Questions and answers

Sabbath School begins at 9:15 a.m. and Divine Worship at 11:00 a.m., every Saturday. Divine Worship usually concludes around 1:00 p.m. Bible Class follows at 3:00 p.m. and the Adventist Youth Society meets at 4:00 p.m., with Vespers at sundown to close the Sabbath.

Midweek, Worship Wednesday is at 7:30 p.m. The full weekly programme is on the events page.

No. No registration is required and there is nothing to sign. Every service is open, and you are welcome whether you are visiting Portmore for one Sabbath or looking for a church home.

No dress code is enforced at the entrance. Most members dress smartly for Divine Worship, but nobody will be turned away or spoken to about their clothes. Come as you are able.

Parking is available on the church grounds off Port Henderson Road. Members of the diaconate are stationed at the entrances before each service and will help you find a seat if it is your first time.

Seventh-day Adventists keep the seventh day, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, as the Sabbath God set apart at creation and named in the fourth commandment. It is a day of rest and worship rather than a rule to be measured by.

The full statement is in belief 20 on the what we believe page.

Sabbath School is the study hour. It opens together in the sanctuary and then divides into classes by age, with the adults following the Adult Bible Study Guide used by Adventists worldwide. Divine Worship at 11:00 a.m. is the main service, with singing, prayer and the sermon.

You are welcome at either, or both.

Yes. Children have their own Sabbath School divisions with material written for their age, and the church runs Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs through the year. Parents are welcome to stay with their children in any division. See Children & Adolescents.

Yes. Divine Worship is streamed live each Sabbath at 11:00 a.m. and Worship Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the church’s YouTube channel. Recordings stay available afterwards in the sermon archive.

You can send a request at any hour through the prayer request page. You do not have to give your name. Requests are handled in confidence by the prayer team.

Intercessors are also available at the front of the sanctuary after each Sabbath service.

Ask for a Bible study through the Bible study page and someone from the church will arrange it, in your home, at the church, or over the phone. There is no cost and no obligation.

Baptism follows instruction in the Scriptures and a personal decision. Speak with the pastor or any elder when you are ready.

Online through the Central Jamaica Conference portal, selecting Portmore when you give. In person, using a tithe envelope during Divine Worship. Or by arrangement with the treasury for standing orders and bank transfers. Details are on the giving page.

Yes. Please telephone the church office on 876-632-8481, or use the contact form and choose bereavement or hospital visitation, so the request reaches the pastoral team quickly.

Every department here is run by members of the congregation. Tell us where you would like to help through the join a ministry page and the relevant department will be in touch. You do not need experience.

The AY Society meets every Sabbath at 4:00 p.m., and the programme is planned and presented by the young people themselves. There are camps, outings and outreach through the year. See Adventist Youth.

Pastor Francis West is the senior pastor of Portmore and of the district of congregations in St. Catherine. The pastoral work is shared with a board of elders, with deacons and deaconesses and departmental leaders elected from the membership. See our pastor.