Our weekly worship service starts at 9:20 am on Saturday morning.
We start with singing in the main sanctuary. From 9:30 to 10:30 the service consists of Sabbath School classes broken down by age. At 10:40 Sabbath School ends and there is a short (10 minute) period where people can visit and greet one another. At 10:50 we convene in the Sanctuary to begin our congregational worship service.
Our worship services begins with a period of praise in congregational singing, followed by announcements, prayer, an offering and a children's story. Following the prayer, the speaker of the day delivers a sermon usually lasting 20-30 minutes. Since we currently are between pastors, some weeks the sermon is given by a local elder or other lay member or perhaps a retired pastor or guest speaker from out of the area. Services close with a benediction and a final congregational hymn.
For other events and activities, see our Online Calendar here.
Sabbath School Classes
We have Sabbath School classes for all ages. Cradle Roll/kindergarten starts with newborns through 4 years of age. Please plan on having an adult stay with your child for the Cradle Roll class. Primary is 5-9 and Juniors/Youth covers ages10 and up. For adults we have two Sabbath School classes that focuses on weekly lessons on a defined quarterly topic or book(s) of the Bible.
As with all Seventh-day Adventist Churches around the world, the Baker City Church uses the SDA Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, a day-to-day Bible study guide that is produced every three months by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. For more information see the SDA Quarterly website here.
LOCATION OF SERVICES AND CLASSES
The adult Sabbath School class is held on the ground-level floor in the Sanctuary. Another class is held in the classroom at the end of the hall from the sanctuary.
Children's Sabbath School classes are located down the hall from the Sanctuary on both the left and the right sides of the hall with signs on the doors.
Dress & Decorum
There is no set dress code. Adventists believe in doing and giving our best to the Lord, including how we dress and behave at worship services. Out of reverence for the worship experience and respect for others, those who attend wear neat, clean and modest attire.
If your children are noisy and restless, we have a Children’s Room located at the back of the Sanctuary where you can still hear and see services.
We hold the Sanctuary as especially sacred and deserving of greater reverence and respect within the church building.
We ask that you refrain from smoking on our property.
Fellowship Dinner
On the 1st and 3rd weekends we have a fellowship dinner in The Center following the worship service that all are invited to attend. 99.9% of the dishes are vegetarian. Seventh-day Adventists are known to strive for healthy eating habits but this doesn’t mean that every Seventh-day Adventist is a vegetarian, or what we eat is the basis for our faith. It does mean however that we strive to be health conscious as instructed by the Bible.
On weekends when we do not host a fellowship dinner we encourage local members to invite guests home for dinner and fellowship on Sabbath afternoon.
BAPTISM
Seventh-day Adventists perform baptisms by immersion, meaning that the candidate is fully submerged in water before arising to a new life in Jesus Christ. Those who are baptized in Christ in the Seventh day Adventist church have made the conscious decision to accept Christ into their life, so you will see people of all ages getting baptized.
COMMUNION
You may experience our Communion service, usually on one of the Sabbaths of each quarter.
Every quarter, the Seventh-day Adventist church remembers the death and resurrection of Christ through a Holy Communion service.
Bread and wine (grape juice), a symbol of the body and blood of Christ, is prayed over by the pastor, elders and shared by all in attendance.
Before the sharing of the bread and wine, members (and others who wish to participate) take part in a short foot-washing ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony is to follow in the biblical footsteps of Christ as He so humbly stooped to wash the feet of His disciple, Peter. Here at the Baker City church, men and women separate into different rooms – men upstairs, women downstairs – where individual basins and towels are available for each partner. It is a simple event. Shoes and socks are removed (however, a woman is not expected to remove her stockings); and the feet are simply dipped or sprinkled with water and dried.
Participating in the foot-washing ceremony is not mandatory. If you are visiting with us on that day, you are not obligated to take part; you are invited to watch or wait in the sanctuary until everyone convenes again.
Following foot-washing, we return to the Sanctuary to partake in the sharing of bread and wine.
BABY DEDICATIONS
Visiting on the day of a baby dedication is equally special. As Seventh-day Adventists, we do not practice infant baptism (for more on SDA beliefs & practices, click here). In place a baptism we have a dedication – a short ceremony to welcome the arrival of a newborn baby into the family of God. The ceremony usually consists of a short prayer and blessing from the Pastor, as well as a time for pictures.
Ellen White
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Lord has especially blessed our Church with the gifts of biblical knowledge and prophecy.
You may attend a service where the Pastor or speaker quotes from a woman named Ellen G. White. Ellen White and her husband James White were two of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
She’s widely considered a woman gifted in the areas of biblical interpretation and prophecy. Many believe that her insight into spiritual matters came directly from God.
The best way to satisfy your curiosity about this woman is to read her writings for yourself. More information can be found on Ellen White and the history of the Adventist church through the White Estate website, or by requesting free literature from the Pastor, Elder or the Greeter.
Wi-Fi/Internet
At this time, we do not offer public Wi-Fi or internet access.
Special Accommodations
Due to the age of our building, ADA access is limited for parts of the building. If you are in need of special assistance, please let the Greeter know or contact one of the Elder’s of Baker City Church.
Assisted-listening headsets are available for those who are hard of hearing. Contact a deacon for assistance.
We have several designated parking spots for disability access. If your children are noisy and restless, we have a Children’s Room located at the back of the Sanctuary where you can still hear and see services.
Other
The weather here in eastern Oregon can frequently be highly changeable. In the winter, day-time temperatures can be zero degrees Fahrenheit or even colder while in the summer temperatures can be more than 100 degrees. Be sure to dress accordingly for the season.
We have a service that clears our parking lot of snow right after a storm and we strive to clear our walks prior to all scheduled events.
Beyond temperatures, the air here in eastern Oregon is quite dry, so if you are visiting from a more humid area, be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
Thank you for your interest in Baker City Seventh-day Adventist Church. We want to extend an invitation for you to visit us and are looking forward to seeing you.
