We meet to worship God every Sunday at 10 am.
New to Anglican Worship?
If you have never visited us before—or perhaps never experienced Anglican or liturgical worship, here is what you can expect.
You will enjoy a warm welcome. We love visitors! If at any point in the service you are confused, just ask the person next to you to help. We all had others helping us as we learned to worship in the Anglican way.
You will notice that everyone participates in worship. The congregation does much more than just sing together: we pray together; we join in saying the Creed together; we move together—standing together to praise, sitting together for instruction, kneeling together for praying and for Holy Communion. We also value having everyone together—young, old, and in-between. Everyone has a part in the service and is welcomed to worship together united as God's family.
You will join in praying prayers that have stood the test of time, ones prayed by Christians worldwide for many hundreds of years. There can be free-form prayers in Anglican services, too, but for the most part we use these timeless words that so beautifully capture our yearning for God and our joy in His love and mercy.
Anglican worship emphasizes the holiness and majesty of God and prompts respect and reverence. Everything about an Anglican service points to our need for God and His mercy in calling to us, forgiving us, and making us whole in Jesus Christ. This aspect of worship is often forgotten, and re-encountering it can be a deeply moving experience.
There is a great deal of Holy Scripture used in an Anglican service. We read as many as four readings from Scripture: an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, an Epistle Reading, and a Gospel Reading. In addition, many of the canticles (ancient songs of praise) we say or sing are from Scripture, as are many of the words in the liturgy of the Prayer Book. An Anglican service is packed with Holy Scripture.
We don't hold back when confessing our sin. Anglican worship is about admitting we are utterly incapable on our own of pleasing God or earning our salvation, and admitting that only by what Jesus Christ did on the cross on our behalf can we be forgiven and saved. This is the source of our victory, our joy, and our peace.
At most of our services, we celebrate Holy Communion. If you are a baptized Christian you are welcome to receive the bread and wine—the Body and Blood of our Lord. We use wine and wafers of bread. You may take the bread and then drink from the common cup, or you may dip the bread into the wine. If you or your family members prefer not to receive Holy Communion, you may still come and receive a prayer of blessing—just cross your arms across your chest so the priest will know.
We sing hymns. Not because old hymns are better than new praise songs—because there are some great new praise songs and some horrid old hymns. We do so because these songs are ones that have lasted the ages and stood the test of time, songs that both teach us and praise God. In time, the best modern praise songs will become part of the Church's great treasure of hymns of the faith. You may also discover many beautiful hymns that are not in most American hymnals, powerful songs of praise that will be "new" to you, and which you simply will never be able to forget.
And, yes, it's true: Anglicans juggle books. Not literally, but sometimes it does feel that way. We have a Prayer Book and a hymnal, and a Bible (or the Bible you brought with you). We print the Bible readings and directions in our bulletin to try to make it a little easier! Feel free to share a book with your neighbor rather than try to balance them all on your own. We also try to announce page numbers so you will always know where we are in the service. But if you get flustered, don't hesitate to lean over to the person next to you and ask them where we are or for help.
You will see special colors in the church, ones that remind us of the season of the church year. These colors help remind us of the important events of Jesus' life and of the life of the Church.
Our clergy wear special robes or clothes that are rich in history and symbolism, clothing that takes the attention off of them as individuals and emphasizes their role in worship, preaching, and in celebrating Holy Communion.
These are some of the things that distinguish worship in an Anglican service. We would be very pleased if you would join us, and if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask!
Special thanks to St. Andrew's Anglican Church, of Rome, Georgia for allowing us to adapt this text.
You will enjoy a warm welcome. We love visitors! If at any point in the service you are confused, just ask the person next to you to help. We all had others helping us as we learned to worship in the Anglican way.
You will notice that everyone participates in worship. The congregation does much more than just sing together: we pray together; we join in saying the Creed together; we move together—standing together to praise, sitting together for instruction, kneeling together for praying and for Holy Communion. We also value having everyone together—young, old, and in-between. Everyone has a part in the service and is welcomed to worship together united as God's family.
You will join in praying prayers that have stood the test of time, ones prayed by Christians worldwide for many hundreds of years. There can be free-form prayers in Anglican services, too, but for the most part we use these timeless words that so beautifully capture our yearning for God and our joy in His love and mercy.
Anglican worship emphasizes the holiness and majesty of God and prompts respect and reverence. Everything about an Anglican service points to our need for God and His mercy in calling to us, forgiving us, and making us whole in Jesus Christ. This aspect of worship is often forgotten, and re-encountering it can be a deeply moving experience.
There is a great deal of Holy Scripture used in an Anglican service. We read as many as four readings from Scripture: an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, an Epistle Reading, and a Gospel Reading. In addition, many of the canticles (ancient songs of praise) we say or sing are from Scripture, as are many of the words in the liturgy of the Prayer Book. An Anglican service is packed with Holy Scripture.
We don't hold back when confessing our sin. Anglican worship is about admitting we are utterly incapable on our own of pleasing God or earning our salvation, and admitting that only by what Jesus Christ did on the cross on our behalf can we be forgiven and saved. This is the source of our victory, our joy, and our peace.
At most of our services, we celebrate Holy Communion. If you are a baptized Christian you are welcome to receive the bread and wine—the Body and Blood of our Lord. We use wine and wafers of bread. You may take the bread and then drink from the common cup, or you may dip the bread into the wine. If you or your family members prefer not to receive Holy Communion, you may still come and receive a prayer of blessing—just cross your arms across your chest so the priest will know.
We sing hymns. Not because old hymns are better than new praise songs—because there are some great new praise songs and some horrid old hymns. We do so because these songs are ones that have lasted the ages and stood the test of time, songs that both teach us and praise God. In time, the best modern praise songs will become part of the Church's great treasure of hymns of the faith. You may also discover many beautiful hymns that are not in most American hymnals, powerful songs of praise that will be "new" to you, and which you simply will never be able to forget.
And, yes, it's true: Anglicans juggle books. Not literally, but sometimes it does feel that way. We have a Prayer Book and a hymnal, and a Bible (or the Bible you brought with you). We print the Bible readings and directions in our bulletin to try to make it a little easier! Feel free to share a book with your neighbor rather than try to balance them all on your own. We also try to announce page numbers so you will always know where we are in the service. But if you get flustered, don't hesitate to lean over to the person next to you and ask them where we are or for help.
You will see special colors in the church, ones that remind us of the season of the church year. These colors help remind us of the important events of Jesus' life and of the life of the Church.
Our clergy wear special robes or clothes that are rich in history and symbolism, clothing that takes the attention off of them as individuals and emphasizes their role in worship, preaching, and in celebrating Holy Communion.
These are some of the things that distinguish worship in an Anglican service. We would be very pleased if you would join us, and if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask!
Special thanks to St. Andrew's Anglican Church, of Rome, Georgia for allowing us to adapt this text.
