We are excited to meet you when you visit! We often have first-time visitors at our church, and it is always nice to make new friends. We have a friendly team in the lobby who will happily point you in the right direction if you just let them know this is your first time. We have tried to answer questions we regularly get about our church in the section below – if we have missed anything, feel free to contact us on FB or email us with anything else you want to know.
What time are services?
Our church service is Saturday mornings at 11 am. We are generally done around 12:15.
Before the church service, from 9:30 -10:50, we have our Sabbath School classes (similar to Sunday School) for all ages. The children meet in classrooms divided by their age/grade – all children’s divisions up to teen age are in the Children’s Wing. The sanctuary has two classes meeting, and an adult class meets in the family room on the left side. When you arrive, the greeters can point you in the direction of the classes best for you and any children you bring along.
What do I wear?
We get it – no one wants to stand out in a crowd. While business casual is probably closest to what the majority of people wear to our services, we have people worship with us wearing jeans and flip flops and people who wear 3-piece suits. Basic rule of thumb – come in whatever you are comfortable wearing as it won’t matter to us!
What is the worship style?
Our worship is traditional but family-friendly. The sermon is kept to 20-30 minutes.
What about my kids?
At 9:30 am, we have Sabbath School classes (similar to Sunday School) for all ages of children, newborn and up. Each class has age-appropriate songs, crafts, and Bible stories. The class for the littlest ones, ages 0-3, is very interactive and parents are asked to stay and participate with their children. All the other classes, children may be left while parents enjoy the adult classes, or parents are welcome to stay with their children of any age.
During the 11:00 worship service, we encourage families to participate in worship together. While most families sit together in the main sanctuary, we know that little ones can get mighty restless. We have two places for families with littles – a nursery (this room is for mothers with infants and includes rockers and a bathroom with a changing area) and a family room (this room has pews just like the main sanctuary but is divided from the main area by glass – parents can use this room for wiggly kiddos.) Just know that wherever you choose to sit, we welcome you and your littles!! Even if they make noise or need snacks or you need to walk around the lobby with them, please just bring them and feel welcome.
Who is Pastor David?
Pastor David grew up in Massachusetts and went to a Bible college in California (where he met his wife, Stephanie, but they didn't get married for another 12 years). He has been pastoring since 1995, many years in Pennsylvania, then 8 years in Baltimore where he and Stephanie grew their family to include 4 girls. They moved to the Martinsburg area in 2017 and love the farmlands and mountains. Pastor David has traveled the world to do mission work and has spoken all over, many times being a speaker for youth events. His passion is to make corporate worship meaningful and to unpack the prophecies and teachings of the Bible in a way that always uplifts Jesus as the center. When not preaching or making visits, you can be sure to find him chopping wood or exploring woods and wetlands with his girls.
About Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 19 million members worldwide, including more than one million members in North America. The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to enhance quality of life for people everywhere and to let people know that Jesus is coming again soon.
Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God. They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone.
When He returned to heaven following the resurrection, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to serve as our Comforter and Counselor. He promised to return to earth a second time to complete His plan of salvation and take His people to heaven. Adventists are among the believers who look forward to that day.
Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life, and that everything—the way we live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around us—is part of His plan. Our families, our children, our jobs, our talents, our money, and our time are all important to Him.