What to Expect
Consider the four things below as steps along a journey of plugging deeper into the community at Kitsap House.
WORSHIP
Jesus’ public ministry was a place where people heard his Good News, experience healing, awe, and worship. We hope our Sunday morning worship gatherings are just like that. Expect music, meditation on Scripture, conversation, a sermon based on a passage of Scripture, prayer, and communion (also called The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, depending on the tradition), followed by coffee and more conversation. Our music is laid back, acoustic, and easily singable. We build in moments of connection into our worship and in gathering after. The preaching is dynamic, Scripture-based, and practical. In prayer, we look to not only speak with God, but to listen to him, believing he still speaks to us through his Spirit. You can listen to past sermons on our podcast here. There is no dress code, you can wear what you wear the rest of the week. In our current space at Cedar Heights Middle School, we integrate families into the service. This means kids sing with the adults, and at various times in the service kids are engaged with activities and interactions that help them be a part of worship and experience God themselves. We believe the excitement, noise, and energy kids bring doesn’t detract, but elevates our worship. Learn more about how we resource families here.
703 Brunch
Quarterly we host anybody who is new-ish to hang out with us at the 703 Residency and enjoy a lunch (brunch?) of delicious but filling waffles (including gluten-free ones) and other assorted breakfast foods immediately after the Sunday gathering. There is no agenda, no pressure, just a chance to sit around a big table and enjoy conversation and food. If you’d like, we give a tour of the house and talk a little about the history of Kitsap House, but that part is optional. This meal is a simple way for people to get to know the community and the residency a little more. See when the next Waffle Lunch is happening by checking our calendar here.
Neighborhood Dinners
If you’re looking to get deeper into community at Kitsap House, coming to your nearest Neighborhood Dinner is a good next step. These dinners are simple: a meal and a conversation. But that simple meal and conversation provide the foundation for connection, encouragement, and service for the sake of Jesus’ hope and healing in our neighborhoods. You can find out where the Neighborhood Dinner closest to you is (and sign up for it) here.
Commitment to Community
At some point in your time at Kitsap House, you might be ready to make a commitment. Many people come from faith traditions that have a membership process. At Kitsap House, you won’t hear us talk about “membership” (especially because that sounds like you’re joining Costco), rather we talk about making a commitment. Specifically, a commitment to community involves making vows of faithfulness to Jesus, to his Way, and to his community. Invitations to make this kind of commitment are given at the end of our Practicing the Way course. This course equips folks with life-transforming practices that equip a person to live out the vows they make in commitment to community. You can learn more about this course here.
A “Common Rule”
If you make a commitment to community, you might be wondering what that community looks like. At Kitsap House, we use the ancient church tradition of a “Common Rule of Life” to talk about the values, practices, and rhythms that we think shape and define us. “Rule” is not exactly the most exciting word, but for Kitsap House it’s a grace-filled and Spirit-led way to stay connected to Jesus (and not a checklist for keeping tabs on each other). Google “rule of life” to find a bunch of great resources for making your own rule, and click the button below to see what Kitsap House’s Common Rule is.
