First things first

Parkview is located near I-80 exit 240, right off of Dubuque Street at 15 Foster Road. If you'd like directions to the church, [click here] for a map. When you arrive at the church, you’ll find plenty of parking in the lots. Our [parking assistants] will be ready to guide you to the best empty space.

Where do I start?

Once you’ve parked and made your way to the front door, you’ll be met by greeters who are ready to answer any first questions you might have. We also have an Information Center for more in-depth questions about locations and times and what's happening in and around Parkview Church. You will also find materials designed to help you on your spiritual journey.

What about my kids?

We have a Family Check-In station located to the back and left as you come in the front doors. Our Check-In Assistants will help you find the right room for your kids and provide security name tags for them. You can also visit our [Sunday School] information page to see a map of classroom locations.

Our kindergarten through 4th grade Sunday School has both a large and a small group time. During large group, children come together to enjoy music with our Kids Praise Team. Our Bible story time uses drama, puppets, and video to share God's word with our children. The children then break up into small groups. Each small group has a "shepherd" or small group leader who is intent on building relationships with them and helping them understand more about who Jesus is.

And younger kids?

If you desire to leave your children (36 months and under) in the [Nursery], you’ll find it to your left and down the hall in rooms 1 and 2 after you walk in. A [church map] will help you find your way. You can learn more about Nursery particulars such as Parent Guidelines and other policies [here].

Where is the sanctuary?

To the right of the entrance you’ll find the entry to our [Worship Center] through four sets of double doors. You may also choose to worship in the [Chapel] video venue, which is located to the left as you come in the front doors.

We'll have ushers available to hand you a bulletin which contains information on Parkview events and sermon notes to guide you through the message.

All children are welcome to join us for the service. We have reserved the back row of chairs in the Worship Center especially for parents of very young children. If your child becomes too fitful the "Cry Room" right outside the Worship Center is open during services with a live television feed of the service. If your child is in the Nursery, you may see your child’s assigned number appear on the bottom of the screen during the church service. This is to notify you to go to your child's room.

What's your service like?

At the beginning of each service, we begin our time together with music and worship, led by a worship leader and team. The worship style in the Worship Center typically includes vocalists, acoustic and electric guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and percussion, but also regularly features full choir, orchestral ensembles, brass and even the occasional "unplugged" set. Expect a lot of musical variety including gospel, celtic and latin flavors. The style in our Chapel venue has a more traditional flavor, featuring some hymns, choruses, piano, and occasionally choir or brass.

The worship leader will direct you as to when to sit or stand, or with directions for other parts of the service, so don't worry about making a "mistake.” Along with our musical worship, we occasionally feature worship dance and video presentations as part of our service. Our worship is structured but not stiff - we want to remember that we do all for the glory of God. Normally, we sing and worship together for four to five songs. There will also be times of prayer for needs in our congregation, community and world, and announcements of Parkview events and happenings.

We do receive an offering during this worship time. Visitors are often uncomfortable with this aspect of church and we understand this. We believe giving is for people who are committed to Parkview Church and don't expect visitors to give an offering.

Some of the songs we sing.

Do you preach a sermon?

After the music and worship time, Pastor Gilmore or another pastor delivers a [sermon]. You will usually have been given an outline to help you follow along, and there are commonly Power Point presentations of key points and verses projected on the screens to the left and right of the stage to help as well. Watch for the occasional video interspersed with the message to enhance a key point. Here's an audio sample of one of our sermons:

There may also be an occasional closing song after the message. After the pastor dismisses the congregational, you can exit back out the entrance doors or the side doors located at all of the corners of the Worship Center. We also have elders available at the front of the Worship Center for anyone with prayer concerns or who might need some spiritual guidance. A typical worship service lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Example Message: "The Character Needed To Endure Difficult Times"