I’m New

Visiting a new church can be overwhelming and sometimes intimidating.  To help ease your way and answer your questions, we wanted to provide you a summary of what you can expect at the FPC of Indianapolis.

Finding us: We are located on the southeast side of Indianapolis, right off of I-465 and Brookville Road (52). Click on the link to get a map.

Sunday schedule: At 9:30 a.m., we offer a Corporate Sunday School Class, which meets in the sanctuary and is geared to the younger people in terms of content level.  Our morning worship service follows at 10:30 a.m., with singing, public reading from the Bible, public prayer and a message from God’s Word. Children of all ages are welcome. Our morning service is followed by many of our families eating on the grounds (typically from noon – 1:30). Our afternoon service starts at 1:45 pm and this provides a time of teaching and study.

For your littlest ones: All of your children are welcome in our services! However, if you have need, we provide childcare for infants and very young children. Please stop by our nursery if you need childcare during the service, and we will be happy to accommodate. There is also a “cry room” with rocking chairs and a large one-way glass window into the sanctuary so that crying or “wet” babies may be attended to by their parents as the need arises. We also have closed-circuit TV in both the nursery and cry room to watch and listen to the services with your little ones.

What to wear: We believe that God looks at our heart in worship, not at our clothes (I Sam. 16:7). With that said, when you look around, you’ll find some of us in traditional “Sunday best,” shirts and ties (men), dresses/slacks (women), and that sort of thing. You’ll also find some of us in something more like business casual. One thing that you’ll definitely notice is that many of the women wear hats or some kind of head covering during the worship time. It might surprise you to learn that these women are not merely following an old fashioned standard from years ago, but that there is actually scriptural warrant for this practice. A number of married couples have said to us over the years – we’ve often wondered what Paul meant in 1Corinthians 11 when he wrote about head coverings. This is obviously not a standard that we enforce upon visitors. The bottom line is that you’re welcome here and we’re glad to have you.

Our worship services: Singing is a key element of worship at FPC of Indianapolis. Our music style is conservative and traditional with piano accompaniment. We use a combination of Psalms and old hymns and as well as newer songs (i.e. “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs”), for a song service that is simple, praiseworthy and faithful to Scripture. You’ll also hear announcements, usually about upcoming activities or prayer requests. We take an offering at every service. Do not feel obligated to give! This is the way our church family demonstrates an open heart toward God, our great giver, and supports His work both in the church and worldwide. Finally, and most importantly, you will hear a message from God’s Word. The Sunday morning message is typically more of a traditional preaching message, while the afternoon message is usually a teaching/discipleship style.

Communion
At FPC of Indianapolis, Communion (The Lord’s Supper) is a sacred, once-a-month celebration of the loving sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross for sinners like us. We celebrate The Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month during our morning worship service.  It is a remembrance of what He did for us and a welcoming of His ongoing presence and grace in our lives.  It’s open to adult participation who have made a profession of faith, been baptized and are not under discipline from any church. It’s also open to young people who are baptized, have been interviewed by the elders of the church and are determined to be true believers.  Younger children are welcomed to observe and learn from this sacrament.  For those with food allergies, we offer gluten-free wafers in addition to our regular wafers.

Other questions: If there’s anything else you’d like to know before visiting, please feel free to contact us.