The congregation of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church welcomes visitors to every worship service.
When you worship with us, we ask that you complete the visitor’s card in the pew and place it in the offering plate. After each 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, we offer coffee and fellowship in the Parish Hall. We hope that you will join us there.
Saturday Evenings
5:00 p.m. Informal Eucharist and Music.
Saturday evenings give rise to a relaxed form of worship. Music is provided by members of The Good News-Goodtime Band. The music features an eclectic variety of vintage gospel styles played on acoustic instruments such as banjo, guitar, autoharp, and fiddle. In warm weather, services are held on the shady back lawn, or in the breezy parish hall.
Sunday Mornings
8:00 a.m. “Said” Service
During this service, the worship is quiet and contemplative, using the traditional Anglican communion service known as Rite One. Rite One is based on the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Some prefer this service because it affords opportunities for quiet meditation and reflection.
10:00 a.m. “Sung” Service.
The parish’s principal worship service is majestic and dignified. The liturgy may be Rite I Eucharist (see above), Rite II Eucharist (from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer), or Morning Prayer (see schedule below). The congregation and choir sing hymns, and the choir provides an anthem. Worshipers find this service to be an uplifting experience.
Rite I Eucharist – Seasonal (contact St. Paul’s for additional details)
Rite II Eucharist – Weekly
Morning Prayer – 5th Sunday
Church School
Children are always welcome at all worship services at St. Paul’s. A roomy, carpeted Family Pew is conveniently furnished with easy chairs, snuggly stuffed animals, quiet toys, books, and puzzles. Please check Godly Play under the the Ministry tab.
Weekdays
Because St. Paul’s is a place of prayer, daily worship is conducted Monday-Thursdays, at about 12 p.m., in the Servicemen’s Chapel located at the base of the bell tower, which also houses the Frownfelter Columbarium. The “Daily Office,” from the BCP, is based on ancient monastic worship such as “Vespers.”
Mondays, Noon: Daily Office.
Tuesdays, Noon: Daily Office and/or special seasonal observances (such as Stations of the Cross in Lent, or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in Eastertide).
Wednesdays Noon: Daily Office and Healing Eucharist. A brief, contemplative mid-week option including Holy Unction (the laying on of hands with holy oil).
Thursdays, Noon: Daily Office.
Outreach Worship Ministries
Members of the parish lead worship services, monthly, at Country Terrace, The Green Home, and Pinnacle Towers. The schedule is published in the Epistle, and in the Sunday bulletin.
We hope the following “FAQ” will be helpful to your prayerful worship at St. Paul’s.
How can I participate in the service?
At St. Paul’s, the officiant generally announces all hymn numbers, and page numbers in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). On Sundays, or at special services, you also may pick up a Parish Bulletin, which outlines the congregation’s part of the liturgy and the hymn numbers from the hymnal. Scripture readings for the day are inserted.
We customarily stand when we sing; sit to hear lessons, sermons, or announcements; and stand or kneel when we pray. We follow the liturgy in the order of service in the prayer book and participate audibly in the people’s responses, including the Amen at the end of each prayer.
Members of the congregation will be glad to help you find your materials, and you may stand, sit and kneel with the congregation as you feel comfortable.
May I take Communion?
People who have been baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and/or who receive Communion in their own church are welcome to take Communion at St. Paul’s. Our custom is to come to the altar rail, kneel, and receive the Communion Bread in our open hands.
After consuming the Bread, we receive the Cup, guiding it to our lips for a small taste of Wine. Alternatively, people who do not wish to sip from the Cup may receive “by intinction,” in which the Bread is dipped in the Wine before being eaten.
Do children receive Communion at St. Paul’s?
Children receive Communion at St. Paul’s at about age 6 or 7, but younger visitors who take Communion in their home church are welcome to receive it here.
Children who do not receive Communion are encouraged to accompany their parents to the altar rail, put their hands together, and receive a prayer of blessing.
How may I receive Holy Communion if I am not able to come to the altar rail?
For those who cannot come to the altar, notify the usher and the priest will deliver the Sacraments to you. (If there is no usher, simply raise your hand and catch the Celebrant’s eye as the last people leave the altar rail.)
For more information, please contact the parish office at 724-4771.