What to Expect

We have two services on Sundays, 9:15 and 11:00 at the second floor conference room of the Ecotrust building. There is ample street parking that is free until 1pm, and the parking lot in front of the Ecotrust building can also be used. Nursery care and Children's Church are provided at the 9:15 service. The dress is casual—what you would find on the streets of Portland is what you would find inside. The musical style is contemporary, but we draw from a wide range of traditions. Worship is participatory—everyone is invited to engage, sing, pray, and be silent before God. The service is guided by liturgy. Liturgy is like a script that we use to enter into worship together as a congregation. It moves us from the Call to Worship to Confession to Reading of the Word. We draw from the Bible, great writings of the faith, and the church tradition for the liturgy. Everything is spelled out every Sunday, printed on a program that is on every seat. (I.e. No one else knows what to say or do any better than you do.)

There are boxes for tithes and offerings at the entrance of the conference room. We believe giving to be an important part of worship for those who consider Pearl Church their home and the offerings are presented right before the sermon. No plate is passed around during the service and we feel strongly that visitors should not feel any obligation to give.

Then there is a sermon, about 25-30 minutes long. It is given by a member of the preaching team, which is led by pastor Mike. The sermon hopes to make plain what the Scripture may be saying, and what that means for our lives now. We then reflect together in silence as we rest in the word.

The service culminates in the Eucharist, or the Lord's Table. At this table, everyone is welcome to participate by taking a small piece of bread and dipping in wine (the center row serves grape juice and gluten-free bread). By participating in Eucharist, we say this is the body and blood of Christ, who came to us in flesh and blood, gave His life, and continues to feed us, transform us, and save us.

The service wraps up with the benediction. We plan for 75-80 minutes for each service. There will always be someone available to talk about church and how to get more involved in our community after the service at the second floor lobby area.