9:45   Children gather in the Sunday School. Sunday School is for ages 3 - High School

  9:45   Singing in the Church Sanctuary prior to the 10:00 AM Service

 10:00   Morning Worship Service

 11:00   Fellowship Hour and Lunch: Following morning worship service, everyone is 

             invited to lunch and an hour of fellowship. Those sitting in the main

             sanctuary will be ushered to the main level dining room. This is an

             opportunity to meet people, fellowship, and enjoy a meal together

11:55   Singing begins in the main church sanctuary before the afternoon service.

            Everyone is encouraged to attend both the morning and afternoon services. 

            The second service is another hour of worship similar to the first service,

            with different scriptures selected and is an opportunity for our children to 

            attend since they were in Sunday school in the morning.

 12:15  Afternoon Worship Service

   1:15  Afternoon Worship ends

6:45   Singing in the Church Sanctuary prior to the Service at 7:00 PM

7:00   Midweek Worship Service

8:00   Midweek Worship Service ends

Sermons are rotated between the ministers from our Peoria Apostolic Church congregation. At times, ministers from other Apostolic Christian churches will visit and conduct a service.

Ministers do not ordinarily select scriptural texts or prepare sermon outlines before the worship service. Instead, ministers pray and meditate on the Word during the week. Other than for special occasions, they open the Scriptures as they stand before the congregation and use these texts for their message, recognizing that God knows the needs of the congregation. The minister thus depends on the Holy Spirit for inspiration, praying to be used as an instrument for the benefit and edification of the worshippers.

The Bible is read from the Old and New Testaments and is followed by preaching and exhortations from those scriptures. The Authorized King James Version of the Bible is used. Hymns are sung from the Zion’s Harp hymnal during the church service. When prayers are offered during the services, the entire congregation is invited to kneel if able.

Some things you may notice:

The Apostolic Christian church practices a number of traditions and customs that you may notice during your visit.

You will see the women who are members of the Apostolic Christian church wearing a head covering/veil. This practice follows the biblical instruction found in 1 Corinthians 11:5.

Men do not wear a head covering/veil (1 Corinthians 11:4).

You will also notice the members of the church greeting each other with a kiss of charity (love). This practice follows the biblical instruction found in Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. The men, called Brothers, greet the brothers while the women, called Sisters, greet the sisters. Note that only those who are members of an Apostolic Christian church greet each other in this way.

Men and women generally sit separately during regular worship services with men on one side of the sanctuary and women on the other. During special occasions such as weddings and funerals, men and women or families more often sit together. Separate seating during worship helps widows, widowers, and single members feel more comfortable by sitting with believers of their own gender.

Singing is done in an "a cappella" fashion with all parishioners participating in the singing.

After the closing prayer, a minister will go to the pulpit and ask if anyone has “Greetings.” You will observe men stand, say “Greetings from ____” and mention the name of a town. These towns are places where other Apostolic Christian churches are located. This tradition reminds us of the common bond that we have with others who attend Apostolic Christian churches across the globe. The minister will repeat the names of the towns so that all can hear them. He will then ask visitors to take the Christian greetings of the Peoria Apostolic Christian church back to their local congregations.

Note: Anyone in the congregation who prays out-loud or “gives greetings” will be either a member of the Apostolic Christian Church in Peoria or a member of another Apostolic Christian church.

The front entrance to the church is a wheelchair ramp and does not involve any steps. The main floor men’s and women’s restrooms have handicapped accessible facilities.

A baby room with bathrooms, changing stations, nursing rooms, and sleeping rooms is available for those with infants and young children. It is located on the main floor. While we do not have a staffed nursery, we are glad to help parents needing assistance with small children during the services.