What to Expect when you visit

What to Expect When Visiting Us on a Sunday

Usually people do not feel comfortable when visiting a new church. They do not know what it will be like, nor know what to expect, nor know what is expected of them. But one thing you can know for sure when visiting us is that we are very happy to have you here. We want you to feel welcomed, at ease, and free to either observe or participate. Most of all, we want you to be open to encountering the Living God with us in worship.

Our Faith

Our tradition is grounded in the Bible, is ancient yet contemporary, and faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our statements of faith are the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.

Participation

The purpose of our worship is to praise and glorify God, and to receive and renew our faith in Jesus Christ. We worship according to the Book of Common Prayer, which guides us so that we can pray and worship together in unity. The service being used on any given Sunday from the Book of Common Prayers is reproduced in full in the Sunday bulletin, along with music and Scripture readings. This helps our visitors follow along with what we’re doing.

We gather, we pray, we sing, we confess our sins and rejoice in God’s grace and forgiveness. We hear readings from the Bible and a sermon. Following this, we recite the tenants of the Faith using one of the ancient Creeds such as the Nicene Creed. As an expression of our reconciliation with our neighbors through Christ, we express the Peace of the Lord with those around us. Then we celebrate Communion together and close with a charge to go out into the world to love and serve the Lord. Every Sunday we offer a time of coffee and conversation after worship.

Children

Anglican worship is participatory, and that includes children. The sound of children making noise and stirring is considered a joyful sound; so, as a parent, be at ease about that. The hope is that kids will learn to worship by worshiping alongside adults.

Seasons of the Church Year and the Lectionary

Anglican worship continues the ancient tradition of a Christian Year. The seasons of the year are Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. This church calendar shapes our themes and emphases throughout the year. We also follow a prescribed course of Scripture readings throughout the year, known as The Lectionary. The Lectionary assures us of the broadest use of Scripture, and it takes us through of the Bible in a three-year cycle.