The 11:00 church service is a beautiful time of worship that is centered around the traditions of hymn singing and the use of traditional instruments (the organ and piano) that have been so meaningful to Christians for hundreds of years. At Fort Johnson, we believe every worship experience is more meaningful when those in attendance know "why" we do some of the things we do.

For instance.....

• Why does the choir sing from the foyer at the beginning of the service? This piece of music, commonly called an "Introit" or "Call to Worship", signals the beginning of the service. The choir sings without musical accompaniment as a symbolic way of saying "Be still, and know that I am God". This short piece of music alerts all that the service is now beginning, and our time of worship has begun.
• Why does the choir process in from the back of the church during the first hymn? Called the "Processional", this is more than a fancy way of entering the sanctuary, and is not intended to draw undue attention to the choirmembers. Quite the contrary, the choir uses this time to remind us of the scripture when Jesus said, "Come unto me". It is also a symbolic reminder of another scripture which says, "I was glad when they said Let us go into the house of the Lord".
• I noticed some high voices singing during the last verse of the opening hymn. What is this called, and why do you do it? Called a "descant", this unique melody, which is indeed sung by high sopranos above the rest of the congregation, is actually an ancient form of harmony. Today it is used to enchance the beauty and majesty of the opening hymn, and also reminds us of the joy in heaven that is shared each time another person comes to faith in Christ. Some have remarked that the descants sound "just like angels!"
• I've been to a lot of Baptist Churches, and I don't remember one in which the organ did so much in worship. Why is that true at Fort Johnson? Fort Johnson is justifiably pround of all of our instruments, from the piano, drums, guitars, and other instruments used at all services, all the way to the "Fort Johnson Organ", which serves primarily at the 11:00 service. The organ has a large role in this service because, quite simply, no other instrument provides the majestic backdrop and strong leadership for traditional music that the organ does. The piano is a beautiful complement to the organ, but for traditional hymns, the piano cannot lead as effectively as the organ. Our piano leads in a variety of other roles, so it, too, has a vital part to play in our worship.
• I notice a lot of people dress up at 11:00, unlike the other services. Is this a requirement to attend at 11:00? Absolutely NOT. We invite folks to attend this beautiful and uplifting service in any manner of appropriate dress. Many of the 11:00 attendees have been in the habit of dressing up for church for a long time, and are comfortable with that. By the same token, no one at this service will look down on others who do not share the need to dress up.
• Why do the choir members and instrumentalists wear robes? As a musical unit, the choir and instrumentalists seek to show their cohesiveness through the use of robes. When singing, a choir that is fully robed draws less attention to the individual members and more attention to the actual music. Our musicians show their unity with the choir by wearing robes which match the singers'. It is also a show of traditional formality for a choir to be in robes, and allows choir members to dress comfortably without distracting from their ultimate purpose, which is to lead in worship.
• Why is the "Doxology" sung at the close of every service? The Doxology, or "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow", is sung every week at the close of the offertory, while the gifts are brought to the front of the church. The simple words of this ancient hymn remind us that all blessings, whether financial or otherwise, are from God, and it is our responsibility to return a portion of those blessings to him.

Hopefully this information will help you appreciate and understand more about the 11:00 Church Service at Fort Johnson. We believe there is a special beauty in this service, and we wholeheartedly welcome you to attend this service as often as possible and join us in a meaningful time of worship and instruction from God's Word.