Sunday Service

“Through the ages, the common pattern of the order of worship in the church reflects the pattern of the progress of the gospel in the heart” (Bryan Chapell, Christ Centered Worship). At CCC, the elements of our Sunday Service reenact the movement of the gospel in our lives: from seeing God, to recognizing our sin and receiving His forgiveness, to giving sacrificially, and growing in knowledge and obedience to Him. Our Sunday Service begins by hearing God call us to worship through His Word and we respond by lifting up our voices in song. After beholding the glory of God, we collectively recognize our sinfulness as a body, are led in a prayer of confession, and find assurance of God’s forgiveness through His Word. Our worship continues with singing and giving our financial offerings. We then seek to be instructed by God in two ways: first, by reading a question from The Baptist Catechism (written by Benjamin Keach), which systematically surveys the fundamentals of Christian theology; and second, by hearing the sermon passage read and faithfully exposited. 

The theme of our worship service is driven by the sermon passage for that week. Each song, prayer, and Scripture reading is thoughtfully chosen to develop, enhance, and align with that week's Biblical theme. As we work through different books of the Bible, different passages inspire different emphases, guiding the thematic variety of our Sunday Services.

As Christians, we need to regularly feed on God’s Word. To that end, we joyfully practice “expository preaching.” To “exposit” means “to explain or expound.” As one author put it, expository preaching “rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text” (David Helm, Expositional Preaching). We have no interest in using the Bible as a launchpad for personal opinions. Instead, we seek to draw out the meaning of Scripture, explain it faithfully, illustrate it helpfully, and apply it personally to our local body. Faithful preaching is central to how we accomplish our mission of building up the body at CCC. Ordinarily, we work through whole books of the Bible, verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter. We preach from both the Old and New Testaments, desiring to submit to the whole counsel of God. When we preach topical sermons on occasion, we aim to select passages that can be faithfully explained to illuminate the sermon topic.

James tells us, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, ESV). At the end of every sermon, we pause for a moment of personal reflection. Everyone is encouraged to consider and write down one specific way they intend to respond to the passage that week, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We recommend reviewing your personal application during the week and discussing it with a brother or sister at lunch.

Our worship through song emphasizes congregational singing. Each Sunday Service features six songs that are rich in theology and set to singable yet beautiful melodies. We include a blend of classic and contemporary hymns, tuned to simple acoustic arrangements for piano, guitar, or violin. The band’s vocals and modest instrumentation are designed to support and enhance the congregation’s voices rather than overpower them. Singing together is a vital expression of our corporate worship and a powerful means of grace. We are moved, encouraged, and edified as we hear our brothers and sisters sing glorious truths in unison, joining our voices together with one another.

Every Sunday Service we celebrate communion together. As one of the two sacred ordinances instituted by Jesus for His church, the bread and the cup help us remember Him, His work, and our relationship to each other as His body in a profound, tangible way. Following the pause for personal reflection after the sermon, we read a passage for communion, briefly discuss it, and then distribute the elements while we sing. We offer wine on the outer rim of the cup tray and grape juice on the inner rims. Communion is served only to baptized believers in good standing with their local church.

Each week we enjoy lunch after the Sunday Service. All members and visitors are warmly invited to stay! Table fellowship was an important part of the early church’s life together (Acts 2:42-47). As a family of believers today, we gather around a shared meal to encourage on another, edify one another, discuss the sermon, deepen our friendships, and continue our worshipful celebration on the Lord’s Day. The lunch is provided by CCC with teams of volunteers taking turns cooking and cleaning. The meal is served in the Fellowship Hall at 12:30 PM. If you have kids, you are welcome to enjoy the campus play area while food is being prepared. Highchairs are available for young children during the meal.

Announcements are given at the beginning of the Sunday Service prior to the call to worship. Every few weeks, one of the pastors shares a brief update on our ministry work in the city, including our engagement with college students at San Jose State University and our efforts to protect preborn children from abortion at Planned Parenthood.

Thank you for joining us for worship! We look forward to meeting you. If this is your first time with us, you should receive a visitor gift from one of the greeters. If you'd like to get in touch with us, you can stick around to meet one of the pastors or use the information on the back of your bulletin to connect with us afterwards. If there is anything we can do to serve you or pray for you, please let us know. We also invite you to stay for lunch if you’re free!