Worship at Front Street

In Matthew 22:37 - Jesus says that the most important command we can honor is to . . .

LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.

Because of this command, we see worship as our highest priority at Front Street Baptist Church. It is the one activity we do on earth that we will continue to do forever in heaven. We seek to be passionate and vulnerable worshipers who know and express God's heart, because we believe that worship is the goal of salvation. We believe that experiencing the presence and glory of Jesus Christ in worship is the most valuable and priceless treasure on earth. It is in worship that we find the greatest sense of fulfillment that life can offer.

We do not worship an uninterested deity from afar. Rather, we experience the very Presence of God as we worship Him. Jesus Christ is profoundly present in the midst of worship through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is truly with us as we worship and adore Him. We experience intimacy with God as we pour out our hearts in worship.

As the Holy Spirit moves in the midst of our worship, we find healing, peace, strength, and joy. Our lives are re-centered on Jesus Christ as we worship Him, and as we gaze on His beauty and glory, we are changed to be more like Him. Jesus came to give us abundant life, and as we worship we receive this life.

Jesus stated that the greatest commandment is that we are to love God with all that we are. We were created whole beings, and thus we value worship that incorporates a full expression of our humanity, including intellectual, emotional, and physical aspects.

We value worship that expresses itself physically: You may find people clapping their hands, kneeling at the altar, raising their hands, or simply being still and silent as we worship. We value all of these physical expressions because God created our bodies (not just our minds) to worship.

We value worship that expresses itself emotionally: As we worship, you may see people weeping, smiling, or laughing. God created our emotions, and although we are not to be ruled by them, we are to express them in worship. God is passionate about us and He is worthy of our most passionate forms of emotional expression.

We value worship that expresses itself intellectually: While we value the expression of emotion in worship, we also value the expression of truth. Some of the songs we sing are simple love songs to Jesus, but others express theological truths that help us to worship with understanding and assist us in spiritual growth. We also value worship that expresses itself in holy living: We desire to be a people who live a life of worship, rather than those who merely attend a service of worship once a week. Worship is hypocrisy unless the substance of our lives lines up with the words we sing. Worship is not just singing songs, praying, and listening to a sermon, it is giving one's life over completely to Jesus. We desire to be people who live every aspect of our lives as an act of worship to God.

Today, one hears many labels characterizing worship in churches, such as "contemporary," "blended," "traditional," and "liturgical." A few years ago, Front Street offered two distinctively different services–one "contemporary" and the other "traditional." Our church now offers only one worship service "style." This single service has grown out of seeking God’s direction for this body of believers.

Front Street is made up of young and old and has a rich tradition. Our worship services may seem quite "contemporary" to people who grew up in traditional churches in that we use drums, keyboards, etc. in addition to piano and organ. Our 60-voice Celebration Choir has transitioned from a performance choir to a worship leading choir that is passionate about leading our people into the presence of God each week (see excerpts of choir songs below). We sing praise and worship songs that are very recently written as well as classic worship choruses written in the last few decades. We also make use of the great hymns, although they are often arranged with a "contemporary" accompaniment. We have seen God greatly bless the worship services at Front Street as young and old alike are drawn into His presence.

Front Street also makes much use of drama, multimedia enhancements of songs and sermons, interpretive movement, and other creative additions to help engage our body, emotions, and mind in worship. Pastor Gerald Bontrager, our senior pastor, is a passionate preacher and expositor of the Bible. His messages are thoroughly biblical, practical, and address the needs of people today.

We invite you to join us for worship this Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Come, prepared to encounter a living God who cares for you deeply.

Click on the audio clips below to hear the
Front Street Celebration Choir & Instrumentalists
(mp3 files)

Send It on Down
Psalm 150
You Are Holy
Thankful for the Change
He’s Been Faithful
Bless that Name
Total Praise
Where Your Glory Dwells
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
On My Knees
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers."

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.