What should I wear to worship at St. Christopher's?

What you wear is entirely up to you. Some come dressed in their “Sunday best” while others prefer more casual attire such as jeans and a nice shirt. The same goes for children. We invite you and your family to dress in whatever way you feel is comfortable and appropriate.

What should I expect when I come to worship?

When you come to one of our Sunday morning services, an usher will greet you and hand you a pew sheet.  You might tell the usher that this is your first time here. She or he can answer any other questions you might have. Feel free to sit anywhere you like. There are no assigned seats! 

Once you are seated, you will notice in the pew holders two books--a red one and a blue one. We use both of them extensively in our worship services. The red book is The Book of Common Prayer. The blue book is the Hymnal 1982. In your pew sheet, page numbers for both of these books are indicated throughout. 

All services include a scripture reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Gospel. These are printed in the pew sheet for the congregation to read along and to take home with them. 

At first, following along with the Episcopal Service may be a little difficult; but remember, most services follow the same order, so once you've been through it a few times, it will feel natural.  If you get lost, don't hesitate to ask someone where we are!  Many of us have come to the Episcopal Church from other denominations and we know it can be a little confusing at first.  

I've heard Episcopalians stand, kneel, sit, and cross themselves. Do I have to do this?

In general, we stand when we sing, give praise to God, or read the Gospel; we sit during all other Bible readings, and during the Sermon; and we kneel or stand to pray. During the blessing of the bread and wine at communion (The Eucharistic Prayer), either standing or kneeling is appropriate. 

In addition, there are several "ceremonial" actions, such as making the sign of the cross or bowing towards the altar, that many Episcopalians (but not all) find to be powerful spiritually. Each of these gestures is a way of "praying with the body." But each of them is also a personal choice and is not required.

All of these actions can seem daunting to someone new to this type of worship. Just come and participate as you can. Let the flow of the liturgy (the words and the prayers) wash over you, and simply be in the presence of the holy along with the rest of those around you. When you are ready, if you want, you can follow the example of the people around you.  Each worhsiper decides for themselves how much or how little to participate in the actions of the worship.  And if you are not able to stand or kneel, please feel free to remain seated.  You will not be the only one!  

Is Holy Eucharist the same thing as Communion? Am I allowed to take Communion?

Yes, the central rite of the Episcopal Church is the Service of Holy Eucharist (also known as "Communion," or "The Lord's Supper" or "Mass").  All baptized Christians, including children, regardless of when or where you were baptized, are welcome to come forward to receive the Holy Communion. We use bread or wafers and real wine in a single, shared chalice. For those who do not wish to drink from the common chalice, you may either take the bread and "intinct" (dip it) in the wine, or you may cross your arms across your chest, after taking the bread, and the chalice bearer will pass by you. 

If you are not baptized, we welcome you to come forward to receive a blessing as part of the Holy Eucharist. Simply come to the rail, and cross your arms across your chest to indicate your desire to receive a prayer for God's blessing. We would also love to talk to you about baptism!

How about kids? Are children allowed in the service? Is there a special service for them?

At St. Christopher's we love to have children participate in all that we do. We do have a nursery available for all children age five and under. Sunday school is available for all children.  Simply ask an usher and they will be glad to help you find the locations. 

We also delight in having children serve as acolytes in our service.  You will often see children or youth carrying the cross or candles.  If you have a child that is interested, we would be glad to put you in touch with our acolyte master, an adult who works with children and parents to train them for this role in worship.