WHAT TO EXPECT
When you visit MVBT, you will find a group of people that genuinely love the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as care about you and your spiritual needs. We want you to be able to enjoy your visit, to be encouraged by the music, to know God, to desire God more, and to walk away feeling strengthened by the preaching from God’s Word. Here are a few answers to some questions you may have about your first visit to Mount Vernon Baptist Temple.
WHAT ARE THE SERVICES LIKE?
On Sunday mornings, you can join us in singing traditional and modern hymns and choruses, as well as enjoy inspiring music from soloists and special groups and our fabulous choir. The music is always followed by a clear and helpful message from God’s Word.
WORSHIP
Each Sunday, we have a special time to literally bow in worship. Worship can include praise, prayer, and giving, but in Scripture, the word worship most often means bowing. Recognizing God for all His worth produces in the true worshiper a response that cannot be physically expressed any better than by bowing.
REVERENCE
Our services might feel formal, but what else in life provides a sense of reverence and awe, if not God? It takes no effort to move toward casual, but we believe a holy God deserves a distraction-free environment. We encourage people to silence phones, remain seated through the preaching, and utilize the nursery, cry room, or children’s classes.
HYMNS
As out-of-place as a hymn might feel these days… that’s intentional. If we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, we believe the hymns that have endured many generations and musical style changes are the best tools to represent our timeless God. Today, let’s think great thoughts about God through these hymns.
SPECIALS
While we cherish the timeless hymns, we also love new music. We don’t have “performers” or a “stage” because we are not the audience. God is. As such, the musician is like the congregation’s “mouthpiece” as we corporately worship God. It’s not bad to clap after a special (clapping is biblical!), but to avoid an entertainment mentality and focus on the message of the song, usually the congregation just says, “Amen!”
EXCELLENCE
Nothing should be thrown together for an almighty God, so we work to glorify God with our best. We have plenty of room for improvement, but that’s just it… we want to keep improving! We try to give as much attention to our ministry as any local, volunteer organization gives to its hobbies, and we ask all our volunteers to do their service as unto the Lord.
PREACHING
The central focus of our sanctuary is a big, wooden pulpit. Each service, we go through the Scriptures, explaining the context to know what God said and what He’s saying still to us. We encourage our members to bring their Bibles, and we all use the King James Version so we’re on the same page.
INVITATION
At the close of each service, we usually stand and sing a prayerful song and reflect on the message from God. Some will pray in their seat, some might go forward to pray alone, while others might speak to a church worker about spiritual needs. The invitation is our time to ask God how He wants you to live in the new truths you have just heard.
IS THERE SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS?
During each Sunday morning service, we provide a separate children’s church service for age 4 through 6th grade. On Wednesday nights, Master Clubs is available (during the school year) for kids up to 6th grade. All children’s ministries are staffed with friendly, trained, and qualified teachers and helpers.
LOCATION
We’re excited that our location is right in the heart of Knox County! Our address is 21453 Floralwood Dr, Howard, OH 43028, just west of Apple Valley Lake. Our Parking team will help you find the best parking, and our Welcome team will have a gift for you and answers to any questions you might have.
