Visit Us

We welcome everyone who is seeking a closer relationship with God! When the COVID-19 crisis is over, we hope to once again meet for worship services every Sunday morning at 10:30 am.

What to expect

A typical service lasts 75-90 minutes. Each service has a time of singing, responsive readings, reading the Bible, and reflecting on its meaning in our lives. We also take a free-will offering to raise money for a number of different causes. Scroll down to learn about our worship style and our musical style....

Worship style

Worship at the Waterloo Christian Reformed Church draws on 2000 years of tradition and experience within the broader Christian church. Our goal is to blend the best of the rich traditions of the past with the best of contemporary expressions of worship. In doing so, we hope to give each worshipper the opportunity to exercise both mind and heart whenever we come together to know and adore God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

With roots in the sixteenth century, distinctively Reformed worship dates back to John Calvin. Radical at the time, his liturgies introduced the basic principles, as well as some detailed specifics, that we use in Waterloo. First and foremost, Reformed worship is characterized by the centrality of the Word of God, given to us in the Bible. This is why the sermon, a teaching from Scripture delivered by an ordained minister, has the premiere place in our services. Other elements are sometimes omitted, but the sermon is always included. We also emphasize the importance of the Word by placing the pulpit in the front and centre of our worship space.

Other elements that distinguish Reformed worship are the salutation (greeting from God, delivered by the minister), the corporate confession of sin, and the assurance of God's pardon, followed by the reading of Scripture that guides us in thankful living (e.g., the Ten Commandments). With the greater Christian community we confess our faith through the creeds, we pray, we bring an offering, we celebrate the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and we receive God's blessing as we are sent out to serve in our homes, schools and offices.

Is this church contemporary or traditional?

The technical term for WCRC’s worship style is "convergence worship." While many churches have responded to the contemporary versus traditional controversy by offering two separate services with separate identities and constituencies, we try to blend the best of both into one service. This does not mean, however, that every service has the same character; the tone of a service led by our adult praise team, Joyful Noise, will be a bit more contemporary than one led by Laudemus Te, our adult choir, and those are different still than those led by children, youth, or other music groups. All services, however, are based on the principles of Reformed worship outlined above.

Who may participate in communion?

We celebrate the sacrament of the Lord's Supper once each month (usually the third Sunday). The style varies from one in which we remain seated while the bread and the cup are passed to us, to one in which we walk forward to receive the elements. We invite all who have been baptized and have made a commitment to Jesus to join with us in this special time of remembrance and of unity with God and with each other.

Musical style

We praise and worship God each Sunday with the help of a variety of music groups spanning different ages and musical styles. Scheduled on a rotating basis, they lead much of the music in our service and present a musical offering while our monetary offering is taken.

Some of the music we sing together as a congregation is contemporary. Some of the music consists of traditional hymns. Sometimes, our music is led by just a piano. Other times, the piano is supplemented by other instruments like guitar, bass, and drums.

The majority of our congregational singing is from the Lift Up Your Hearts hymnal.

How does it all fit together?

We can remember the elements of worship with the acronym ACTSS, for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and service. Our worship service begins when we meet together to adore God. Having experienced the presence, the love and the holiness of God, we are humbled, and we respond with confession of our sin. After we hear the teaching from the Bible, we respond by offering our supplication through the congregational prayer and by offering our money and our lives in service to God, the church, and the world.

Still have questions?

Please come, visit, and experience for yourself the joy of celebrating God at Waterloo Christian Reformed Church. Of course, if it's more convenient to call or email, then please do. You can reach us at (519) 746-5727 and by email.