“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29
Each regular Sunday centers around two different services. The 8:30 gathering is simpler in format, focusing on celebrating the Word with piano music only. The 10:30 service is more formal and brings the life of the church alive with hymns lead by the choir. Both services typically have the Holy Eucharist as the culminating event.
Some festive Sundays feature a service at 9:30 only. Check the calendar for these announcements. These events bring the whole church together in one glorious act of praise. Routinely these services are followed by a fellowship event.
Please worship with us and discover our Love of Christ, and you!
A Liturgical Church
We are a liturgical church. “Liturgy” means “The Work of the people.” Our work generally has three parts which are outlined in the bulletin presented by the ushers at the entry to the sanctuary. In the bulletin (or The Book of Common Prayer [BCP] from which it is derived), parishioner responses are typically shown in boldface print.
The liturgy of the Word: This liturgy almost always includes Scripture (Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospel) and a short sermon of 10-15 minutes. Following the sermon, we recite the Nicene Creed and say a prayer of confession to receive a pardon for our sins.
The Prayers of the People: Caring for others is critical to our faith. Consequently we pray for each other, our community and the world. After these prayers, we greet each other with the passing of the peace where parishioners greet each other with sayings like “The peace of God be with you” or simply “peace.” After announcements a collection is taken. People give to the church in many different ways and you are free to contribute on Sunday, or not, as you please. Either way is OK.
The Liturgy of the Table: Holy communion is the high point of the Episcopal service. It is also called the Eucharist or Great Thanksgiving. Jesus Christ welcomed all people and you are welcome to come forward to receive communion which consists of bread and wine in his memory. If you don’t want the bread or wine, a blessing by the priest is offered. Communion is always a voluntary ritual and often we have people who remain in the pews. That is OK.
Dismissal: The service ends with a dismissal shortly after communion. Refreshed, we are sent into the world to be the Lord’s beacon of love and service.
CHURCH SERVICE INFORMATION
- 8:30 Service
- Our less formal service with piano music and no hymns
- Typically a smaller gathering
- Check the schedule for the occasional service at 9:30 only
- 10:30 Service
- Hymns by our outstanding choir make this a wonderful service in the sanctuary
- Rites of the church (baptism, confirmation, etc) happen here
- Children’s Church occurs at the same time in a separate room
- Check the schedule for the occasional service at 9:30 only
- Prayer Requests
- All prayer requests are honored. Submit prayer requests to the church office and they will be incorporated into the Sunday services. Once constructed on this website, you can submit prayer requests by following the link available in the menu.
- Each service encourages individual prayer during/after communion.
- Weekly Scripture Readings
- The readings for the service can be found at The Lectionary Page
- Weekly Sermons
- Sermons are posted here in the blog postings on the main page for those unable to get to church.
Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
It is our honor to celebrate baptisms and weddings and support your needs during your time of loss. We understand these rites are important, and very personal. As a parishioner, you are most welcome to seek the guidance of our clergy and staff for any of these events.
Baptisms: Holy Baptism is the sacrament that initiates an adult, child or infant into the Christian faith as a member of the Body of Christ. To schedule a baptism, contact the clergy of St. Francis
Weddings: Episcopal Church Canon Law: Holy Matrimony is a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman, entered into within the community of faith, by mutual consent of heart, mind and will and with the intent that it be lifelong. St. Francis abides by this law. While not yet a part of Episcopal Canon Law, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, in its 2018 meeting, did endorse the blessing of the union of same-gender couples and our Diocesan Bishop, Bp. Andrew Waldo, has endorsed the same for the congregations of our Diocese. Please contact one of our clergy if you would like to explore this option with us. In order to get married at St. Francis, please do the following:
- Make an appointment with the clergy as soon as possible. Permission is required before any plans or announcements are made. Allow at least 4 months between this first meeting and the ceremony. Expect the parish administrator to check on availability of the church. In addition, by tradition no weddings are performed during Advent or Lent.
- The Episcopal Church requires that couples wishing to be married in the church receive pre-marriage instruction and counseling. This requirement is fulfilled at St. Francis by participating in at least 5 separate sessions on various marriage related topics.
- If you have been previously married and subsequently divorced, permission must be obtained from the Bishop in order for a marriage to take place in the church.
Funerals: When the death of a member of the parish occurs, please contact the St. Francis clergy as soon as possible. Arrangements for funerals are cooperatively made by the family and the clergy. Other clergy may participate in the liturgy if the family requests and the clergy of St. Francis extends an invitation. The liturgy for the dead is the Easter liturgy in the Episcopal Church. This liturgy focuses on the resurrection of Jesus and, in turn, those members of the Body of Christ.
Special Services and Holidays
We always offer services to commemorate Christian holy days. Each year of our Christian tradition tells the grand story of God’s saving work through the course of our annual worship of the liturgical year and the changes in celebration that our traditions dictate.
Here is a brief description of some of the major events in the church year:
- The year begins with Advent, the season of preparation for the coming of Christ.
- Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s coming into the world.
- In January, Epiphany begins and focuses our attention on Christ’s light in the world.
- Ash Wednesday begins a six-week period of Lent and introspection about our needs and those of our world. Fasting, praying and learning are things that make this season very special. This period ends on Easter Sunday and the fifty days of Eastertide that follow to celebrate his triumph over death. Eastertide ends on Pentecost.
- Following Eastertide, the calendar moves into “Ordinary time” until Advent returns.
Music
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100
The music program at St. Francis of Assisi strives to enhance individual and group worship experiences and is at the heart of our celebrations. St. Francis intentionally varies the musical offerings to allow each parishioner to find what is most comfortable and fulfilling. From prelude to postlude, the music seeks to transcend the ordinary and bring worshipers into the presence of God.
On a typical Sunday, the 8:30 service has instrumental piano music to enhance that experience. Attendees of the 8:30 service often find moments of quiet reflection and prayer as they are surrounded with carefully chosen and expertly played liturgical music.
The 10:30 service is more traditional in that it is built on a strong choral tradition. Here one finds organ music and hymns almost every Sunday along with a congregation of many strong singing voices. On rare occasion, one might be pleasantly surprised with contemporary worship music. Anthems are usually sung by the senior choir with an occasional soloist, ensemble, or youth choir participation.
Adult Choir: The adult choir meets in the sanctuary on Wednesdays evenings from 7:00-8:15 for rehearsals (with the exception of our summer schedule between Memorial and Labor Day). Any singer over the age of 16 is welcome to join. Sunday mornings for the choir begin with assembly at 9:30 in preparation for the 10:30 service.
Children's Choir: The children's choir meets on Sunday after the 10:30 service. Children over the age of 5 who can read are welcome to join the choir. Children sing and play instruments for certain anthems throughout the year. The children's choir does not meet between Mother’s Day and Labor Day.
Please contact the St. Francis administrative office for more information on the music program.