I'm glad you ask Riley! I can't speak for all Disciples, but I can tell you what our congregation's tradition is as a distinctly rural congregation even among DoC. Walking through our bulletin a typical service goes like this:
Our service starts at 9:15 with a prelude of lighting candles at the altar where we've prepared the Eucharist elements. The chalice, pitcher, cup, and bread remain there the whole service.
An elder asks for announcements before worship begins. This is a time for anyone in the congregation to share important information relevant to church proceedings, such as last minute schedule changes or miscellaneous information of note.
After announcements we begin with a call to worship. This is written by the pastor or whoever is speaking from the lectern that day, and printed in the bulletin so everyone may follow along. Here is the one I wrote for the Pentecost that just passed:
One (the speaking elder) : From Heaven the dove has come. Yes, the Holy Spirit is in me!
Many (the congregation) : Yes, the dove has come, and the Spirit empowers our church!
All (everyone) : Rejoice with us, Holy Ghost, fill your house with praise!
Amen.
We then sing an opening hymn, typically from the Chalice Hymnal, and recite an opening prayer together in unison.
If we have the blessing of kiddos in the congregation that morning, we have a children's moment.
An elder reads from Scripture, and we thank God for the Word. Afterwords, the sermon is given, which centers around the scripture we read. We call this the: "Sacred Story".
After the sermon we sing a hymn of invitation, which is meant to respond to the Word.
Then comes one of the things which, to my mind, is the beating heart of our worship. We share joys, concerns, and celebrations. Anyone can raise their hand to speak to the congregation about what God has done for them that week, what blessings they've received, who needs prayers, so on. Once everyone who wants a chance has had one, we take it all to the Lord and lift up our thanks and praise for our joys and pray for those in need. We call this the "Pastoral Prayer", which always concludes with the Lord's prayer.
Then comes collecting offerings and attendance sheets, they all go in the same envelope. We do this with the offering plate left in front of the altar.
Once all offerings are given, we sing doxology to give thanks and a pray for God to bless and use the offerings. We call this the Prayer of Dedication.
Now comes the Eucharist. We are seated for our Hymn of Communion, and that tends to confuse some people. We enjoy a lot of old, wise Christians in our congregation, so all of our Hymns are 'stand as you're able', but for the Hymn of Communion we are to be seated. This reminds us that we are welcome at the table with Christ, and we sit with Him together. During the Hymn two elders rise to walk to the alter, where the pastor waits with the elements, chalice, bread, and pitcher. The pastor invites all present to Communion. The elders pray over the elements, the pastor says the Words of Institution, and the elders distribute the bread and cup. (It's the "evangelical special", oyster cracker and juice).
Our musician plays an instrumental hymn as the elements are distributed. During this time we pray individually over our element and take the body individually. We take the cup in unison, say a Prayer of Thanksgiving, receive a benediction from the pastor, and finish with a Closing Hymn.
That's how the proceedings go, but that doesn't give the whole picture. What's special and different about the DoC is how often we laugh on Sunday morning. How often we find new fellowship and appreciation for one another, how often we find common ground and grow together. It's a church where everyone feels and ACTS equal. Nobody is above anybody because we're all under God's roof once we step inside. Also, fellowship doesn't stop with the Closing Hymn. We're always out the lunch together or having a brunch pitch-in in the narthex afterwards. We cultivate a congregation of friends and neighbors to the fullest. Sunday morning are full of joy for us, and I think that's what makes worship feel right. It certainly brings me peace, at least.
Hope that helps, and thank you for your curiosity! If there's anything else I can answer please let me know, I'm happy to talk about how our weird little village in Christendom works.
