Where do I park and enter?
The parking lot beside John Wesley on Savannah Highway has spaces marked off for visitors or you may park in any space. None are reserved except for those marked Special Needs. If you are going to the 8:30 or 11:00 services, enter the sanctuary at the portico and double doors closest to Moore Street.
An easy way to get your bearings is to stop by the Coffee Spot which is outside near the parking lot during good weather or just inside the first doors you come to off the main sidewalk when it’s cold or rainy. Greeters there will be happy to help you get where you need to go.
What can I expect when I get inside?
You will be greeted by ushers and receive a bulletin that tells you what will happen during the service. They also have special bulletins for children. Then the ushers will show you to a seat or you may sit where you like. The service begins with music and follows the order listed in the bulletin.
If you attend a service that has communion, you can follow the order in the bulletin. You are welcome to participate in communion by going with others to the altar and accepting the bread and juice representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In the Methodist Church, the sacrament of Holy Communion is open to all who believe in Christ whether or not you are a member of the church.
Will I be singled out as a visitor?
The short answer is no. We hope that you will fill out a visitor card that you can find in the pew rack and drop it in the offering plate. However, we do not ask visitors to stand or otherwise identify themselves. People seated nearby should greet you and they may ask if you are visiting. In a large church, it is often difficult to know who is a visitor and who just usually attends a different service. We strive to be a friendly welcoming church to all.
What about children?
Children are special at John Wesley UMC. In addition to having their own bulletin, they have a special children’s sermon. Early in the service, the Director of Children’s Ministries or another person will invite all children to come to the front of the church for a special message.
Once the children’s sermon is finished, the children are invited to go back and sit with their parents or go with adult leaders to children’s church. Children’s church takes place in classrooms near the sanctuary where adult leaders tell them Bible stories and offer activities.
All adults who work with children at John Wesley are certified with the Darkness To Light training that stresses appropriate ways to work with children and ways to recognize signs of sexual abuse.
