praying silently. Local artists have their art on display in the gallery side of the space.  You ask yourself, this is church?

Soon a band steps up and kicks in with music that is alive. It may be a mainstream tune from the top 40 or maybe a more obscure song. People are finding their seats with excited anticipation.

One of the artists stops at the end of their song and greets everyone. People are relaxing in this come-as-you-are environment. Then the band kicks in with another music set. Words and images play on the projection screens. Some people stand with the music, others are reflective and sit. Some aren’t even sure about this thing called a Worship Gathering, so they just observe.

As the Gathering progresses, you are suprised at the creative ways you are invited to engage with others and with God. You are told, “If you are kicking the tires, we encourage you to come back because each weekend is a different experience.” Slowly you realize you are in an authentic community of real people who are seeking to God.

Someone steps up and introduces themself. As they begin to talk, you move from laughter to intense reflection and back to laughter again. As everyone is invited to open the Bible, you can tell some are opening it for the first time. That’s ok, because there is a place for them. They are given the help they need to navigate thru a book that is a mystery to many and confusing to some.

As the teaching goes on, sometimes it is broken up by questions for the whole group for discussion. Sometimes you are given space to silently reflect about the God you are encountering. Other times the teaching may pause to watch a scene from a movie you saw last week.

The person teaching steps down as the band begins to play. Music fills your ears while many thoughts and questions fill your heart.  Many guests in our Gatherings have shared that they connected with God for the very first time.

After a final prayer, someone up front invites you to drop off a CONNECTion Card for a cool gift. As you make your way out into our CONNECTions Table in the Front Porch, you find a down-to-earth person who is ready to answer questions and leave you with a cool stainless travel mug (you should hear the stories of how that mug has changed people’s lives…ok, maybe that’s a little over the top).

As you leave, our hope is that you know that there is a place for you. You may have many more questions. That’s ok! No matter where you come from or what is in your story, we invite you to keep joining us in this thing of following a God who puts this upside down world into perspective.