New to New Mercy?
We hope this website gives you access to information that will help you learn more about our church as well as get plugged into our community. This particular page compiles information more pertinent to new comers so it is easily and readily accessible to you. Whether you want to visit or you just want to learn more about New Mercy, please check out the information below. We think it’ll help!
Here is what you can expect as a newcomer to New Mercy:
Worship Services
Every Sunday, New Mercy offers a 10:30am and 1:00pm service. (Some special Sundays like Christmas, New Years and Easter we will have a single joint service at 11am. Please check Events on the homepage to confirm any changes.) Both services contain the same content. (However, our children’s program and nursery is only offered at the 10:30am service.) We offer two services to accommodate people’s preferences and schedules.
Getting to the Church
We worship at Wilson Auditorium, which is located in Dickinson Hall on the Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University (Hackensack, NJ). Unfortunately, GPS does not work well for this location, so we recommend following the detailed directions found in Services & Locations. (Occasionally, when FDU uses Wilson Auditorium for their events, we worship across campus at Robison Hall or Edward Williams Hall. So we recommend checking back on the website prior to visiting in case there is a change.)
If you need transportation, we have a pick-up and drop-off service available. Please contact us at transportation@newmery.cc or call 973.650.8093.
If you ever get lost, please feel free to contact Pastor Kee at 973.650.8093.
Arriving at Church
Once you park, you should be able to see a building that looks like a tent (Rothman Center). Walk toward the entrance of that building, and to the left will be Dickson Hall and Wilson Auditorium (our church location). Walk down the sidewalk (river will be on your right), and enter through the second entrance on the left (entrance will read Dickinson Hall).
When entering, you will meet one of our friendly welcoming team members. You can grab a bulletin from them, and then proceed to the worship hall (down the left hall). You may also ask them any questions you might have.
Children's Program
For the 10:30am service, we offer a nursery (with live audio feed of the service), Mercy Munchkins (toddler’s program), and Mini Mercies (children’s program). Both programs are highly organized, and we have numerous dedicated staff and volunteers to watch and to teach your children. For more information visit the ministry page for Mini Mercies.
What should you wear?
“Come as you are,” is our philosophy at New Mercy. You will notice that people dress differently at New Mercy, and we don’t shun any particular style or level of dress. Some wear jeans and sneakers, while others like to dress more formally. It’s all good. (We just ask that you don’t come in your “birthday suit”!)
What is worship like?
Worship typically runs about 90 minutes. But please don’t worry, it goes by quickly! Our services are both contemporary and employ audio and visual elements to enhance worship.
Prior to both services, background worship and contemporary christian music is played while slides (e.g. announcements, verses, inspirational quotes, etc.) are projected. People use this time to mingle or to meditate. You may use this time however you please as it remains very unstructured. Service begins with a live, contemporary band playing worship music. Towards the end of the musical portion, one of the pastors will give a brief, friendly introduction. This pastors will also lead the church in a time to come before God in prayer. After praise, announcements are given, and then we have offering. (Note: New comers and those new to the faith are not asked to give. And those who do give, are not pressured, but only give freely out of their own volition.) Following the offering, one of the pastors will give the message. The worship closes with one final response song and a prayer of blessing.
What is the preaching like?
Four pastors from our staff rotate giving the sermon. Occasionally, intern pastors and volunteer pastors will preach. (Note: We do not give out the preaching schedule as we want the worship to be about God, not individual pastors.) One of the benefits of having a team-based model for preaching is that congregants get to learn from multiple pastors. While our pastors do agree on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, because of their diverse life experiences, personalities and expertise, they all have distinct and unique ways in which they approach various issues and topics. This helps listeners achieve a more nuanced and multi-faceted understanding of various faith and life matters. Indeed, the pastors do plan and research series collaboratively so that they can communicate consistent and coherent messages, but each pastor’s message still retains its distinctiveness and angle. Whereas, churches are filled with diverse people who prefer particular styles of preaching, we believe that spiritual growth can be better facilitated when people train themselves to learn from different people. We are all multifaceted beings, and it has been shown that different people always draw out different aspects of who we are.
You may find out more about the pastors by checking out the pastors page or you may listen to a representative sermon by clicking on their names.
• Pastor Won Jae Yu
• Pastor Kee Won Huh
• Pastor John Huh
• Pastor Hannah Huh
After the Worship Service
Following service, pastors are in the back of the worship hall to receive those who desire prayer. However, most of the congregation mingles in the expansive foyer of Dickinson Hall. (After the 10:30am service, we typically offer free snacks and food.) Be sure to visit our welcoming and information table to find out more about New Mercy, how you can get plugged in and how you can receive more information about the church (e.g. newsletter, etc.). Also, please feel free to approach any of the pastoral staff. They will be more than eager to get to know you!
Of course, since Sunday’s are typically larger corporate settings, it will be difficult to meet or to get to know people. The best way to build community and meet new friends is through our weekly family groups (New Mercy’s version of small groups). We have many groups, and they are very easy to visit. And there is no pressure to commit to the first group you visit. Take your time to check out different groups before you settle down. For more info and a list of small groups (and descriptions), visit our family groups page.
Other ways to get plugged in
The following are some other ways to get involved in the community or to keep on top of the things going on at New Mercy.
• Check out our weekly activities in the left column of this page or by visiting News & Events.
• Visit our homepage and News & Events page regularly.
• Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below.
• Join our Facebook page.
• Follow us on Twitter.
Godspeed!
We hope you found the information this page helpful. There is much more to New Mercy, so please check out the other pages on this website. If you are looking for a church home, we do hope that New Mercy fits the bill. However, if it does not, there are many other great churches in the area, and we hope you will check them out as well. Finally, no matter where your journey takes you, who pray that God will speed your way!
