Maple Hill is a family of believers who makes, grows, and sends disciples.
We want everyone to know Jesus, to become more like Him, and live with Him for eternity.
Life’s complicated enough… That’s why we try to make it simple.
We simply want to focus on God and what He has done for us through His Son, Jesus.
Jesus praised God that the message of God could be understood even by children. We try not to overcomplicate the truth. To the best of our ability, we want to understand what God has said in His Word, the Bible.
In the Bible, we discover the evidence to believe what God says about Himself, humanity, sin, and eternity. We trust the Bible to be the final word for our faith and practice.
We want to take what God says and apply it to our lives. Through faith, a desire to change our lives, and baptism, we have forgiveness from God and begin our journey with Him. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we grow in our relationship with God and seek to live a life that pleases our Creator.
Our worship time together is uncomplicated: we sing, read Scripture, hear a practical lesson from God’s word, pray, give, and share in Communion. In all we do in our worship services, we want to honor Jesus, grow in our faith, and encourage one another.
We are led by a group of local leaders called elders or shepherds. They do not answer to a national convention or denominational headquarters. They seek to lead in a way that is based on the Bible and do what is best for our local church and community.
Jesus was a servant, and our goal is to follow His example. Every ministry of the church is intended to continue the work that Jesus began many years ago. We seek to put others before ourselves and serve in a loving and sacrificial way.
Jesus summed up what God wants from us by saying, “Love God, and love your neighbor.” We want to be known by our love.
We believe that we are saved by Jesus’s perfect life, not by our good deeds. We will never be perfect. We need God’s grace to be saved, and we seek to give that grace to others.
Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we have the eager expectation that we will live with God forever in eternity. Every person who accepts Jesus through faithful obedience has the hope of eternal life.
We understand that coming to a new place can be intimidating, so we want you to feel as comfortable as possible when you join us for the first time. Here is what you can expect at Maple Hill.
The style of our dress at Maple Hill is diverse. Some of our members dress in coats and ties or dresses; others wear jeans and t-shirts. We do not want your dress to deter you from joining us. You will not be judged by the clothes you wear. God is concerned with our hearts, not our clothes.
Our worship is unique in that we sing without any musical accompaniment or choir. The early Christians simply sang with their hearts to God and to one another. We carry on that practice as we seek to focus on the words of the songs and how they can help us become more like Jesus.
You do not have to be a professional singer or accomplished music student to participate in worship. It is our desire that our hearts are in harmony. When you visit, we would love for you to sing along. There will be a song leader who will begin each song and help us stay together as we sing. Most songs are projected on a screen for your convenience.
Each Sunday morning, one of our ministers will present a 30-minute lesson based on the Bible. These lessons are meant to encourage us all to grow in our faith so that we live like Jesus. We hope you will bring your Bible or have your Bible app on your phone to follow along. If you do not own a Bible, we would be happy to give you one for your personal study.
Each week, we eat unleavened bread and drink the fruit of the vine (grape juice) to remember the death of Jesus. The bread represents Jesus’ body that was crucified for us; the fruit of the vine represents the blood that Jesus shed for our sins. One of our members will help us focus on the cross with a brief devotional thought and prayers.
Part of each worship time is devoted to prayer. We give Him praise, confess our weaknesses, and ask for His help. One of our members will lead a prayer after the reading of God’s Word. One of our elders will also lead our Shepherd’s prayer near the end of our worship time.
Each Sunday we have an opportunity to give to the good works being done at Maple Hill and around the world. The money we collect supports the spread of the Good News of Jesus and the services that we provide through our many ministries–both local and world-wide. If you are a guest, please do not feel obligated to contribute. We are simply glad that you have chosen to be with us.
We have Bible classes for all ages on Sunday mornings after our worship time together. Classes normally start around 10:15 a.m. and last for 40 minutes. A list of classes is posted on the screen in the foyer or you can find a brochure of classes at our Visitor Center.
Sunday Evening
We have a variety of offerings on our Sunday nights to keep our congregation encouraged and uplifted.
First Sunday Night. Family Devotional – We have a song service with a meal afterward.
Second and Fourth Sunday Nights. House Churches – There are groups who meet across Lebanon, at various times during the afternoon and evening on these Sundays. We would love for you to be a part of a group and get to know some of our members. There is also a group that meets at the church building on these Sundays at 5 p.m.
Third Sunday Night. We have a regular worship service with songs, prayers, and a 30-minute lesson.
Fifth Sunday Afternoon. We normally have a potluck after our morning worship on Fifth Sundays and a service right after the potluck in lieu of our evening service.
Wednesday Night
On Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. we meet in the auditorium for a short devotional period, including a few songs, a prayer, and a short message. Then, we dismiss to classes for all ages. A list of classes is posted on the screen in the foyer, or at our Visitor Center.
When a person becomes a Christian through baptism, God adds that person as a member of Jesus’ universal body, the church.
If a new Christian or a Christian who has moved in from another congregation wishes to make Maple Hill their church home, the elders invite him or her to meet with them. This meeting is not a requirement for someone to be a Christian but is simply a way for the leadership to know those who are under their care. This meeting further gives the elders and the person placing membership at Maple Hill an opportunity to get to know each other, and it allows for the elders to gather basic contact and involvement information.
If you have questions about baptism, and becoming a member of Christ’s church, or if you are already a Christian and interested in placing member at Maple Hill, please complete our Connect Card and one of our Ministers or Elders will respond and begin a conversation with you.