Plan Your Visit
There are lots of churches in Tyler, TX. And no two are exactly alike. So, here are some things that may help you plan your visit to Sylvania.
What do you believe?
The long answer to “What do you believe?” is on our What We Believe page, which contains our full statement of faith.
The short answer is that together with all Southern Baptist churches in Tyler TX, we affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. Being reformed, however, our beliefs are most accurately reflected in the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
The statement of faith IS the official teaching position of the church. As you probably expect, it’s affirmed by all of our pastoral staff and elders.
But full adherence to our statement of faith IS NOT required for church membership. In short, church membership requires faith in the Triune God of the Bible, affirmation of the basic gospel, and the commitment to a life of growth in Christ-likeness.
Have questions? Contact us. We’d love to talk!
What's your worship style?
From the pulpit, you’ll hear expository preaching, which is preaching aimed at making the point of the passage the point of the sermon. Typically, we preach verse by verse through books of the Bible.
Our worship music is driven primarily by its content and secondarily by its style. In practice, we sing old stuff old style, old stuff new style, and new stuff new style. That means you will probably sing some songs in a style you prefer and some in a style you don’t. In that, we all receive the reminder we need: “Worship is not about me.”
What should I wear?
No one likes to show up under (or over) dressed. At Sylvania, you’ll find everything from blue jeans and t-shirts to coat & tie.
Where do I go?
If you decide to join us for Sunday school, enter the double doors under the portico. We’ll help you from there. If you only come for corporate worship, then you can enter under the portico or through the double doors closest to the Loop.
Where do my kids go?
Sunday School (9 AM):
- Children (Nursery – 5th Grade) — At the main building, enter the double doors under the portico. You’ll find the children’s check-in area just ahead to the right. Need help? Let one of our greeters know!
- Youth (6th-12th grade) — Our youth meet in the Oasis Student Ministry Building, located across the parking lot from the main building. After Sunday school, they walk across the parking lot to join us for corporate worship.
Corporate Worship (10:20 AM):
While children of all ages are welcome to join us for corporate worship, we do offer alternatives for:
- Babies & Toddlers (Younger than 2 years old) — The nursery and toddler areas are open all morning. At the main building, enter the double doors under the portico. You’ll find the children’s check-in area just ahead to the right.
- Children Ages 2-4 — For those interested, Children’s Church opens after the musical portion of the worship service.
Also, if you’re attending for the first time, arriving 10 minutes early should give you plenty of time to get your kids checked in and still arrive on time for Sunday school or the worship service.
How do I get connected?
There are several things that make connecting at Sylvania Church easy: (1) commit to a Sunday school class, (2) stick around after corporate worship (we like each other, so we stick around to talk), (3) commit to the Wednesday night meal, (4) join a small group, and (5) invite people to lunch and/or dinner (our folks enjoy it). The people who do those things tend to connect very easily.
Planning to visit?
Let us know you’re coming, and we’ll help you get your bearings before you arrive.