Welcome to Westminster

Precisely because we are a Christian church, absolutely everybody is welcome. We don’t assume or presume you to be Christian; we only hope to be Christian towards you.

It’s not necessary to know anything in advance of visiting. We invite you to simply come and join us. If you’d like to know more about the church in advance of your visit, you’ll find information about visiting below.

Jump to a section: Visiting, worship, children, and becoming a member.

Visiting

Worship service times

Worship services are held every Sunday morning. Services are held at 8:30a and 10:55a. During the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, there is only one service at 10:00a. Services usually last about an hour.

Location

View a map of our location

Westminster is located downtown, near the corner of Jefferson and Fulton. The sanctuary of Westminster Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of Weston and LaGrave. The parking lot is off Jefferson Ave across from State Street and the old Public Museum. The main entrance off the parking lot will bring you into our Gathering Place, classrooms and sanctuary.

Seating

Seating in the sanctuary pews is open, and you’re invited to sit wherever you feel most comfortable. Seating is available both on the main level and in the balcony, which is accessible via stairs at the back of the sanctuary. If you’re unable to locate a seat, simply ask an usher to locate a seat for you.

On occasion, a few rows of pews may be marked with a braided rope; this indicates those pews are reserved (typically for families during baptisms, for children’s choir seating, or other occasional parts of worship).

Accessibility

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a handicap accessible facility. Handicap parking spaces can be found in our parking lot. Large print hymnals, Bibles and personal hearing devices are available from the ushers. We also have a hearing loop system; set your hearing aids to ‘T’.

Getting help

If you have questions or need help during your visit, look for anybody with a nametag, or stop by the greeters’ desk inside the lobby. There is also a welcome center located in the Gathering Place, where you can find additional information about the life and ministries of Westminster.

Worship

Worship at Westminster is a vibrant and captivating experience with a traditional structure.

The worship bulletin indicates the order of worship, including when to stand and sit. But don’t be intimidated! You’re not going to do anything wrong, and nobody minds if you get words wrong or miss when to stand or sit.

Hymns and singing

There are two blue books in all the pews: A Bible, and the hymnal. The hymnal is the larger of the two. Each service at Westminster includes several hymns, the numbers of which are printed in the bulletin. You’re invited to sing along, or just listen if you prefer.

Passing of the Peace

Our worship service also includes a “passing of the peace,” where everybody in the congregation shakes hands with the people seated around them and greets them by saying, “Peace of Christ,” or “Peace be with you,” to which the usual response is, “And also with you.” But don’t worry about getting the words right; the point is not the words, but rather to bless and be blessed by each other’s company.

The Lord’s Prayer

We recite the Lord’s Prayer together during each service. Different churches use different words, and there are many appropriate ways to pray this prayer. We print the words in the bulletin, so we can all be on the same page — but our choice of words is not intended to be exclusive.

Children

We welcome children! They are an important part of the worshipping community. All children are welcome to stay through the entire worship service and worship aids are available. There are worship notebooks for 3rd-5th graders and worship bags for younger children, located in the narthex on the bookshelf and in the basket.

Other children’s opportunities:

Nursery: Infants through three year olds are cared for in the nursery rooms, located down the hall to the right of the parlor.
Nurturing Center: Children ages three and four may leave the worship service at the time of blessing for stories, songs and free play.
Worship Centers: Children four years through second grade may also leave at the time of blessing to complete their worship experience in an interactive worship setting.

Becoming a member

New member orientation sessions are held throughout the year. Please contact Susan Jennings at (616) 717-5542 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.