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We hope you will consider joining our parish family if you are looking for a church to call home. The information on this website is designed to introduce you to Christ Church’s worship and the many ministries. We offer numerous ways to get involved, whether for fellowship, ministries within the church, service in the community and beyond.
Our clergy are eager to meet with you and get to know you better. In addition, our dedicated Welcoming and Nurturing Ministry is here to help you become familiar with our space and community. They can provide a guided tour and introduce you to the various opportunities for engagement and service, ensuring a smooth transition into our community.
Whether you are new to the area, exploring your faith, or seeking a supportive community, we are here to help you find your place within our parish family. We look forward to walking together on our faith journey, sharing in worship, service, and fellowship. Welcome to Christ Church!
The central act of our Christian faith is our weekly gathering to worship the Lord. From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have gathered on Sunday, also known as “the Lord’s Day” and “the first day of the New Creation.” Scripture tells us that Christ rode on “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:9). So when we gather together every Sunday for worship, we are celebrating the resurrection of Christ and proclaiming to the world that we are “Easter” people — risen to new life in Jesus Christ.
The word liturgy comes from the Greek leitourgia, which means “the work of the people.” It is the form within which we worship God that is shaped by the words and witness of Scripture which in turn serves to shape our faith. Liturgical worship is a tradition that can be traced back as early as 125 AD. In the Kingdom of God, which is enacted in worship, all of creation will praise and worship God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship is not a spectator sport! It is meant to be actively engaged in by all the people who gather to adore our Lord. Liturgy is participatory by nature and calls us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) with all our heart, soul, mind and stregth (Mark 12:33). Every part of the litury – the words, mvements, postures, and symbols – have meaning and play a vital role in expressing our worship, proclaiming what we believe, and experiencing the presence of God.
We are led into worship by the cross and we begin with worshiping God in song. Long ago these processions used to go through towns calling people to come to worship. It was literally an act of gathering the people. It is reminiscent of the procession when Jesus entered Jerusalem as King on Palm Sunday. We begin our worship experience acknowledging that Jesus, the King of kings, seated on his throne and on the throne of our hearts ruling in our lives and over God’s Kingdom.
We begin by acknowledging that we have gathered to worship God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This is a short liturgical prayer that “collects” the thoughts and prayers of all the people and it often summarizes the theme expressed in the scriptures for that day.
Music connects us to God in a unique way by teaching us scripture through hymns, anthems, and the singing of the Psalms, and it is often said that “those who sing pray twice.” Singing is important to who we are and who God created us to be. From the sweetness of a child’s voice to the mighty swells of our congregation, choir, and organ, music lauds and magnifies God as yet another “onward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” As the final verse of Psalm 150 states, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!”
We believe Scripture is the inspired Word of God. Even though it has been written by people it was given to them by God – it has been “God breathed.” “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We use the Revised Common Lectionary to provide the list of weekly readings from the Old Testament, a Psalm, the New Testament, and the Gospels, ensuring that the fullness of God’s Word is being read and proclaimed throughout the course of the year. Liturgical churches from around the world are proclaiming the same readings each Sunday. Before reading the Gospel, the Bible is brought into the midst of the congregation, symbolizing the Incarnation of Christ, the Word of God, who “dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
This statement of faith was formulated from Scripture at the council of Nicea in 325 AD to clarify exactly what it is that we proclaim as truth as Christians. By reciting it in our worship we reaffirm our faith and provide a plumb line for our spiritual growth and development. By placing it after the sermon, it provides a clear check on the teaching that has just been heard.
These prayers are designed for us to be able to pray together for our common concerns, and thanksgiving as the body of Christ, as well as provide an opportunity for us to lift up our individual prayers to the Lord. These prayers are followed by the Confession and Absolution. We express our sorrow over our own sins, confessing them to God, and seek God’s forgiveness which we are assured of through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
After the Confession in which we make peace with God, we make peace with one another. This comes immediately before the offering. Scripture tells us, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the alar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer yoru gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24) We are called to be the body of Christ that is characterized by unity rather than division, extending the peace and grace of God that has been given to us to one another. Peace is our weekly reminder to be reconciled with one another.
Scripture tells us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is within it” (Psalm 24:1), reminding us that we are mere stewards of all we have. When we bring our offering before the Lord, we do so not under compulsion, but out of gratitude for all the Lord has done for us, and recognition that all that we have is a gift from God. Our gifts to God are also a demonstration of faith that He will continue to provide for our needs in the future. This is a time for offering our praise to God, giving of ourselves even as we give of our treasure.
The Greek word for Eucharisteo means to give thanks. Our offering of our gifts to God is followed by a celebration of thanksgiving for the sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ on the cross, buying us back from sin and death, and restoring our relationship with our Heavenly Father. This is the high point of our worship. Here the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ in our hearts as we receive it by faith. In this way we believe we are actually receiving Christ within us every Sunday. Through this we believe Christ nourishes, sustains, and transforms us. We walk forward to receive the Eucharist, symbolizing our coming to Christ to receive the Eucharust symbolizing ur coming to Christ to receive his gift of salvation. You might think of this as the Episcopalian version of a weekly altar call.
The liturgy ends with our being sent out to “love and serve the Lord”. What we receive in our encounter with the living God we are meant to go and share with others. It carries with it an echo of the Great Comission to go and make disciples of all nations. (Matt. 28:17-20)
When we make the sign of the cross it is used as an act of blessing and a gesture of devotion. In tracing the symbol of salvation on ourselves we are signifying God’s claim on our lives.
The Christian year divides the calendar into seasons representing specific times in the life of Christ. As we celebrate each season – Advent (blue), Christmas (white), Epiphany (green), Lent (purple), Easter (white), Pentecost (red), and Ordinary Time or the season of Pentecost (green) – we are effectively ordering our lives according to His life, death, resurrection and ascension while living in anticipation of His promised return.
Candles symbolize the light of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Incense is one of the ways we show honor and reverence to God. The formula for the incense that is used is based on the ancient incense that Moses was instructed to use in the tabernacle. That scent is meant to serve as a reminder that we are in the presence of the Lord. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2). Streamers, which are in the color of the liturgical season, are a reminder of the movement of the Holy Spirit amoung us.
This vestment worn by the priest in a saramental service, is a long scarf-like cloth in the color of the liturgical season. It is a symbo, of the priest’s commitment to rightly administer the sacraments. The chasuble is the outermost garmet worn by the bishops and priests in celebrating the Eucharist.