What to Expect: Your First Time
We believe GCR is a terrific place to be nurtured in the Christian faith and to be challenged in living greater lives of sacrificial service to our Lord and to one another. Our goal is that your first visit at GCR will be a positive experience with our gracious God and his people who, you’ll notice immediately, are very friendly, but far from perfect. Our hope is that it only takes you one visit to want to join God’s redemptive work with our church family at GCR!
What to Wear – We’re not worried about it and you shouldn’t be either. Dress in a way that makes you comfortable. Seriously. We’re not just saying that. More than half our members are going to be wearing blue jeans.
Parking – There is plenty of parking on every side of our building. The easiest place is on the south side, on Golf Course Road. There are specially designated parking spaces right up next to the building for our honored guests.
Coming In – The easiest entrance to our building is on the south side on Golf Course Road, through the courtyard and into the rotunda - come on in! If you’re a guest, you’ll be greeted immediately and given a small gift as a token of our appreciation and good will. The greeter will help guide you to the children’s check-in, to a Bible class, or to our worship center. He or she will point out the restrooms and water fountains and answer any questions about our church and our building.
GCR Kids – Our children’s ministry is headquartered straight ahead from the main south entrance. There is also an entry on the north side from the parking areas on Tarlton St. If you need assistance, a greeter will guide you to the check-in counter and help you with the process. We offer a fully staffed nursery during the class and worship hours and children’s worship for kids 3 years old-Kingerdarten. For more information on the children’s ministry, click here.
Bible Classes – There are Bible classes tailored for all ages at 9:00 every Sunday morning. For information on classes for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and elementary-aged students, please click here for GCR Kids. To familiarize yourself with our youth ministry and programs for middle school and high school students, click here. For the adults, we offer a wide range of classes suited to specific ages and life stages as well as a few classes designed with diversity in mind. None of them are exactly the same. A greeter can help you find a class that works best for you.
Worship – Come in and sit anywhere you’d like. It starts at 10:15 every Sunday morning and we’re usually always finished before 11:30. We’ll sing a pretty good mix of traditional hymns and contemporary praise songs, there will be Scripture readings and prayers, a 25-minute sermon, and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. There will also be a collection taken - if you’re a guest, you’re not expected to give. For more details on our Sunday morning worship assemblies, please click here.
Diversity – You’ll notice a fairly wide range of folks at GCR on a Sunday. Lots of young families mixed in with many people who’ve been here for decades. Doctors and lawyers sitting next to blue collar workers. Business owners and executives worshiping with day laborers and roughnecks. Lifelong Church of Christ-ers sharing communion with people who’ve never been part of any church. Those who sit on the front row and sing every song and those who stand in the back and just watch. We view the diversity here as a gift from God and a blessed glimpse of his glorious future. Don’t let it make you uncomfortable; embrace it as something only God could do.
A Kingdom View – You’ll see that we think God is much bigger than just Golf Course Road Church of Christ. We regularly celebrate our missions partnerships with other churches and Gospel organizations in our city. We believe Jesus went to the cross, in part, to eradicate the barriers that exist between his people and we’re working hard to break down those obstacles in Midland. Don’t let this unique spirit of cooperation shake you; allow it to inspire you.