I’m New
Tell me more about you and what I can expect
What to Expect
First and foremost, we want you to feel welcomed when you walk through any of our doors, no matter who you are. All are welcome here, regardless of age or gender, family situation, race or sexual preference. Christ died for all. He loves us all. And so we try to be like him. Please feel free to ask any of us anything, we will try to help.
If you need anything after you leave or our welcome is lacking in any way, please let us know.
What to wear
From tennis shoes to t-shirts to dresses and ties, we have it all. Dress relaxed or dress it up.
Worship Style
Sunday morning worship is sometimes more traditional, sometimes more blended. But it’s all easy to sing, easy to follow and great worship.
Wednesday evenings is contemporary and progressive, down to earth.
Teaching Style
You’ll hear relevant and biblically-focused messages that connect to everyday life – wherever you are on your faith journey.
Communion
Every service at Joy contains Word and Sacrament, every time we gather we share holy communion. It is the church’s nourishment. All are welcome! You don’t have to be Lutheran or a member to experience the JOY of Jesus’ love.
50 Years (+) of Joy
In August of 2022, we celebrated 50 years of Joy in Prescott with a special service, a great meal, a program of memories and charter members, and lots of pictures. It’s been a great start and we are looking forward to the next 50. Join us on the adventure!
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes! That’s one of the reasons we are here… “go, make disciples,” Jesus said, “baptizing… and teaching.” Just talk to the pastor or contact the church office to start the process.
Generally, we have a First Communion class for fourth graders before their first communion. It’s a good introduction to what communion is and why it is important. But parents are always welcome to talk to the pastor if they think their child is ready and would like to take communion before that. Communion is the family supper hosted and prepared by Jesus. And he loves and welcomes children.
Yes! Jesus blessed marriage by his presence at the wedding in Cana and we are privileged to share that blessing with couples today even if they are not members and regardless of sexual preference. Please talk to the pastor to get the process started and the church office to check the building schedule.
Yes! The good news of Jesus is that all are loved by God. He has sent us to bring his comfort and peace to everyone. We would be honored to help you with the funeral of a loved one, or to talk with you as you make pre-arrangements for a funeral. We can also come alongside you as you grieve if that would be helpful to you. Please talk to the pastor for assistance.
First of all, if you are worshiping at Joy and feeling at home here, you are one of us and we hope that you will feel a part of this community. We do invite people, though, to attend a one-day workshop to talk about Joy and the Christian faith and ways to get more involved here. And then, once or twice a year we formally welcome people as members. Basically, it’s a matter of all of us saying to you, “You can count on us for whatever you need.” And you saying, “Yup, I’m here for you too.” And all of us saying to God, “thank you, Lord, for bringing us together and always being here for us all.” Talk to the pastor for more information and to schedule a time to talk.
Joy is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The national church body consists of 65 regional Synods. Joy is in the Northwest Wisconsin Synod of the ELCA along with 195 other congregations in northwest Wisconsin, over 81,000 members, and over 300 rostered ministers.
“Synod” means walking together, which describes our interdependent ministry relationship as we support mission partners, carry out synodical and churchwide initiatives, provide for education events and leadership training, respond to disaster and emergency needs, and heed the call to be a church engaged in all the world.
God is the creator of the world; the giver of life; the source of wholeness, healing and forgiveness; the champion of the poor and oppressed; the power of new life and resurrection. God creates, redeems and continues to sustain the world. Christians know God as the Holy Trinity — one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As Christians, we believe all people are created in God’s image and loved by God. We know about God thanks to the witness of the Scriptures and especially through Jesus Christ, who embodied God’s love for humanity. God’s grace is a gift, given through Christ and received by faith. There is nothing we can do on our own — good or bad — to earn this gift. We call this “good news” or the “gospel.” Through this gift of God, we are led by the Holy Spirit to love and work for justice and peace. [ELCA website]
Christians believe that God came to us in Jesus Christ, a true human, humble and vulnerable. Jesus lived among us and demonstrated the good news in all he was and did. The good news is the promise that God loves us and saves us by grace alone. This promise was realized when Jesus was crucified. He died on the cross but was raised again in the body and in a new wholeness. As a result, through the gift of grace received by faith, all people can be made whole in Christ and set free to love and serve all people, particularly the vulnerable, just as God loves us. [ELCA website]
Martin Luther, after whom the Lutheran branch of Christianity is named, once wrote, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that you could stake your life on it one thousand times. … Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; serving everyone, suffering everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown such grace.” Faith, then, is not about intellectually agreeing to a set of beliefs but about living in a trusting relationship with God in response to God’s grace. Faith is our confident hope that living in God’s promises sparks renewal to love and serve neighbors, as God in Christ loves us. [ELCA website]
Questions?
Call us at 715-262-5800 or email us at office@joy-church.org