Occasionally someone will learn about God’s ways, including the Sabbath day, and will begin to search for a local church that keeps them which they can attend.  Through an Internet search they may find the United Church of God and learn that we keep the Sabbath , as well as God’s other commandments, and that we have local United Church of God congregations nearby .

Even though they may be interested in possibly visiting with us, it is only natural to be curious as to what the people are like and how our Sabbath services are conducted. 

First, the United Church of God (UCG) welcomes all visitors.  Our Sabbath services are open to anyone desiring to worship with us. 

What’s The Service Like?

You will find that almost all UCG congregations have a Sabbath Service format similar to the one described below (although we do vary it slightly on special occasions):

Church Service Format:

*  Fellowship Before Services  – Our regular members may begin arriving 30-60 minutes or more before services. Some live a considerable distance away.  We enjoy fellowshipping with each other and meeting new people.  It seems that everyone’s path to God is different and hearing about can be very uplifting.  We do our best to make them feel welcome.

*  Preparing for the Worship Service  – At the appointed start of services, we try to be seated with songbooks ready (copies will be out for visitors).

*  Opening Song Service  – The service starts with a Song Leader leading the congregation in three hymns.  We use musical accompaniment – usually a piano, but sometimes recorded.  Our song selection might be considered conservative by some, but the songs are generally based directly from a Psalm, a Bible theme or a scripture.

*  Opening Prayer  - At the end of the opening song service, an appointed man is asked to lead the congregation in prayer, asking for God’s guidance and blessing on the service.

*  Sermonette  – There are usually two spoken messages, the first is generally a short Bible-based message of 12-15 minutes, known as a sermonette.

*  2nd Song Service  - At the end of the first spoken message, the Song Leader leads the congregation in one more song.

*  Announcements  - The pastor or an elder will read announcements about upcoming local activities, prayer requests or general church information from our UCG headquarters.

*  Main Message  -  After announcements, the pastor, an elder, or one of the leading men from the congregation, will present a sermon message based on a specific bible topic.  This message is longer than the sermonette and may last 35-55 minutes.  On some Sabbaths there will be two main messages (called split-sermons) which each last 35-40 minutes, rather than a sermonette and sermon.

*  Final Song  – After the second message the congregation is led in one more hymn.

*  Closing Prayer  - The service ends with a short prayer.

Service Length - Our entire service generally lasts about 90 to 100 minutes.  After the service concludes, most of the brethren will stay to fellowship with others until our rental period ends.

Sabbath Service Attire

Most people attend Sabbath services in nice clothing.  The reason for this is that we want to honor God with the best that we have. However, we understand that sometimes dress clothes are not possible.  We sincerely hope that no one decides not to visit us because they feel that their clothes are not good enough.  Based on Bible, we do not make judgments about what someone may be wearing. 

Atlanta & Buford Combined

Occasionally our two congregations (Atlanta and Buford) meet together at a different location from our usual church halls.  When we do, the alternate hall will be posted on this website.  Please check the announcements (“Posts”) or the Calendar before you visit.  Except for emergencies, we’ll normally have the Sabbath service location for both congregations posted on their respective websites well in advance.

When we do have a combined Sabbath service, we’ll often include a delicious potluck meal following the service.  Visitors are always welcome to stay afterwards on these occasions and enjoy the food and fellowship.

Want More Information?

Would you like a printable fact sheet about our church with the location, maps, contact info and websites - Click on the Download section to the right.