New Here?
Thank you for your interest in Englewood Methodist Church! If you visit us in person or online, we want to make your connection to God and us as simple as possible. We answer frequently asked questions below. You are always welcome to contact the church office.
What to Expect
Getting ready for Sunday mornings can be hectic, especially if it’s your first time. We try to answer your questions below. If you need more information, please call the church office 941-474-5588 or contact us.
What should I wear?
Please come as you are. That means we want you to be comfortable in worship. If that is a dress or suit and tie for you, that is 100% appropriate. If you wear t-shirts, cargo shorts and sandals, that is equally appropriate. It is your heart for worship that God sees, and we strive to see you as He does.
Where do I park?
We have a large campus with parking all around it. There is handicap parking in several locations. Parking ushers will help you find a spot and help you exit quickly during the winter “season” months.
Which service should I attend?
We usually have three services each Sunday morning and while they differ in style of worship, the sermon is the same at all three.
The 8:00am service is held in the Sanctuary. This service is traditional in style and reflective in atmosphere. You will be invited into worship with traditional hymns accompanied by organ, a call and response call to worship, pastor led prayer and Lord’s Prayer, affirmations of faith, sermon, and benediction.
The 9:30am service is held in the Fellowship Hall located at the back of the campus. This service has a relaxed atmosphere led by our praise team, Fusion by Fire. You can sit in rows or find a spot at the round tables. We have a free coffee bar and a children’s play area for families who wish to remain together. You will worship with contemporary music, pastor led prayer and sermon. Children’s Sunday School and nursery are offered at this hour.
The 11:00am service is held in the Sanctuary and is traditional in style and upbeat in atmosphere. This is a full service with choir, organ, and special musical selections, call to worship, affirmation of faith, sermon, pastor led prayer and Lord’s Prayer and benediction.
Where do my children go?
At the 9:30 service we have Children’s Sunday school for children ages 3-years-old to 5th grade and the nursery for newborns to under 3-years-old.
You are welcome to keep your children with you in any of the three services. We don’t mind any noise they may make but recognize that can be stressful to parents. To alleviate that stress, the Sanctuary has a “cry room” with rockers for babies who may need to nurse, be consoled, or just need a little more wiggle room and the parents can remain in service, seeing and hearing everything. The Fellowship Hall has a child play area and books, crayons, etc. you can take to your table to keep the kids engaged during service. During the 9:30 service, youth (6th-12th grade) are invited to sit together and follow the sermon with a weekly worksheet to help them stay engaged with the service.
What else do you have on Sunday?
You are invited over to Fellowship Hall after your service for free gourmet coffee, iced tea and snacks. Spend a little time talking with others and connecting as the church family.
You can join one of the adult Sunday school classes meeting each week.
What We Believe
Discipleship Path
We believe in God’s ever-present grace. Even when we don’t recognize Him or deny His existence, we have never known a moment without His presence and unfathomable love. This is God’s Prevenient Grace. He is there beside you, desiring a relationship with you. It’s what you were created for. At EMC we call this the Invite stage of faith.
Once we understand God’s free gift of forgiveness and reconciliation, we feel our need for Him in our lives. We can then take the step of accepting this offer of forgiveness made possible by Jesus’ sacrificial love. This is God’s Justifying Grace. Our sins are forgiven, and we are in direct relationship with Him. At EMC we call this the Commit stage of faith.
God is never done with us! His love is immeasurable, and He continues to pour out His grace on us. This is the refining process where the Holy Spirit works in our lives to brings us closer to Him and to increase our love for others. This is God’s Sanctifying grace. At EMC we call this the Grow stage of faith.
We experience God’s Glorifying grace when we serve others through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. We are a Servant Church. God’s grace is abounding and we live out that grace in our community. At EMC we call this the Serve stage of faith.
Mission statement
The Servant Church
“Following the example of Jesus Christ, the Englewood Methodist Church shall strive to make God and His Kingdom more real through our caring, worship, study, fellowship, and outreach. To this end, as a Servant Church, we offer ourselves and our facilities for the Christian growth of all persons.”
Adopted 1978 Revised 1989