Service starts at 2:00 PM
Location: California Heights Baptist Church Building
Address: 4130 Gardenia Ave. Long Beach, CA 90807
Finding the Building
We rent from California Heights Baptist Church and have one afternoon service. We are behind the 76 gas station and next to Taqueria La Mexicana. Look for the building labeled “Calif. Heights Baptist Church.”
Parking
Feel free to park in the small private parking lot next to the church building on the corner of Gardenia Ave. and Cartagena St. While the lot is reserved for guest and family parking, it does tend to fill up leading up to the worship service start time.
If you need additional parking, free street parking is available anywhere in the surrounding neighborhood. We do request that you be respectful to our neighbors and park with courtesy to other cars and not protrude into the driveways.
Entrance
The entrance is on the North side of the building , along Gardenia Ave., where parking lot meets the church building. A Greeter and Usher will be available at the greeting cart to welcome you and escort you to your seat.
What Should I Wear?
Generally, our church membership is not a gathering with formal attire. While those who lead the worship may be dressed in business casual attire, most of the attendees dress comfortably and modestly.
What Time Should I Arrive?
We recommend arriving 15 minutes early to allot plenty of time for parking and seating.
Where Do I Go?
After parking, you will find one of our members at the greeting cart located between the parking lot and the church building. The Greeter will be able to show you how to access the electronic copy of the program and conduct any appropriate COVID-19 protocol screening questions. Afterward, an Usher will escort your party to your seat either indoors or outdoors.
What Happens During Sunday Service?
Our worship service is very straightforward and can be divided into the following five portions.
Worship through…
- Praying the Bible
- Singing the Bible
- Reading the Bible
- Studying the Bible
- Seeing the Bible
For a detailed explanation of each part of the worship service, please take a look at the Worshipping With Us tab.
What Happens Afterward?
After the service, we continue into the outdoor parking lot for fellowship. We encourage this as a time to interact with our church members, ask questions, and converse before going home. It is here where we get connected on a more personal and individual level. We would love for you to join us!
Sunday School—Deepening Our Pursuit of Godliness
Currently No Sunday School
Will post new schedule when available
Our Sunday begins with a time of equipping for adults at our Sunday School. Our Sunday School classes are scheduled to begin before our corporate gathering. These classes run parallel with a traditional semester system (15 week semesters).
Normally, there are 1-3 options to attend. The core curriculum covers material that help foster the growth of every Christian. The following is a list of our core classes:
- Bible Survey—Old Testament I
- Bible Survey—Old Testament Survey II
- Bible Survey—New Testament Survey
- Hermeneutics
- Doctrine I
- Doctrine II
- Doctrine III
Other electives are offered throughout the year and include: Spiritual Disciplines, Ecclesiology, Biblical Counseling, and other aspects of Christian living and theology.
The Sunday Worship
Pillar Bible Church is intentional with structuring our worship service after the Bible. The following principles guide a majority of our worship.
Worship through…
Praying the Bible
First, Pillar Bible Church loves to pray the Bible. We are committed to regular prayers throughout our Sunday worship (e.g., opening prayer / call to worship, pastoral prayer, and many others). We want our prayers to be patterned after sound doctrine.
Singing the Bible
Second, Pillar Bible Church loves to sing the Bible. Our worship is largely contemporary in music (we do have a praise band or praise team). Still, we are committed to singing both contemporary songs and hymns. The Christian music ministries that influence our church include Sovereign Grace Music, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Citizens and Saints, Sojourn Music, Dustin Kensrue, and the like!
Reading the Bible
Third, Pillar Bible Church loves to read the Bible. Our worship service has a section dedicated to the public reading of Scripture. We have a call to worship and a dedicated time to systematically read through a book of the Bible.
Studying the Bible
Fourth, Pillar Bible Church loves to study the Bible. The largest portion of our worship service is dedicated to studying the Bible through expository (or sequential verse-by-verse) preaching. It is our time to listen to God and His authoritative Word in our lives.
Seeing the Bible
Fifth, Pillar Bible Church loves to see the Bible. We see the Bible when we practice the ordinances of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. Baptisms are conducted in services as needed when sinners come to saving faith in Christ. The Lord’s Supper is practiced on the first Sunday of every month.
Other aspects of our worship include worship through giving where church members are given the opportunity to cheerfully give. We also recognize a short time of worshiping God through greeting one another. Here, members are able to greet one another and guests can take the time to meet a few new people.
Our Order of Worship
The Sunday gathering runs from 2:00PM-3:45PM. It is during this time that we gather together to praise God, pursue godliness, and proclaim God’s Word. Consider our order of worship and the following description:
Announcements
We informally begin our worship with announcements. This helps us stay focused upon worshiping God.
Call to Worship & Prayer
Our formal worship begins with the reading of a Scripture that calls all who are in attendance to worship God. This takes place through the reading of Scripture that reminds us of God and His attributes and our responsibility to worship Him. A prayer is given to calibrate our souls for the purpose of worship.
Worship through Prayer
After our time of worship a prayer is given by one of the elders. The could be a prayer of confession, adoration, thanksgiving, or supplication depending on the main content of the sermon or the needs of the church.
Worship through Reading
Pillar Bible Church is committed to the public reading of Scripture (1 Tim 4:13; cf. Col 4:16). We systematically read through a book of the Bible every week. Normally, we alternate between Old and New Testaments in order to expose the church to the entirety of God’s Word.
Worship through Giving
The Bible commands Christians to give to their local church in a cheerfully manner (2 Cor 9:6-7). This is an opportunity for believers to practice Christ-like humility (2 Cor 8:9). More information about giving can be found on the How to Give page.
Worship through Prayer
The congregation is led by the pastor in a pastoral prayer before the preaching of God’s Word. Depending on the life and health of the church, these prayers can range from prayers of confession, adoration, repentance, etc. This prayer normally ends with a request to receive the preaching of God’s Word with humility.
Worship through Preaching
The majority of our service is dedicated to the preaching of God’s Word. Pillar Bible Church is committed to expository preaching (i.e. the style of preaching that makes the main point of the text the main point of the sermon). This is often practiced in a verse-by-verse fashion.
Worship through Singing
Our service draws near to a close with a song, normally, related to the preaching of God’s Word.
Worship through Reflection
After singing, we pause for a few moments for thoughtful reflection. Christianity is a worldview that requires constant reflection and personal evaluation. These moments allow us to review and take in the contents of the worship service and ask God to make us more like Him.
Worship through Prayer
Our closing prayer is a blessing given by the leaders of the church for the saints to go and live a life of piety.
Worship through Fellowship
After our formal worship service we have a time of worshiping God through fellowship. We gather for accountability, time to catch up, and serve one another. Christians are also called to be personally invested in one another’s lives and this time of fellowship helps to cultivate healthier relationships among Christians and especially church members.