Monocacy Valley Church:  What to Expect on Sunday Morning

Who are we?

We are a congregation of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), which is the oldest Protestant denomination in North America with a continuous ministry.  We came to North America with the Dutch settlers in the early 1600s.  "Reformed" means that, while we honor and respect our past, we know that God is continually "reforming" His people.  It's exciting to be a part of this!  Our worship style is Biblical, contemporary and informal.

Welcome to Our New Neighbors at Oakdale Village!

If you've just moved into a new home in Oakdale Village, you might have noticed that we are right across the highway from the middle school and your new home.  We especially welcome you to worship with us.  We would love to meet you!   We are always happy to help you get acquainted with your new home.  We have an exciting God-filled future at MVC and hope that God might nudge you in our direction.

WHAT TIME IS SUNDAY WORSHIP?

Our worship is on Sunday at 9:30 am

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

We believe that God is far more concerned with a person’s heart than his or her clothes.   Please wear what's comfortable for you.

WHERE DO I GO WHEN I ARRIVE ON SUNDAY?

When you arrive you will notice special parking spaces for first time visitors.  Snag one of these spots or feel free to park anywhere in our lot.   We have handicapped parking spaces and our building is handicapped-accessible.  Please make your way to the sanctuary and complete the welcome form in the bulletin, tear it off and place it in the offering plate.  We are especially interested in the way in which you found us.  We want to make sure we know how we can best reach out to the community around us.

What about the kids?

Under Pastor Isaiah's leadership, we are re-building our children's and youth ministry and we would love to have you feel called to help us.  Your entire family, regardless of their ages, is more than welcome to worship with us.  

We now have a nursery for the small children.  Before the message, Pastor Isaiah will lead us in a prayer for the children, after which they will follow one of our nursery attendants to the nursery for a time of learning about God.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING TYPICAL SUNDAY MORNING worship?

We are honored that God had brought you here to worship with us.  Our services are relaxed, and the atmosphere is friendly and informal, so our hope is that you will sit back, relax, and enjoy your time with us. Most folks, when they arrive, head to the coffee area or foyer just to the left inside the lobby doors. Feel free to have a cup, we don’t mind if you bring it into worship either. Worship begins with a musical prelude as a way of inviting folks to find their seats and begin preparing their hearts to encounter God.  After the pastor's welcome and the call to worship, we worship in song and hymns.  After the worship songs, we take a few minutes each week to update folks on events and news around the church. Following the announcements, we present our tithes and offerings to God.  While the pastor prepares to preach, we greet each other and pass the Peace of Christ.  The pastor’s message will last about thirty minutes.  We end with a closing song and the benediction. Worship is about 60 to 75 minutes in length.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WORSHIP ENDS?

Immediately following the closing song and benediction, we have a special prayer time for those who wish to request prayer for themselves or for others that they know. It is up to you if you wish to participate.

We also serve fresh coffee in the foyer after worship, so feel free to grab a cup and hang out with us for a little while.

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE ARRIVING AS WE ARE LEAVING?

We are blessed to have entered into a partnership with Deep Waters Tabernacle (DWT).  DWT folks begin to arrive as we are concluding our worship.  Deep Waters is a non-denominational independent congregation who have been with us for over two years.  We value their partnership.  The relationship between MVC and DWT is a real testimony of the diversity of God's Kingdom.

it looks like you have a pre-school, right?

Yes!  MVC is proud to host Kids Come First Learning Center. 

Kids Come First provides a structured but relaxed learning environment where all children of different cultural backgrounds and abilities can grow emotionally, socially and intellectually at the child's own pace. We have a creative program that exposes children to the wonderful world of learning through mutual respect and appreciation for diversity. The curriculum has a developmentally appropriate balance of play and structured activities, incorporating literature throughout all of the learning domains.

If you'd like to know more about the school, please contact the director through their website or call:  (301) 829-3162.