SUNDAY MORNINGS
WORSHIP SERVICE
8:30 am
Contemporary Language with Traditional Music. Childcare Available.
WORSHIP SERVICE
10:30 am
Contemporary Language with Traditional Music and Choir.
Childcare and Children’s Chapel Offered.
This service is livestreamed each Sunday on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stpatsba
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS
WORSHIP SERVICE
6:30 pm
In addition to our weekly service, prayers for healing will be on the first Wednesday of each month. Childcare available.
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY (EFM)
7:00 pm
Education for Ministry is a four-year course of study that prepares us to live out our ministry in the world. A small group of students learn the foundation of our faith by studying the Old Testament, New Testament, Church History and Theology. EFM meets September through May. Childcare available.
WHAT TO EXPECT
WORSHIP
There are places where we bow to show reverence for Christ, and places where we kneel to humble ourselves before God. There are times we cross ourselves as a way of using our entire bodies to worship and remember Christ’s sacrifice. And we read ancient creeds and prayers together aloud to affirm our faith. The best way to learn this is to sit toward the back so you can watch people in front of you and follow along. You will notice that no two people do the same thing! So there is no “wrong” way. Trust us, many people find this a bit intimidating at first but later fall in love with the reverence of our ancient worship.
COMMUNION
Communion holds a deep and varied meaning for us in the Episcopal Church. It contains the mystery of what Christ did when he died on the cross for the sins of the world. Any baptized person can come to the rail and receive communion. The appropriate age of a child taking communion is left up to the parents’ discretion. If you haven’t yet been baptized, you can come to the rail, stand or kneel, cross your arms over your chest, and receive a prayer of blessing.
We follow a directed Communion, where greeters will guide you when it is time for you to approach the Communion rail. You may stand in the front area where there is no rail or kneel at the sides. We use a common cup and partake of actual wine, just as Jesus did.
Bread of Heaven, Body of Christ: Hold out your hands cupped together like a bowl. A clergy person will come by first and give you bread that is the body of Christ. You can eat it right away or you can wait to dip it in the wine and then take it. Gluten-free wafers are available for those who are gluten-intolerant.
Blood of Christ, Cup of our Salvation: Then a person will come by with the Chalice. This is a little intimidating if you aren’t used to it but very beautiful. You can:
Gently hold the cup, and with the server, guide it up to your lips and take a small sip of the wine. Or if you held onto the bread, you may dip it into the wine and then eat it. Many who were raised in the Roman Catholic tradition choose to hand the wafer to the cup-bearer, and he or she will dip it in the wine and gently place it on your tongue.