Worship Service - Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos

Join us at 10 a.m. on Sundays!

PCLG is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S., and part of the Reformed tradition. We are welcoming and affirming of all people who wish to join us as we gather in God’s name every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. both in person in our Sanctuary, and online on Facebook and Youtube. If you haven’t been to our church before, you’ll find a welcome table in front of the sanctuary where you can get a name tag and ask any questions you may have. As you walk through our doors, be prepared to receive a smile and a handshake!

Our Worship Style:

Our worship service is focused on the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We center our service on God’s Word with readings from the Bible. The sermon, songs and prayers help us apply that Word to our lives. We think you’ll find our worship service to be at times peaceful and reflective ,at other times joyfully energetic and sometimes amusing. Our people are warm and welcoming. We begin the service with a musical prelude and announcements, then a responsive call to worship. Over the course of the worship service, we sing three or four songs together as a congregation. We are invited to confess our sins in silence to ourselves, then in unison with a prayer of confession. Everything is printed in a bulletin or projected on screens and it will be easy to follow and participate.

A lively part of our worship experience is the “passing of the peace of Christ,” a time when we can say hello to those around us, shake hands, introduce ourselves, and maybe even share a hug. There is a Children’s message when the children come forward for a Bible message (see below). Pastor Dave Watermulder is our usual preacher. You can find past sermons here. Dave is deeply committed to God and our lives together as a congregation. His sermons are always relevant, easy-to-understand, and he has a nice sense of humor! People always come away from the service with something to ponder and incorporate into their lives.

We respond to God’s Word by sharing our prayer concerns and thanksgivings, if we have any, and praying the Lord’s Prayer together. We also worship God through contributing our offerings to the mission of the church. The service concludes, as we go in God’s name, with a benediction and postlude.

Worship Music:

We worship God on Sundays with a blended selection of music including a range from traditional hymns to contemporary praise music. Some songs are accompanied by our beautiful pipe organ or piano and others with guitar and drums. Our ensemble groups include a Chancel Choir, a Worship Band, Chancel Brass, Chancel Strings, and Handbells, all of which adds variety and beauty to our worship experience. For more information on how to participate in our Music Ministries, click here.

Communion:

It is our usual practice to celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month. Celebrating Communion with the cup and the bread is a sign and symbol of grace, recalling the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ for us. All are welcome to the table of grace because we believe that the Lord’s table is for all people who seek to follow Jesus so it is not a Presbyterian-only table. We celebrate using different practices of inviting people forward or passing the communion elements as people remain seated, but the pastors will always give instructions. We make communion accessible to those with mobility issues and offer gluten free bread as an option and have modified some of our practices due to health concerns arising with Covid-19.

Children’s Message:

Children are welcome in worship. Children attend the first 20 minutes or so of the Sunday worship service through the children’s message—Time for Young Disciples (TFYD), where the children are called forward for a special Bible message tailored just for them. After the children’s message, children in kindergarten – 5^th grade are invited to Sunday School. Periodically we will have an All- Church Sunday where our children over preschool age remain in the sanctuary for the worship service. Nursery care is available on those days. For more information on our Children’s Ministries, click here.

Children’s Programs:

Nursery and Toddler Care: PCLG offers childcare during the worship service. Our “nursery is available every Sunday from 9 to 11 AM for children ages birth to 2 1/2 years of age. The nursery is a loving, caring and safe environment with two experienced caregivers. Parents may leave their cell phone number in case they need to be contacted while in worship.

Preschool class : Available to children ages 2 ½ – 3 years old. Check-in begins at 9:45 AM or after the children’s message in worship.

PreK/K: Available to children ages 4-5 years. Children will go into worship with their families and after the children’s message will go with the teachers to their classroom. Parents are welcome to walk back with them.

God’s Place: Available to 1^st – 5^th grade children. Children will go into worship with their families and after the children’s message will go with the teachers to their class.

PCLG partners with parents and congregational members to provide a loving and fun experience for our children. The children will experience God’s world and His Word through stories, crafts, games and play. All of our volunteers go through a screening and Safe Church training program. For the Preschool class we utilize a numbered tag system, much a like a coat check-in, in which the only person who may retrieve your child is the person with the matching tag number as the one pinned to your child’s name tag. For more information on Infant Care and our Children’s Programs, click here. For more information on volunteering, click here, and for questions about our Safe Church program, contact Brenda Costanzo.

Youth:

Middle school youth group meets on Sundays 5-6:30 PM. On Sunday mornings, middle schoolers can help with the younger children in their classes or stay in worship. Once a month during worship, the Youth Director leads a special class just for them.

High school youth group meets Sunday evenings from 7:30-9:15 PM. On Sunday mornings they attend worship and enjoy sitting together in the balcony! For more information on our Youth Ministries, click here.

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