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WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

Most importantly, know that you are welcome here! So please come as you are! We celebrate that you have been created in God’s image and we welcome you just as you are. 

We are a diverse gathering of people from many parts of the Phoenix metro area, including winter visitors.  Our goal is always the same: to worship, listen to scripture from the Bible, proclaim Jesus good news of salvation, and celebrate God’s love, so we can share compassion, mercy, and love through our service projects, like gathering food for the food bank, helping those in need and speaking kindness and justice for all. 

UPON ARRIVAL

We worship inside of Missin Coffee & Tea, 2410 S. Gilbert Rd. in Chandler becuase we are a church focused on mission, not big buildings. So, parking is abundant. 

Enter through the front doors of Mission Coffee & Tea and go straight ahead into the large conference room that we use for worship. 

Spirit of Joy is truly a friendly place. You can expect to be greated warmly and our 1 hour worship is guided with a simple bulletin that you follow.  

No pressure, no problem. If you like it and it works for you great(!) if not, no problem, we hope you will continue to try other places until you feel at home.

We hope to see you!

HOW DO WE WORSHIP?

Our worship and teaching is all based on the Bible.  We are a liturgical church with a modern flair which means that the Congregation has a few responsive parts and we respond and pray in unison together. Scripture grounds us in the patterns and actions of our worship as we participate together.

While each week is a little bit different, generally you can expect readings from both the Old and New Testaments. We do a general Confession (acknowleging we need God's forgiveness), hear God's word from theh Bible, Sing 3 songs, and have a message (sermon) from the Gospel reading. We participate in Holy Communion each week and you are welcome if you would like.

Each week we have a theme that challenges you to think about your life and reinforces that God loves you. Who doesn't need that! 

Come and be Fed by God’s word through our worship and prayer!

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Yes, Lutherans are Christian. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  In our preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. 

ELCA teaching or theology serves the proclamation and ministry of this faith.  It does not have an answer for all questions, not even all religious questions.  Teaching or theology prepares members to be witnesses in speech and in action of God’s rich mercy in Jesus Christ who is Lord.

Click the ELCA link below to learn more. 

SCRIPTURES, CREEDS, CONFESSIONS

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible); the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching.  ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors and deacons promise to carry out their ministry in accordance with these teaching sources.  This Confession of Faith is more than just words in an official document.  Every Sunday in worship, ELCA congregations hear God’s word from the Scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to the Lord’s Table expecting to receive the mercies that the Triune God promises.  Throughout the week ELCA members continue to live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all that they do because they trust God’s promise in the Gospel.  In small groups and at sick beds, in private devotions and in daily work, this faith saturates all of life. 

TEACHING FOR A LIFE OF FAITH

This connection to all of life is the clearest demonstration of the authority that the canonical Scriptures, the ecumenical Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions have in the ELCA.  The Holy Spirit uses these witnesses to create, strengthen and sustain faith in Jesus Christ and the life we have in him.  That life-giving work continues every day, as Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism: the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

COMMUNION

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE?

We practice open communion at Spirit of Joy. We believe that it is the Lord’s table and that Jesus invites all people to partake . So please participate as you are comfortable. If you would prefer to receive a blessing instead of Communion, please just let the Pastor know. 

CHILDREN

CHILDREN'S CHURCH

How can they learn unless they see and experience? We love children and encourage families to worship together. There will be a children's message each Sunday. Small bags with crayons and coloring books are on the book rack as you enter.