Key questions for someone who visits our church the first time...

When and where is the service?
How long does the service last?
How should I dress?
Where do I park?
What is the service like?
Will I be singled out?
I have kids. Is there something for them? Where do I take them?
Is someone going to ask me for money?
What is a Presbyterian?

Visiting a church in person is a couragious act.
Our hope though is to make a Sunday at UPC a place where every person feels welcomed and included.

When and Where is the service?

Our Service begins at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in our sanctuary/worship space.

How long does the service last?

Our service usually lasts about an hour. On the first Sunday of the month we celebrate the Lord's Supper which lengthens the service by 10-15 minutes.
Worship is followed by a time for fellowship that includes coffee, juice, and homemade cookies in the room adjacent to the worship space
called the Round Room. All are welcomed to stay for fellowship but many choose to leave after the service ends.

How should I dress?

You will find our congregation to be very family friendly, welcoming to diverse people. Adults are mostly in business casual dress.

Where should I park and enter the church?

Our main parking lot can be found at the corner of 6th Ave. SW and Ferry St. opposite the Linn County Courthouse. From the parking lot entrance,
go up a half-flight of stairs to the right to enter our beautiful historic sanctuary and worship space. Continuing up another half-flight of stairs
will lead you to the children's nursery and Sunday School/Bible Blast classrooms. There is additional parking on 5th Ave. and Broadalbin St.

What is the service like?

Our goal is to create an environment that allows our multi-generational congregation to encounter the living God through a variety of ways.
Our visually engaging services offer a relevant message and a balance of both modern & traditional music. Our music is led by
multi-talented instrumetalists, including an outstanding pipe organ, band, choir, and vocalists. We incorporate visual media to enhance
the ability of newcomers to follow the service and communicate the theme of the service.

Will I be singled out?

We believe that when a new person visits our church, they are most interested to experience our worship and not have attention drawn to them.
We have a time in our service where we greet one another, but we will never single you out as a guest in a public way.

I have kids. Is there something for them? Where do I take them?

Great! We love kids. Child care is available for infants and toddlers throughout the entire service, upstairs in the nursery (Children's Garden Room 209).
Parent volunteers take turns weekly to read Bible stories to pre-school children in the Garden Room.

Children of all ages are welcome in worship. The following opportunities run concurrent to the second half of worship:
Bible Blast - a fun, interactive children's worship and Sunday School experience for elementary ages.
CastleRock Youth - Designed for middle schoolers to develop their spiritual walks,
usually discussing the topic of the sermon being preached that Sunday in more teenage-relevant terms.

Is someone going to ask me for money?

Guests and visitors are not expected to contribute to the offering plate. We believe that giving is actually a form of worship
and is for the people who are committed to the vision and values of UPC. We are simply glad to have new people in our midst.

We are excited that you are thinking about joining us. Hope to see you soon!