What is the dress code for church services?
There is no dress code – casual beach attire is fine. The church is open air and it can get warm, so dress appropriately. You can get a sense of the range of typical attire by looking at some of the photos on this website and in our newsletters.
Do you offer Sunday School?
Yes! You are encouraged to bring your children with you to church – we love to see them. Families sit together at the beginning of the service through announcements and music (lots of singing), and then the children are dismissed to the Children’s Service in another building. They are invited back just in time for cookies and refreshments with the adults at the end of the service.
Why is there a water sprinkler on the roof?
The metal roof of the church can get very hot and radiate heat in the hot sun. The water sprinkler is used to cool the roof so as to reduce the radiant heat effect on the church occupants. Air conditioning is not very practical in the open air environment of our church, so we use multiple fans to move the air and water cooling on the roof to minimize the heat effects as much as possible.
Why is there water on the road?
On a more serious note, there are times during the rainy season when it is inadvisable to drive through the water. At such times we will post signs and/or station someone to warn of the danger and advise of an alternate meeting location. If you are unsure about the weather, check our Facebook page for the latest information.
We’re only in town for a week – should we come?
Yes, of course – we love to meet short term visitors and tourists. The mission of the church is to provide outreach to our community, and tourists are a large part of our community. On any given Sunday the congregation is pretty well split between short term visitors, seasonal residents, and full time residents.
If you’ve never attended an open air church in the jungle before you might find it interesting!
Do you offer Communion?
Yes, but not every Sunday. We celebrate an open communion so when it is offered, we invite all Christians to participate. The sacraments we serve do not contain alcohol, in deference to our congregants that may be sensitive to it. Just as Jesus stated, we celebrate communion “In Remembrance of Me”, not as an act of salvation or maintaining salvation (see our beliefs).
What about pets?
Pets are invited also, as long as they are able to deal with crowds, strangers, loud speakers and other pets. Many of our church members bring their pets every Sunday and they have become well-accepted members of the congregation. Being an open-air church makes the environment more pet-friendly than most.
Do you accept cash donations in foreign currencies?
We have bank accounts in US Dollars and Costa Rican Colones so these are the preferred currencies. We can also accept and easily deposit donations in Canadian Dollars and Euros. Other currencies are difficult to exchange and deposit.
Where should I park?
During the high season you will see cars parked on both sides of the road and in an overflow lot (actually a dirt field) across the street from the church. We ask our regular members with high clearance vehicles to use these locations and leave the gravel lot in front of the church for visitors and guests with limited mobility. So when you get to the parking sign turn left into the lot.