We do not pursue the atmosphere of artistic or oratorical performance, but the atmosphere of a radically personal encounter with God and truth. We utterly renounce all sham, deceit, hypocrisy, pretense, affectation, and posturing. We will try to avoid being a trite, flippant, superficial, or frivolous, but in stead will aim to set an example of reverence and passion and wonder and broken-hearted joy. The elements of our worship service should aim at kindling and carrying deep, strong, real emotions toward God, especially joy, but should not manipulate people ’s emotions by failing to appeal to clear thinking about spiritual things based on shareable evidences outside ourselves. But more than that, the content of God’s Word should be woven through all we do in worship and will be the ground of all our appeal to authority. The content of our singing and praying and welcoming and preaching and poetry should always conform to the truth of Scripture. We believe that in worship God draws near to us in power, and makes himself known and felt for our good and for the salvation of unbelievers in the midst. We earnestly seek his drawing near according to the promise of James 4:8. We do not just direct ourselves toward him. The ultimate aim is to experience God in such a way that he is glorified in our affections. We put a high priority on the vertical focus of our Sunday morning service. “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”-John 4:23 God-Centeredness
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