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Who are we?
Manhattan Mennonite Church consists of a wide range of different people, from all ages and different backgrounds. Whoever you are you are assured a warm welcome at our church. Do you have to already be Mennonite to attend? Absolutely not! Everyone is welcome to come as often as they like, regardless of their church (or non-church) background. In fact, about half of us at the church didn't grow up as Mennonites. Don't Mennonites drive buggies and dress strangely? No. We are often confused with our cousins, the Amish. Mennonites and Amish do hold to many of the same ideas, but often live them out very differently. Most Mennonites today (including those of us in Manhattan) drive cars, use the latest technology and dress much like our non-Mennonite friends and neighbors. What to wear Wear whatever you feel comfortable in. We are an informal church and accept people as they are. There is no need to dress up to try and be someone that you're not. Whether you come in a suit and tie or T-shirt and shorts you'll be welcome. What to expect on a Sunday morning For some people going anywhere for the first time can be a bit of a nerve-racking experience. To help avoid any worries here's a quick summary of what you can expect at Manhattan Mennonite. You'll find we are a friendly bunch, so if you don't understand something please simply ask. Sunday School starts at 9:30 am. If you're coming for this, enter the door on the 10th Street side of the building. (See the map for directions) The children begin with group singing before breking up into smaller age groups for the Bible lesson. Parents, someone will be happy to help you find the right classrooms for your kids. The adults meet downstairs for discussions of important topics. Following a short break, we start our worship time at 10:45 am with a few announcements. This is followed by several songs, readings and prayers. We will receive an offering as part of worship, but first time visitors are not expected to contribute. During the Moments with Children, the kids are invited up front for a story (which the adults usually appreciate a lot, too!) After this, children who are not yet in school are welcome to go down to the nursery which is staffed with trained volunteers. Worship continues with readings from the Bible and a short message from one of our pastors. Following the message, everyone is welcome to share any response they have to the service, as well as to share joys or concerns from their lives. You can share the first time you come, but there's no expectation that you should share even if you've been here many times. After the sharing, we close with a final prayer and song, and we're done by around noon. Our aim is that whether you are just looking into Christianity for the first time or have been a Christian for many years that you should be encouraged and inspired by the morning. We hope that everyone will draw closer to God. What we believe We are a Christian church in the Anabaptist/Mennonite faith tradition. We affirm the traditional Christian ideas about God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. Some of the particular emphases of our church are:
For more detailed information on our beliefs, check out the
covenant
that all of our members sign or visit our
links
page for information from the larger Mennonite church.
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