What to Expect Your First Sunday at Spirit Church

Your first Sunday at Spirit Church is simple. You park up front, grab a free coffee, check your kids into a safe room built for their age, and then spend about 70 minutes in worship and a message from the Bible. We meet at Hamilton High School in Chandler at 9:00 and 10:45 AM. Nobody will single you out, and you don't need to know anything ahead of time.

If you've never been, the not-knowing is usually the hardest part. Where do I park? What do I wear? What happens to my kids? Will someone make me stand up and introduce myself? (No. Nobody will.) Here's the whole morning, start to finish, so the only thing left is showing up.

Where we meet and when

Spirit Church gathers every Sunday at Hamilton High School, 3700 S Arizona Ave in Chandler. Pick whichever service works best for your family: 9:00 AM or 10:45 AM.

If you can, plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. That gives you time to park, find the kids area and grab a coffee without feeling rushed.

Parking, coffee and what to wear

As a first-time guest, you get a parking spot right up front. Just follow the signs as you pull in. Once you're inside, grab a free coffee right outside the lobby.

Wear whatever is comfortable. You'll see everything from shorts to button-downs, and nobody's checking. "Come as you are" isn't a slogan here. It's just accurate.

What happens with your kids

Spirit Kids has a room for every age from 6 weeks old through 5th grade: Nursery, Toddlers, Pre-K and Elementary. The little ones get gentle, prayerful care, and the older kids get worship, a Bible lesson and leaders who are glad they're there. On your first visit, our team will meet you and walk you through first-time check-in. To save a few minutes, you can pre-register your family before you come.

Every leader is trained and background-checked. If we need you during the service, we'll text the phone number you gave at check-in, and we may show your child's pickup code on the main screen. That way you can actually be present in the service instead of wondering how it's going down the hall.

Have a little one you'd rather keep close? There's a private mothers room with the service streamed inside.

What the service is like

The service runs about 70 minutes. It starts with worship: contemporary songs that are easy to follow whether you've sung them for years or never once. Some moments are loud and full of energy. Others are quiet enough to hear yourself think. You're welcome to sing, stand, sit or just take it in.

Then Pastor Brad Straarup or one of our teaching team opens the Bible and teaches. The messages are in plain language and tied to real life: work, marriage, anxiety, parenting, the stuff you're actually carrying into the room. You'll walk out with something to do, not just something to think about. If you'd like a feel for it before you come, watch a recent message.

What if I don't know much about church?

Then you're exactly who we hoped would come. You don't need to know when to stand, what the songs are or how to find a verse. Nobody will put you on the spot or ask you to stand up as a guest.

The first followers of Jesus didn't have it all figured out either. The early church was a mix of people who were curious, skeptical, hurting and hopeful, and "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship" (Acts 2:42). That's still the heart of a Sunday: hearing from God's Word and being around people who will walk with you.

After the service

No pressure and no ambush. If you'd like to talk with someone, our team would love to meet you. If you'd rather slip out and think about it, that's completely fine too. Either way, we're glad you came.

When you're ready for a next step, there are a few easy ones. Growth Track is the best way to learn who we are and find where you fit. Spirit Groups help you find people to do life with. And if you've decided to follow Jesus, baptism is a great place to start.

Want us to know you're coming so we can look for you? Plan your visit. It takes about a minute.