Hello and welcome!
As you probably know, members of the United Church of God rest (that is refrain from normal work and recreation) and meet on the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) in compliance with the Fourth Commandment. We often don’t meet in actual church buildings - our local congregations meet wherever is suitable and accessible. We have congregations meeting weekly, and we would love for you to visit and enjoy one of our services. The congregations assemble weekly and we'd love for you to join us!
If you'd like to visit us, here is some more information on the format of our services:
Being a worldwide organization, we have a standard format for our services, which for the most part, is the same all over the world. The entire service lasts about an hour and a half, and we encourage everyone attending Sabbath services with us to bring a Bible. Because we believe and teach that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, our ministers and other speakers in the course of a service will focus on what the Bible says. Members are encouraged to turn to and read for themselves the scriptures quoted. Many will take notes for later review. The messages presented in our services are designed to be instructive, helpful, practical and inspiring.
After the service we have the opportunity to fellowship over tea, coffee and some snacks. We try to be careful though that we focus on things of a more spiritual nature and less of things of the world.
When we attend a Sabbath service we are coming into God’s active presence, appearing before Him for the purpose of worshiping Him and learning of His ways. When coming into the presence of God at Sabbath services, there is a respect and reverence we show Him in the way we dress. Regular United Church of God members therefore traditionally wear their best. Without getting too specific and being well aware that budget plays a big role in the clothing we’re able to afford, men and women dress with appropriate modesty.
We hope this information is helpful and once again we hope that you will join us for an enjoyable Sabbath service soon. We look forward to meeting you.
Regards, Vivien Botha – Cape Town elder for United Church of God
