Worship

At Christ Episcopal Church, worship is central to our lives. We gather as a community of faith to worship God, serve others, and build relationships rooted in love and fellowship. Through worship and prayer, we open our hearts and minds to our eternal and life-giving God. We believe that fellowship and outreach are integral parts of our faith journey, offering opportunities to connect, learn, and serve.

For Episcopalians, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) provides the foundation for all worship. This book, which the Anglican Church has used in various forms since 1549, provides the prayers and services used by Anglicans throughout the world. We use it every day at Christ Church. For those who do not have a Book of Common Prayer at home, Church Publishing has made a PDF version available.

We invite you to join us in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist—offered both in-person and online on Sundays and throughout the week. Morning and evening prayer are also available via Zoom. We believe that worship is more than a Sunday service; it’s a time to connect with God, with each other, and with the world around us. Please explore these varied opportunities to find what resonates with you. Be sure to check our calendar for the latest schedule.

Children are joyfully welcomed in all aspects of worship, whether in our church services or our Christian Education programs designed especially for them. Our nursery, staffed by trained and experienced caregivers, provides a warm and nurturing space for infants through age 4.

Christian Education

At Christ Church, we extend worship beyond the service to include programs and activities for youth and adults, encouraging lifelong learning and spiritual growth.

• Our Youth Group offers students in grades 6 to 12 guidance on living as Christians in today’s world through fellowship, service, and faith formation.
• Our adult programs include Bible Study and the Sunday Spirituality Discussion Group, offering opportunities to deepen understanding and grow in faith.

Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism is the ancient rite by which we become Christians: reborn in the Spirit and made adopted children of God in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (BCP, 307). Through the waters of Baptism, we are spiritually cleansed, resurrected in God’s Triune Name, and claimed as Christ’s own. It is the Sacrament in which we become counter-cultural Holy Spirit-led individuals of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5.22-23).

It is important to understand that Baptism is not just a single event but a commitment to a Christian life with the pledge:

• to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ
• to seek to serve Christ in all persons, loving one’s neighbor as oneself
• to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being (BCP, 305).

In Baptism we become members of the family of faith, founded on the cornerstone of Christ – a family that professes the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as the pathway to a new and unending life in Him (BCP, 363).

At Christ Church we take these vows seriously and do our best to uphold them. We believe that as people saved through the sacrifice of the cross, we are given grace to be a people of eternal hope for all – and, yes, we mean for all – and we pledge to uphold all who commit their lives to Christ through Baptism.

Interested in learning more about Baptism? Let us know by completing this inquiry form to connect with Fr. Daniel.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a sacramental rite in which candidates express a “mature commitment to Christ and receive the strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (BCP, 860).

Where Baptism begins the Christian journey, Confirmation continues it—with a public “yes” to the life of faith and to carrying out the Church’s apostolic mission in the world.
The Episcopal Church has three steps to make a “mature commitment to Christ:”

• Confirmation – for those baptized but not yet confirmed.
• Reception – for those confirmed in another Christian tradition, such as Roman Catholicism or Methodism.
• Reaffirmation – for those returning to the faith or seeking to renew their commitment.

Our Confirmation classes are relaxed, discussion-based, and grounded in the Episcopal Church’s Catechism (BCP, p. 845).

Interested in Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation? Let us know by completing this inquiry form to connect with Fr. Daniel.

Come and join us! If you are looking for a community where faith is lived and shared, we would love to hear from you. Please call our office at 540.582.5033 (Tuesday-Friday 10:00-4:00) or complete this inquiry form so we can get to know each other. Someone will reach out to you.