Weekly Worship

We are a fully inclusive and affirming parish. We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, faith backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations.

Children are welcome in our worship! During the program year (September through June) children aged 2-12 go downstairs for Sunday School during the first half of the service, then come back up to join their parents. During the summer, they are welcome to remain during the entire service. Babies under two always remain with their parents in the service.

If your child makes noise—that’s the nature of children; we won’t mind!

To some extent. The sanctuary is wheelchair accessible, although pews can make seating space a challenge. The parish hall has a stair lift, but no elevator, so while that provides some support to people with limited walking ability, it cannot accommodate wheelchair users.

For those with hearing loss, there is a hearing loop installed. Ask the usher or sexton for help using it.

“Come as you are.” There are no dress codes here. Some people choose to dress in a more formal or conservative way out of a sense of respect for the holy, but if that doesn’t resonate with you, you don’t have to do it.

We recommend coming a few minutes early so that you can look through the service bulletin and ask any questions you might have. There will likely be ushers present; if not, please ask anyone in the pews around you to help orient you to our worship. We are happy to have you!

Silent prayer is also very much encouraged as you wait for the service to start.

Every Sunday service includes, in this order:

• Three Bible readings, selected based on a “lectionary”—a cycle of readings that repeats every three years. (In other words, the priest doesn’t choose what we read each week.)

• A sermon of about 10 minutes, where the preacher interprets the readings for us.

• The Nicene Creed, one of the most ancient statements of faith that binds us together with Christians across the world and throughout time. You are not required to agree with everything in the Nicene Creed in order to participate in the service.

• Prayers for people all over the world.

• A chance to confess our sins as a group and be reminded that we are forgiven. (If you feel the need, you may also ask to privately confess your sins to a priest, but this is not required.)

• The Peace: we all shake hands, symbolically showing that we are at peace with each other before we take part in communion.

• Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist: we reënact the Last Supper, as Christ asked us to do, and share bread and wine.

Sometimes, there are other additions to the service, like a baptism or leavetaking ceremony. These will be described in the service bulletin.

Communion is open to everyone who has been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. So, if you were baptized in another Christian denomination, you are welcome to take communion, period.

If you have not been baptized, and would like to be, ask one of our priests!

If you are not able or do not wish to take communion, we are always happy to give you a blessing instead.

At Christ & Saint Stephen’s, we come forward in two lines to receive communion; an usher will likely help you figure out when it is your turn to stand.

When you reach the front of the line, hold your hands out wtih palms crossed. The priest will put a wafer in your hand. (If you need a gluten-free wafer, tell them!) Eat it right away.

Then, move to the next minister, holding the cup. If you would like to receive the wine, take a sip; they will hold onto the cup as you do. If you do not wish to receive the wine, simply walk past them or shake your head. Receiving communion in one kind (bread or wine) is just as good as receiving it in both kinds.

Once you have received, return to your seat.

If you do not want to receive communion, you can ask for a blessing at this time. Approach the priest in the same line as the communicants, but cross your arms over your chest. Once you have been blessed, return to your seat, skipping the wine cup.

Evening Prayer is a service at the end of the day, usually led by a layperson (not a priest), which does not include communion. It’s a quiet, contemplative opportunity to pray together. Everyone is always welcome.