What to Expect

What is West Hill Gospel Hall like?

We are a warm and welcoming church family reflecting the diversity of our neighbourhood. You can expect a safe and welcoming environment to worship and fellowship. Our style would be considered traditional or formal. Between services we enjoy refreshments together in our Sunday School auditorium, however this activity is suspended under current COVID-19 safety guidelines.

What do I wear?

Many people choose to dress up for worship meetings and wear their “Sunday best.” But this by no means excludes anyone who prefers a more casual dress style. We want you to feel welcome to join us in worship, regardless of what you wear!

You will notice women wearing head coverings. This reflects the biblical symbolism of headship as presented in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:3-16). If you’re a visitor and new to headcoverings, we don’t expect you to wear one when you come. If you want to find out more about the meaning of head coverings, please ask one of our members.

Who is your pastor?

We don’t have any one person with the title of Pastor. Instead, we have a group of elders who share responsibility for the spiritual leading and shepherding of those who attend West Hill Gospel Hall. We recognize the spiritual gift of pastoring (Ephesians 4:11), and there are individuals in our fellowship who exercise this gift without a title.

What is your preaching like?

At West Hill Gospel Hall you will hear a variety of preaching and teaching styles on a Sunday. Preachers include men from our own members, as well as visiting speakers from other assemblies. You’ll hear a gospel message from God’s Word that is around 20-25 minutes in length and special guest speakers will often be asked to speak for 45 minutes.

What is your music like?

You’ll most often hear us worship God through classic hymns, which we sing acapella. On occasion, we’ll also sing a more contemporary song or two or join with the children in some Sunday School choruses before they head off to Sunday School classes in the lower auditorium. 

Do you have a nursery?

Yes, we have a nursery with toys and books, a quiet sleeping area, and its own bathroom.

Is your building accessible?

Yes! The building can be accessed at ground level and the foyer includes a lift up to the main level which includes an accessible washroom. Just let us know if you need a hand and we’ll get someone to help you with the elevator.

What if I have a question that’s not answered here?

Go to our Contact Us page. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.

OUR MEETINGS

The Lord’s Supper

We partake in the Lord’s Supper together every Sunday in obedience to our Lord’s command, “This do in remembrance of Me”. This is our most important gathering, so it is our first meeting in many respects. It is about an hour in length and is a precious time for reflecting on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice for us on the cross. This meeting is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, we sing Christ-centred hymns acapella together, and men may reflect on a portion of scripture or offer a prayer of worship. Participation in the Lord’s Supper and partaking of the elements is reserved for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, have obeyed Him with believer’s baptism, and have formally joined the fellowship of our assembly of believers, or a like-minded assembly. If you are unfamiliar with this type of worship service or you are unsure of your faith, you will be given a small card explaining the Lord’s Supper, and you are welcome to observe this service.

The Gospel meeting and Sunday School

After the Lord’s Supper and before the Gospel meeting is our coffee time downstairs, this is the best time for visitors to come and get to know us over a coffee or tea and some snacks. The Gospel meeting is a message of the good news of Jesus coming as our Saviour from sin. This meeting is about an hour in length and includes acapella congregational singing. 

Children sing with everyone at the opening of the Gospel meeting, and then go downstairs for Sunday School. If your child prefers to sit with you for the Gospel meeting, that is perfectly fine, and if they are noisy, don’t worry, the sounds of little voices are a blessing to us all.

Midweek meeting and Bible study

Prayer is very important to us and features prominently in all our meetings. Wednesday evening this hour-and-a-half-long meeting is split evenly between prayer and Bible study. This meeting is more informal than the Sunday meetings in terms of dress and structure. The ladies Webex prayer meeting on Thursday evenings includes a prayer time and devotional.

Anyone with a prayer request is welcome to bring it forward at the meeting, and notes/letters from missionaries and Christian organizations are shared to highlight items for prayer. Men who feel led are encouraged to pray aloud while the women pray along silently.

The Bible study portion of the meeting is a continuous series going verse by verse through the Bible. Sometimes the Wednesday evening meeting features a special guest speaker.