Each week during our Sunday gatherings we come together to worship and experience God. We take the time to participate in several elements which we believe draw us closer to God and connect us to the greater church around us.

Communion
Communion is both a symbol and a story. It is both something pictured and something experienced. Communion allows us to remember – and enter into – the reality of Jesus Christ, the one who died and rose again and now is among us offering grace.

Passing of the Peace
Each Sunday, we take the time to recognize that Jesus is among us, offering peace to each of us through each of us. This is more than a greeting, more than a “say ‘hi’ to your neighbor” time. This is space where we recognize we are a community, a people God is forming, and a people who are able to participate in the life and peace Jesus desires to give.

Teaching
At dcf, we place a high priority on sitting under the teaching of God. We wrestle with what God says. We seek to understand the implications of what God says. We wonder if we are correctly hearing what God says. Our Sunday teaching hopes to faithfully engage and journey into the things God has spoken. We desire to let him speak. And we pray we will have the courage to obey.

Giving
Generosity has always been something the gospel calls us to (I Timothy 6:18). We are called to give our life, our passions, our hearts, and yes, even our money. Giving is no more a duty than participating in music as worship or communion as worship or prayer as worship. It is also no less important. Giving is a way of speaking against the consumerism and greed of our culture; and in its place signaling that we deeply value God and the community he has placed us in.

Reading of the Gospel
dcf practices the regular reading of the gospel, the story of Jesus. We read this story because it is our story. The Lectionary is a very old way the church has sought to regularly retell the Jesus narrative. Following a three year cycle, we hear the high points of Jesus’ ministry on earth. As we hear these words, we are instructed by his ways and changed by his teaching.

Music
Music is common in most every tradition of public worship. Music speaks the language of our soul. The music at DCF attempts to provide our heart a voice. Through music, we sing of God’s character, we sing of our need, we repent, we ask God to move on our behalf and we simply celebrate that God is … and that we are his people. Our musical expressions are eclectic and diverse, ranging from 16th century hymns to original scores, from old gospel to acoustic and rock. In it all, however, we hope to see God, not merely the art of music.

Prayer
Prayer is conversation, and conversing with God is central to the life of following Jesus. Prayer is often portrayed in Scripture as a communal act. We pray together in many ways at dcf. Sometimes there is a prayer space offered. Sometimes we provide moments of silence for personal prayer. Most Sundays, we pray the Lord’s Prayer and have a closing prayer available for our entire community to pray together. We believe God is present and God is listening. So, we pray.

For more information on dcf’s service elements and the ideas behind them, check out this essay.