South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church Visitor Information
Worship at 8:15 a.m., 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Sunday School for All Ages at 9 a.m.
Welcome to South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church! We are glad you are visiting with us. Here are some of the things you can expect when you worship with us on Sunday mornings.
Worship style
We follow a traditional worship style that involves prayer and hymns, as well as a sermon from one of our three pastors. The service typically lasts one hour.
Parking
Park in one of our visitor parking spots reserved just for you. These parking spots are located directly across from the main doors to our sanctuary. Enter our property through the main driveway off of Blakeney Heath Road; turn left before you get to the circle.
Welcome Center
You will find our Welcome Center located just inside the main door of our sanctuary building. Check the center for information about our worship services, Christian education programs, outreach opportunities, and fellowship events. Be sure to pick up a copy of the brochure that outlines our history and mission. A member of the Membership Committee will be available to answer any questions you may have.
Fellowship
We invite you to join us on Sunday mornings after the 10 a.m. service for lemonade and cookies outside in the Pedestrian Plaza. In the narthex, just outside the sanctuary doors, you can enjoy a cup of coffee and grab a muffin at SMPC’s own “Coffee Grounds”. These are great places to meet people and learn more about what’s going on at SMPC!
Nursery
We provide secure, nurturing care for children from infancy through kindergarten on Sunday mornings during all worship services. Our infant, toddler, two-year old, three-year old, four-year old, and kindergarten rooms are staffed with professional nursery personnel, as well as parent disciples, providing our children with consistent and attentive care. All paid nursery staff have completed the SMPC Children, Youth, Volunteers and Staff Protection Policy training.
If you are attending the 8:15 am service, drop off your child in Room 101 for infants, Room 110 for all other ages. If you are attending the 10:00 service, drop off your child at the appropriate location (signs are posted outside of each door). Parents must sign their children in.
Worship
The 8:15 a.m. service is held in our chapel; it is a shorter service, lasting about 45 minutes. The 10 a.m. service is approximately an hour long, and includes special music and the full choir. See below for information about Children’s Worship during the 10 a.m. service.
At each service you’ll find greeters at the doors to welcome you and direct you to the chapel, sanctuary and/or nursery rooms. Bulletins outlining the order of worship and weekly announcements are available from ushers posted outside the chapel (8:15 service) and sanctuary doors (10 service).
During the service, you’ll be asked to sign the registry pad as it is passed from one end of each row to the other. If you leave your address, the pastors and the Membership Committee are able to welcome you with a small gift and a letter. Our members also sign the Friendship Pad each Sunday, so we can keep our rolls updated.
Children’s Ministry Notes for the 10 a.m. Worship Service
Children up to third grade are invited to participate in a Children’s Worship Service that is held in the chapel during 10:00 service. The children leave the sanctuary after the anthem and return at the Doxology to conclude the worship service with their families. Childcare is provided for all younger children during the service.
Sunday School
We offer Sunday school classes for ages 3 to adult, from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.
3 year olds, 4 year olds and kindergartners are using the Live B.I.G. curriculum by Abington Press. These lessons are taught using Bible story, arts, crafts, and song. A map showing room assignments for each age group is available at the Visitor’s Table. Room assignments are also posted on each classroom door.
Grades 1 – 5 use the Potter’s Publishing Rotation curriculum by Potter’s Publishing. The children gather in Mecklenburg Hall (just inside the doors of the Palmer Building, straight ahead as you enter our main driveway) to pray, sing, and get an overview or review of the month’s lessons. They then rotate with their age group each week to learn the Bible stories through art, drama, cooking, games, movies, and storytelling. Schedules showing topics and room assignments are posted at the entrance to the Upper Room. Parents are asked to pick up their children in the appropriate classroom at 9:45 am.
Grades 6 & 7 focus on more traditional Bible study with discussion and activities such as art, singing and writing to reinforce learning. The 6th graders study the New Testament and the 7th graders the Old Testament. Both classes meet in the Administration/Christian Education building. 8th grade is a year-long Confirmation class; this group meets in our Classroom Cottage, which is located behind our main building.
Grades 9 – 12, our high school class, is using the curriculum Way to Live, focusing on all of the choices we make, and how to make them in a faithful way. The group also plays games and has lots of fun learning! This group meets in the Classroom Cottage.
From September until May we offer a variety of adult Sunday school classes. Current classes include:
The Lord’s Prayer – January 6 – February 17. Fortunately for us, Jesus taught us how to pray and we say this prayer every Sunday! Join us as we explore the meaning of this sometimes too familiar, yet sometimes utterly foreign prayer. Room 206, Chapel Building.Lectionary Bible Study Class – Join us for a study of the scriptures chosen by our ministers. We will approach the text from its historical setting, often with the eyes and ears of the first hearers, then consider how it applies to our 21st century lives. What in the world has changed? What has not? Whether you are a Biblical scholar or a novice you can enjoy this class. Room 302, Sanctuary Building. JOY Class – January 6 – February 10. All are invited to join us as, using historical information, archaeological data, and stories of the faith, we retrace the life and ministry of Jesus Christ using Adam Hamilton’s The Way. Please come and enjoy the JOY of being with us! Room 301, Sanctuary Building.Calm My Anxious Heart: A Class for Moms – January 6 – May 12. Join us as we learn practical strategies to live in a calm space and keep our eyes focused on God. We will follow the book Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. Session Room, Chapel Building.
If you have any questions about visiting our church, please contact Nancy Metzler, Director of Hospitality and Connection, in the church office, 704.544.0404, ext. 103, or nancy@smpchome.org.
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