FREquently asked questions
Q: What’s an Anglican?
A: An Anglican is a Christian; we are followers of Jesus who are doing our best to worship and serve him well, worshiping him with our whole lives. We believe that we can learn from the ancient followers of Jesus and we continue to use many prayers and practices of the early church. We also recognize that we serve a God who is alive, doing great things in our world today, and so we are open to what it is he has for us to do today in this city, right now. We have worship practices that may be foreign to some but they are grounded in scripture and tradition and they are being practiced by people who are striving to worship God well all around the world. We don’t think that we have it all figured out, or that our way of worship is complete or superior to others, but we find it meaningful and we hope that you do too. For more in-depth information about Anglicanism and its history click here.
Q: Are you part of the Episcopal Church in the US?
A: No, while our worship services may look similar, we are not a part of the Episcopal Church. We are a part of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA).
Q: Do the Pastors wear robes?
A: Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. There is great history and meaning behind the robes and clothing (vestments) worn in the Anglican worship service. While we value the tradition and meaning behind them, we choose not to wear them every week throughout the year.
Q: What’s the music like?
A: We think it’s good! We do our best to have music that is simple, meaningful, singable, and pleasant to the ear. Some songs are very old, some are very new. Our instrumentation changes from week to week; sometimes it’s just piano and vocals, sometimes we have guitars, from time to time we have cello or violin, or even a banjo. Like we mentioned above, our musicians are in the back of the sanctuary. We have a great team of talented musicians who graciously share their gifts with us by leading us in song each week. If you would like an idea of some of the music we sing you can check out this Spotify playlist.
Q: What is the worship service like?
A: A few things that you may or may not find different…
1.) Our musicians are in the back out of sight, nobody is on stage unless they are reading, teaching, or preparing for communion. 2.) The sermon (what we call the homily) is a part of our service. It is not the largest part and usually lasts between 15-25 mins. 3) We take communion every week. 4) We read the Bible out loud in every service, usually a section from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Letters of the New Testament, and the Gospels.
Our worship service isn’t easy to describe. One visitor who was a long time Anglican commented that our service was “both more and less traditional (at the same time)” than he was used to. We attempt to be faithful to the traditions of the Church while paying attention to the current culture that we are living in. You will find meaningful liturgy (order and form of the service) that invites participation from everyone in some way. You will find music that is both pleasing to hear and easy to sing along with. Another visitor who had never been in an Anglican worship service commented about “how refreshing it was to worship this way”. Most visitors seem to comment that it was not what they expected. Our suggestion is that you come and see! The people are nice and we don’t take ourselves too seriously, even though we take our worship of God seriously.
Q: Can I take Communion?
A: We invite all baptized Christians to come forward and partake of the bread and wine during Communion. If you have not taken the step of Baptism or are not a committed follower of Jesus, you are invited to come forward and receive a prayer of blessing.
Q: What do I do when I come forward for Communion? *As a result of Covid-19 we have made changes to the way we receive communion; you will receive instructions in the worship service. The answer below is based on normal procedures and does not apply while Covid-19 precautions are in place.
A: Follow the people down the center aisle. As you approach the front someone will be holding the bread. Walk up to them and place your hands out with one over the other and they will place the bread in your hands. If you are going to drink from the cup then you may eat the bread right then; if you are going to dip the bread into the wine then hang on to it. The first cup is for those who are taking a drink of the wine. As you approach it the person will gently assist as you guide the cup to your lips and take a small drink of the wine. The second cup is for dipping (intinction) and as you approach it you may dip the bread into the wine and then partake of both together. We are never in a hurry during Communion. Take the time to thank Jesus for his death and resurrection and reflect on his grace in your life.
Q: What do my children do? *While Covid-19 precautions are in place we do offer a children’s liturgy and nursery. Our adult volunteers wear masks and children of appropriate ages are asked to wear masks as well. In the elementary age groups the children sit six feet apart from others who are not in the same family.
A: We love kids, and we enjoy having them with us. We also think that they are an important part of the church. We do have a nursery available for our youngest children (newborn-preschool) staffed with childcare workers who have been trained and background checked. This is available for parents who would like to use it for all or part of the service. Our elementary aged children are invited into the worship service for the beginning, they are dismissed at a point early in the service to their own liturgy and return to be with their families before we take Eucharist (Communion). There are activity boxes available for children in the foyer. When we dismiss the kids they are invited down front where we pray a blessing over them as they go downstairs to their room. It is always perfectly appropriate for a parent to accompany their child downstairs to meet the teachers and see what they are doing together. While we do offer these options, your children of any age are always welcome to be in the worship service with you.
Q: What if my question isn’t on this list?
A: Submit a question here and we will do our best to give you an answer in a timely manner.
Questions are good so thanks for asking them!