What to Expect
Visiting a church for the first time can bring plenty of questions. We hope this page helps you know what to expect when you worship with us at EOPC.
We gather each Lord’s Day to hear God’s Word, sing and pray together, receive the Lord’s Supper, and enjoy fellowship as Christ’s people. Whether you are new to church, new to the Reformed faith, or simply visiting the area, you are warmly welcome.
Sunday at a Glance
Morning Worship
10:00 AM
Coffee and fellowship follow the service.
Sunday School
11:30 AM
Classes for children and adults.
Evening Worship
6:00 PM
No evening worship on fifth Sundays.
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When you arrive, the campus gate will be open. After entering, take an immediate left and then another left into the small parking lot. You may park in any available space.
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The chapel is the tall stand-alone building at the end of the parking lot. A set of stairs leads up to the entrance, and you’ll see the blue Westminster Seminary California Chapel sign out front. Someone will be at the doors to welcome you and provide a bulletin.
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You’re welcome to arrive whenever is most convenient, though coming a few minutes early gives us a chance to greet you, answer any questions, and help you get settled. We do encourage everyone to be seated by the beginning of worship, since our service begins with God’s call to worship, as he summons his people to gather before him.
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There is no dress code at Escondido OPC. On any given Sunday you’ll find everything from suits and blazers to collared shirts, T-shirts, sandals, and sneakers. Southern California tends to be fairly relaxed, and we want you to feel comfortable coming as you are.
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Children are welcomed and encouraged to remain with us in worship as much as possible, since they are part of Christ’s church. For little worshipers who are unable to sit through the whole service, a staffed nursery is available during morning worship and may also be used as a cry room. The nursery remains available during evening worship, though it is not staffed.
A Few Things to Know
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Our worship begins with God’s call to worship and concludes with his benediction. Throughout the service we hear God’s Word read and preached, sing psalms and hymns, confess our sins and hear the assurance of forgiveness in Christ, confess our faith, and join together in prayer. We seek to worship with reverence and joy, following the pattern God gives us in his Word and the dialogical principle.
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We sing both psalms and hymns throughout our worship, accompanied by piano and using the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. We understand congregational singing as one way the church offers its prayers to God in praise, adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and petition. For that reason, we ordinarily conclude each psalm and hymn by singing “Amen” together.
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We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day, alternating between the morning and evening services from week to week so that those who are not always able to attend the same service can still partake regularly. The Table is for God’s people: those who have professed faith in Christ, have been baptized, and are members in good standing of Escondido OPC or another church of like faith that proclaims the same gospel by grace alone.
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We offer Sunday School classes for every age. Our adult class rotates through books of the Bible, church history, systematic theology, and practical theology and is currently studying the book of Revelation. Middle and High school students are studying the Westminster Shorter Catechism and our younger classes use Ligonier Ministries’ Growing in God’s Word curriculum. During the summer, we take a break from our regular classes for an all-ages sermon discussion while the children enjoy time together outside.
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Our evening service follows the same basic pattern of Scripture, prayer, congregational singing, preaching, and the Lord’s Supper when it is celebrated that week, but is somewhat shorter than the morning service. In place of the morning’s reading of the Law, confession and assurance of pardon, and creed, we include a reading from one of the church’s catechisms or confessions.
