Visitor and Guest FAQ

Where is St. Paul’s Located?

We are located at 401 16th Ave N., Bangor, WI 54614. This is about two minutes off of Highway 90 and two blocks off of Pearl Street in Bangor.

When are Services Held?

Sunday worship services are at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we also have worship services on Monday nights at 7:00 pm.

For holidays and special services, please see our Calendar.

What is St. Paul’s like?

We aren’t a small church, but we aren’t a mega church either. You’ll find our congregation down to earth, joyful in Christ, friendly, and welcoming.

What is Your Worship like?

At St. Paul’s we strive for a reverent worship of God focused on the good news of God’s forgiveness through Jesus. We make our worship as easy-to-follow as possible. Each week an outline of the service is printed in our service folder along with hymnal page references. The Scripture readings and prayers are also printed in there for you to follow along as the pastor reads them. Of course, you’re always welcome to bring along your own Bible.

Our worship is liturgical, which means we have a set order of worship each week. Every Sunday we focus on God’s Word and Sacrament because only through those does God freely offer us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In our worship we use traditional forms along with modern language and applications. The traditional features of our worship bring us the best from God’s Church throughout the ages, while the contemporary features remind us that God’s promises of forgiveness, guidance, and peace still apply to our daily lives. We pray that through our worship your faith will be strengthened in those promises in Christ.

What is a Liturgy?

The liturgy is the order of our worship service. Our worship contains many of the same elements as that of the early Christian church. It includes a confession of sins, an announcement of forgiveness, a song of praise in response to God’s forgiveness, prayer, Scripture readings, a sermon, a response to God’s Word with offerings and prayers of thanks, Holy Communion, and a final blessing.

What is Closed (or Close) Communion?

Holy Communion (or the “Lord’s Supper”) is a blessing God gives to his Church to receive the body and blood of Jesus for the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:26-28). When we do this, we are to express together the beautiful blessing of fellowship we share with those partaking with us (1 Corinthians 10:16-17), hence the term “close” communion.

However, if there are Christians who profess beliefs that go against God’s Word, we cannot in good conscience express that fellowship with them. Also, as the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, if a person partakes of Holy Communion in an unworthy manner, that person “eats and drinks judgment on themselves.” Therefore, because the integrity of God’s Word and their spiritual well-being are at sake, we ask that visitors who are members of churches outside of our fellowship or who haven’t been instructed in the teachings of our church refrain from partaking of the Lord’s Supper when it is offered during our worship services. However, we would love for you to partake with us, so please speak with the pastor for more information on how we can enjoy this holy meal together.

Can I remain Anonymous or will I be Pointed Out as a Visitor?

We do not ask visitors to stand up and be introduced as some churches do. Our ushers and some regular worshipers will probably greet you as you enter and leave church. It is up to you whether you wish to have an extended conversation with us. Many visitors attend several times before they wish to have a conversation.

Is it OK Just to Watch at First?

We believe that church membership is a voluntary blessing and that the most important thing is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. People need time to evaluate and decide if they want to get further involved. We respect that need.

What Should I wear?

Sometimes people wonder how they are expected to dress at a church they’ve never visited before. Since the Bible presents no dress code, aside from simple modesty, we don’t make any rules either. Like most people, our members try to make their worship time at church a special time. This is often reflected in the way they dress. However, on any given Sunday you may see running shoes and high heels, jeans and suits, open collars and ties. When a person dresses out of love for God, the choice of dress (casual or more formal) is acceptable to God…and us.

What if I use a wheelchair or have Vision Needs?

Large print copies of the worship folder and hymns are available from the ushers. We have wheelchair accessible parking spaces, and our building is also wheelchair accessible with an automatic door and an elevator. If you need any other assistance while you are at St. Paul’s, please let us know!

What about an Offering?

Members of St. Paul’s give offerings out of love to the Lord. The gifts of God are free, and we want the blessings of this service to be a gift to visitors.

For members, Scripture teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that everything we have is a gift of God. He does not compel us to give “a tithe” as he did the Old Testament believer. Instead the apostle Paul tells us that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). In other words, don’t feel compelled by guilt or embarrassment to give an offering. We want all offerings to be made freely and with joy. Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Because offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. We include an offering in our services so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God.

What about my kids?

We love to have children and families worship together! And we love all the sounds that kids can bring!

The back pews are reserved for families with small children—though you’re welcome up front, too. Sometimes, however, it gets a bit hard for little ones to sit through a service, so you’ll also find a TV in the church basement with video of the worship service if you feel that’s needed.

Do you have a Sunday School?

Yes, we do! Sunday School starts at 9:10 am. All the kids (from three-year-olds to 8th graders) meet for a short Bible lesson.

Adults and teens have their own Bible study, which meets in the church sanctuary between services.

Are there any refreshments served?

In-between our services, we offer coffee and some snacks in the church basement.

What if I don’t know Much about the Bible?

First a disclaimer: there are no “super-Christians” at St. Paul’s. None of us have our Bibles completely memorized (at least not yet!). If we did, we might feel that church was unnecessary. Worship and Bible study are opportunities to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and faith in Jesus. You won’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to answer. And remember, sometimes the wisest words we say are, “I don’t know.”

Is your Church full of “perfect” people?

Nope. Our church is a spiritual hospital. It’s not for healthy people; it’s for sick people. Jesus himself said: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). Jesus is the Great Physician of our souls. So don’t come to St. Paul’s expecting to find perfect people. We’re far from perfect! That’s why we’re at church—to hear that we are forgiven!

How do I find out more about what you believe?

You can visit our Beliefs page. If you would like to read even more about our beliefs and practices, check out the website of our church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), as well as UnderstandChristianity.com.

What is WELS or Wisconsin Synod?

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The word “synod” (pronounced sin’ id) is a Greek word that means “walking together.” The name contains “Wisconsin” because it was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1850. WELS includes over 1,300 congregations worldwide, with a membership of about 400,000. This church body unites us with Christians across our country and around the world. It allows us to pool our resources for training church workers, doing mission work both at home and abroad, and producing published materials such as hymnals, Bible studies, and other books.

Our congregation and synod stand firmly on all the teachings of Scripture. We believe that Jesus is our Savior and the only way to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Through faith in Jesus we are united to him and each other. The name “Lutheran” comes from the great reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). In a period in history when the Church had lost sight of its Savior and the truth of his Word, Martin Luther boldly challenged these errors and preached Jesus Christ alone as Savior. We are proud to remember his work in bringing to light the truth of God’s Word by using his name to identify ourselves.