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Expresso is a "praise" service. It is a much more active, fast-paced service than normally found in traditional worship. We trade a choir and organ for folk-style singers and digital keyboards; rather than hymns, we celebrate worship using contemporary Christian music. You'll find chairs instead of pews; Dockers and denims instead of suits; the open, airy Fellowship Hall instead of the quiet, contemplative sanctuary. It's a different style of service, for a different sort of worshipper.
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As the name suggests, you'll find coffee available at your convenience; get up, move around, find someone you haven't met yet. Introduce yourself. Give somebody a hug. You won't need a program or a hymnal; announcements and lyrics to the songs will be projected on an overhead screen for you.
The theme of each Sunday's message is generally the same as our traditional service, and the sermon messages can be found on the sermon archive. However, you'll find a lot less use of the traditional symbols of the Church here. One of the problems of a traditional service is that, if you're not familiar with the rituals and symbols, the worshippers almost appear to be speaking in a sort of "code." The symbols hold great meaning and significance if you know the code; if you don't, the service may not be very meaningful to you.
We want to fix that.
The idea is that the contemporary service will be as open and accessible as possible, for people who weren't necessarily schooled in the symbols and traditions of the church. You'll gradually learn them after you worship with us, but it's neither a precondition for understanding the service nor a requirement to attend. Ironically, this is in keeping with one of the fundamental intellectual traditions of the Disciples:
"In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
What matters is not the type of music you prefer, or the clothes you wear, or whether or not you like applause or other such outward expressions in your worship. What matters is that you come to a knowledge and understanding of Christ, and the value of a relationship with Him. Some prefer a more formal style, others prefer the praise style. Whichever form of worship enables you to grow in your faith, you will be welcome here.