Visitor Information

Hi. We’re glad you’re thinking about visiting North Decatur Presbyterian Church. Showing up at any church for the first time can be intimidating. Let’s be honest–some churches are plain crazy. Truth is, you might find us a bit crazy. We’ll let you make that call. We do want your visit with us to be pleasant. So with you in mind, here are answers to a few questions that visitors have:

Here’s a link to a map. We are located on Medlock Road, just north of the intersection of Scott Boulevard and North Decatur Road.

Dedicated visitor parking is located right in front of the church on Medlock Road. Our main parking lot is off Medlock, next to the church. If both locations are full, you are welcome to park in the lot for the shopping plaza across Medlock Road. Please don’t park in front of the nail salon–they’re open on Sundays, too!

If your vehicle is the two-wheeled kind, we have a bike rack and/or moped parking right in front of the church building.

What time should I arrive on Sunday?

Come at 9:30am for our education hour. A greeter will meet you in the lobby of our Sanctuary building as you arrive (that’s the one that looks like a big “A”… or a “canned ham”) and they will help you find the right room.

If you come for worship only, arrive a few minutes before 11am. Head straight to the Sanctuary (which you can enter through the Medlock Road doors).

Running late? Don’t worry. Come on in. The ushers will help you find a seat and get comfortable.

What should I wear?

Clothes are best. Some people wear suits and dresses, others wear jeans and shorts. Wear clothes you want to worship God in. You know what that means better than we do.

Do you have coffee?

Yes. Fair trade coffee is brewed fresh each Sunday. Come to the Fellowship Hall and grab a mug and take it with you to your classroom. Sorry, no coffee in the Sanctuary during worship. You can wait an hour for your next cup, no?

What is the Education Hour like?

For adults, there are 3 different classes to choose from every Sunday. Look ahead of time at the course descriptions on our website and choose a class that looks most interesting. Our teachers are ready to greet newcomers and make you feel welcome. Class size may be anywhere from 8 to 60 people. Some classes encourage participation–that may be talking with another class participant or it may be painting with watercolors–but you will never be forced to participate.

Adult classes run for a term of 8 weeks, then a whole new slate of classes is offered. We think our Adult Education classes are the best anywhere, so we hope you’ll find something that is interesting and practical… and will make you want to come back!

What if I have kids?

We love you, but we (probably) love your kids even more! Every Sunday, we welcome young folks from newborns to teenagers. Children’s Sunday School is from 9:30 – 10:30am, so come at 9:15am to get oriented to the building and meet your child’s teachers. Greeters can take you to the right classroom. Our teachers are amazing people–most are parents themselves. Our nursery care for babies is excellent. You are welcome to stay in your child’s room as long as you like, or you may leave to attend your own class. Plan to return to their classroom at 10:30am to go to the fellowship time as a family. Most kids like to go there to get a snack a snack before worship. So do most adults.

Children 6 and over attend the entire worship. There are crayons and pencils and activities for young children as you enter the sanctuary if you think they will get bored (or if you think you will get bored). Children 5 and under attend the first part of worship with their families and then, after the children’s message (about 15 minutes into the service), they go to a classroom for “extended session” under the supervision of church members. A parent of a child who is visiting for the first time should leave worship for a moment, walk with their child to the extended session classroom, meet the leaders, and leave your cell phone number should we need to reach you during the service. You can then return to the Sanctuary for the rest of worship. Parents pick up their children from the extended session classroom as soon as worship ends.

What is worship like?

You’ve seen the worship services with the rock bands and the big screens? OK. That’s not us.

Our worship service is traditional, also warm and personable. The music is a mix of traditional hymns, contemporary songs, classical works, and African-American spirituals. It’s eclectic–so are we.

When you arrive at the sanctuary for worship, you will receive a printed bulletin, which shows everything that happens in the service. You can sit anywhere you like. If you are in need of prayer, there are cards on which you can write a prayer request and if you hand it to an usher, the pastors will include your prayer in that day’s worship. As the service begins, follow along and roll with it. Feel whatever you’re feeling. You will experience an interweaving of prayer, song, and speech.

Each week, we hear a passage from the Bible read aloud. The preacher will speak for 20 minutes (the “sermon“) about what the passage might reveal about God and about ourselves. People say that the sermons at NDPC are “smart,” “funny,” “comforting,” and “challenging.” You can listen to a sermon on our website to see for yourself.

Communion–sharing the traditional Christian “meal” of bread and cup–happens the first Sunday of every month. Everyone who comes to worship is invited to receive communion, but you do not have to if you do not wish to. We serve grape juice so that it’s accessible for our members and friends in recovery programs; we also offer gluten-free wafers.

We do ask for money during worship–it’s called the “offering.” All of the money we collect each Sunday supports the church’s work to love and heal our community and world. Visitors are encouraged to make an offering, but no one will look at you funny if you don’t. If you write a check, you will get a receipt to write it off on your taxes. How much should you give? It’s up to you. Contributing 10% or more of your income to charity is standard Christian teaching.

Worship services are 75 minutes long. After worship, you can hang around and meet the co-pastors and folks sitting near you. Or you can make a bee-line for the door and go to brunch. We suggest Melton’s right nearby–where you’ll see about 1/2 of our congregation!

Anything you’re still wondering about?

Email David or Beth with your questions. See you Sunday!