What should I know about your worship?
We are very family friendly. At Immanuel we encourage parents to bring their children, regardless of age to the worship services. However, for those who prefer, there is a Cry Room in the back of the sanctuary where fussy children can be taken for a time if they are disturbing others.
For your convenience, our Order of Worship is printed out in the bulletins to make it easy to follow along.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated every Sunday except 5th Sundays of the month when we sing the service of Matins.
For more information regarding our statements of beliefs for the Lord’s Supper, please click see below and the What we Believe selections on the Lord's Supper and Sacrament of the Altar.
How important is the Bible at your church?
Learning from the Bible is very important for us at Immanuel. We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that God intends for us to learn about His love for us in Jesus. Therefore, we have Bible class for all ages. The Sunday School hour for children, youth and adults begins at 9:45 AM after Early Service. The adult classes cover a variety of topics from the Bible. You are welcome to attend the one of your choosing.
What other things happen on Sunday Morning?
Breakfast– Join us for breakfast! It opens right after the early service is over. You are welcome to bring breakfast to class with you! A freewill offering is collected from members to help cover the costs of breakfast.
How do people dress?
At Immanuel you will be comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt or in dress or a suit and tie and anything in between. Don’t let “not having the right thing to wear” keep you from receiving God’s gifts in worship.
Children in Worship.
We love to have children with us in worship at Immanuel; what a joy that they can be a part of the intergenerational family of faith. We encourage them to participate in as much of the service as possible based on their age and ability. Children can stand, kneel and sit with the congregation, speak the parts of the liturgy and prayers that repeat each week, especially the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. There is a children’s message and a children’s offering. There are children’s bulletins and “quiet” bags available at both entrances to help the younger ones get through the service.
If your child becomes fussy and disruptive to others, please take advantage of the “Cry Room” at the back of the sanctuary until they are ready to return to the pew. There is a changing table, restroom, rocking chair, quiet toys and books in the “Cry Room”. There is an audio speaker in the room so the parents can continue to listen to the service.
Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as he says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but his very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with him and with one another.
Our Lord invites to his table those who trust his words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as he forgives and loves us, that they may show forth his death until he comes. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked first to speak to the pastor. To schedule an appointment call 513-895-0888 or email pastor.jud@immanuelhamilton.com.
If you are not receiving the sacrament, but would like to come forward for a blessing please cross your hands over your chest while kneeling at the rail. In the center of the individual cup rack, there are several cups of highly diluted wine for those who prefer. For further study, see Matthew 5:23f.; 10:32f.; 18:15-35; 26:26-29;1 Cor. 11:17-34.
Worship Style
At Immanuel our worship services are based on traditional church liturgies in which God speaks to us in His Word and we respond to Him. You may find that you don’t understand everything that is going on the first week you visit us. That’s okay. There is a depth to Lutheran Worship that can take time to appreciate. We are not traditional in style because we are lost in the past, but because this is the worship that has been delivered to us by Christians who have gone before for close to 2,000 years. Worship services at Immanuel normally last one hour fifteen minutes.
Where do I park?
There are visitor parking spaces in the front curved parking area as well as ample parking in back.