What to Expect on an Average Sunday at REC:

(For what to expect on Table Sundays, see below!)

• There is no dress code at River East.
  • You’ll probably see people in jeans, khakis, dresses, but whatever you normally wear will likely fit right in.
• Our church strives to be accessible:
  • For in person congregants, we have a ramp to the main floor at the McLeod entrance, and an elevator to all floors at the parking lot entrance.
  • For those who can’t be in person for whatever reason, we usually have the option to join the service on Zoom.
• We welcome young families!
  • During the service, child care is available in the nursery for ages 0-3;
  • We have a flexible worship space in the back of the sanctuary, where wiggly kids can quietly do alternative activities during the service;
  • Most services include a conversation with the children, where kids have a special activity or story aimed at their level.
• Every Sunday, we sing! We come from a decidedly musical history, so our worship often includes songs from a variety of styles and eras… but we do love our hymns.
• Sermons are about 17 to 20 minutes long. We aim to be intellectually honest and accessible in all our teaching, with many different people in our pool of speakers.
• We are a community that prays for one another. In every service, we deliberately make room for anyone to share what’s going on… and we pray together.
• Typically, on the first Sunday of the month, we celebrate Communion.
  • Specific instructions are given in the service, and all are welcome to participate as they are comfortable.
  • If, for whatever reason, you do not wish to partake in Communion, but would still like to participate with the community, there are always grapes up front to take instead.
• After worship, you can often find free, fair trade coffee. Stick around and chat!

Put it all together, and Sunday morning usually looks like this:

• 10 am — Worship Service begins
  • Since we make space for sharing each week, services end between 11:05 and 11:15 am.
• 11:05am — Children’s Worship (age 4 – grade 5) begins
  • Children are dismissed to go downstairs during or immediately after worship.
• ~11:05am / 11:15 — SM2 (grades 6-12) begins
  • This takes place downstairs in the Youth Room following the service.
• ~11:15am  / 11:25am — Cross Training 
  • Take 10 mintues to grab a coffee before heading back to the sanctuary for the guest speaker or group discussion.
• 12:10pm — Children’s Worship, SM2, and Cross Training end
  • See you next week!

What to Expect on a Table Sunday:

About once every six weeks, REC deliberately sets aside a Sunday to scrap the itinerary we just outlined above and enjoy a more informal service together, centered around a potluck brunch. This has become known as Table Sunday, and it is quickly becoming a defining feature of our yearly rhythms.

At a Table Sunday, our gathering moves out of the sanctuary to the reception hall downstairs. There, we eat together, music is more casual, conversations are encouraged, and sermons are exchanged for a moment of storytelling. It’s also a chance for us to experiment with any new ideas that might be bubbling up among us.

To keep us from looking at the clock, there is no Children’s Worship / SM2 / Cross Training on Table Sundays. Additionally, there is no Zoom option available—the audio infrastructure isn’t there in the basement. (It’s also hard to eat through a screen.)

The Table Sunday format is unusual in for most churches, so naturally generates it some questions. Here are some FAQs we hear often, along with some answers: 

• Ack! I didn’t realize it was Table Sunday and I didn’t bring a potluck item! Am I still allowed to come?
  • Yes—emphatically yes! Please come even if you didn’t bring a dish—Table Sundays are for gathering people together, not turning people away!

• Are there expectations about what kind of food to bring?
  • Table Sundays are explicitly ‘guilt-free’ potlucks! Some people have the time and means to cook and share a home-made casserole; others might only manage to swing by Superstore on the way here to grab a bag of premade buns. All potluck contributions are received with gratitude!
  • As with any group of people, dietary restrictions vary among us. We request that you bring an ingredients list for all potluck dishes so that folks with dietary restrictions can make informed choices.
  • To keep dishwashing and disposable dishes to a minimum, we also encourage folks to bring their own plates and cutlery to Table Sundays.

• …Where am I supposed to sit?
  • We know it can be intimidating to sit and eat with folks we don’t know well. We also want to Table Sundays to be a chance to meet new people and mix up generations. To help thread this needle, we often create a simple, relaxed structure to help guide seating—one provides guidance without splitting up families or spouses against their will.
  • Check for signage on your way in about the seating guidance for that Table Sunday. In the absence of any structure, aim to fill up a table before starting a new one.

• Do Table Sundays have things for kids?
  • Absolutely! In fact, several parents have told us that Table Sundays are their kids favourite Sundays to attend. We usually have a table and activites set up specifically for kids to have something to do while the adults chat. 

Even if you’re new to REC, we hope you join us for Table Sundays! Check our calendar to see when the next one is coming up.