What To Expect

What to expect on Sunday Services:

Each Sunday, we gather in the Church to hear the Word of God and come to God’s table together. Our 8 a.m. service features the traditional Rite I liturgy in a quiet and intimate setting in our Chapel. The 10 a.m. service offers the contemporary Rite II liturgy in the main Church Sanctuary. This is a choral service with hymns sung together and anthems by our Parish Choir, all to the accompaniment of our Rosales Opus 3 Pipe Organ.

A short video by Reverend Susan Scranton:  The Episcopal Service and the Book of Common Prayer.

Who is welcome?

We each come as we are to find God’s presence in our lives, bringing out strengths and our weaknesses – babies, parents, teens, college kids, and seniors, rich and poor; together we are the body of Christ. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!

How to begin?

As you enter the door you will be greeted by ushers and handed a worship bulletin that contains an outline of the service. This bulletin give page number for the music and prayers of the service. The bulletin refers to two books sitting in the racks in front of your seat: The Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal Prayer book, and the Hymnal. As a liturgical church, our specific form of worship takes its shape from scriptures and from what we know of the worship of the earliest Christian communities.

First, we share a story

The first part of our service, called the Liturgy of the Word, includes readings from scripture, prayers, and most often, a recitation of our statement of belief. After the word is proclaimed, a sermon is offered based on the text of one of the day’s readings. The congregation is asked to respond to the proclaimed word and to the read prayers aloud together. We respond in worship in four ways: through the creed, our prayers, confession, and passing of the peace. You can join in or sit and listen as you prefer.

We come to the table

The second part of the service, Holy Communion, begins with a prayer over the bread and wine, to us the body and blood of Christ. Everyone is then invited to come forward to the altar and receive communion. Children of all ages are welcome, as are all people seeking Christ’s presence. If you don’t know what to do, the person who give you the bread and wine will quietly show you.

Join us afterward for Hospitality

Each Sunday after services we linger outside the church on the south lawn to catch up on each others’ lives. It can feel hard to meet people in the beginning, but people are waiting to meet YOU! We will introduce ourselves and others to you, people who share your interests and will become new friends.

Please feel welcome and join us. GRACE has a place waiting just for you.