What to Expect
Our Sunday worship stems from the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement, and you’ll find much of what you need to participate the bulletin. If you’re unfamiliar with these traditions, you can also simply let the singing and prayers of the community carry you forward. There is no wrong way to come to God in prayer; we’re glad to have you with us.
Episcopal worship gathers together the hearts and prayers of everyone present and involves call and response between the leader and the assembly. You’ll find the responses of the community in the bulletin, in bold type, marked “People.”
We use our bodies! Worship is meant to include all of our senses, so we sit, stand, and sometimes kneel. We sing, we speak, we wait in silence. Sometimes, we smell the incense. We taste, see and smell that God is good. If you aren’t sure what to do, don’t worry, do what feels comfortable.
Some of our music is printed in the bulletin, some is in our hymnals. The hymns listed by number can be found in the blue Hymnal 1982 (“H 161”) or in Lift Every Voice and Sing (“LEV 100”). We invite you to sing out with all your heart, even if you don’t know all the notes.
The stories of God and God’s people are shared aloud in every liturgy, following an order of readings from Jewish and Christian texts shared across many Christian denominations. Sit, listen, and hear God’s Spirit speaking to you.
Children are welcome here, voices and wiggles and all! The Pray-ground at the front of the sanctuary is a space for kids where they can see and get a quiet explanation for what is going on. It has coloring items, reading material, and soft toys for children of all ages. Come join them, or, if you need a break, sit a few pews away. Kids love the Pray-ground! Children 3 and older are welcome to join us for Godly Play on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month (and sometimes other Sundays too).
All are welcome to receive communion. When the usher gets to your row, simply come to the altar rail and extend your open hands. Let us know at the altar rail if you need a gluten-free wafer, or would prefer receiving a blessing instead of the bread and wine.
If you join us on Sunday, we’d love to know more about what brought you here today. Clergy and members of our church are available to talk before and after the service. If you sign the guest book by the door we can also be in touch with you for further conversation.