Worship

As Christians, worship is essential to our lives. As a church, the living body of Christ, we serve others and worship God as a community of faith.  

We have many opportunities on Sundays and during the week for worship, prayer, and silent meditation both in-person and in a virtual format. We welcome you to explore these diverse opportunities to see what resonates with you. Please check our calendar for up-to-date information. 

Our goal in worship, prayer, and silent meditation is to open our hearts and minds to our eternal and life-giving God. If you feel called to worship in word and song, you are welcome to celebrate Holy Eucharist with us. If you feel called to a more silent and contemplative form of prayer, you are welcome to join us for Centering Prayer or our weekly meditation sessions offered by our Spirituality Center. 

Our campus is kid-safe. We welcome all children to join in worship whether at services in church or in our Christian Education program created especially for them. Nursery is available for infants through age 4. We have a beautiful nursery with trained and experienced caregivers.

At Christ Church we extend Worship to include programs and activities for youth and adults.

• Our Youth Group teaches students in grades 6 to 12 how to be a Christian in today’s world.
• Our adult programs include Bible Study and Sunday Spirituality Discussion Group.

Baptism

The Episcopal Church sees Baptism as a “full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the church. In the Rite of Baptism, God establishes an indissoluble bond with the baptized. God adopts us, making us members of the church and inheritors of the Kingdom of God (BCP, 298 and 858). For Episcopalians, Baptism is the foundation of our faith. In Baptism we commit our lives to seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves as well as striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being (BCP, 305). In Baptism we are made sharers in the new life of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the foundation for all future church participation and ministry. Each candidate for Baptism in the Episcopal Church is to be sponsored by one or more baptized persons.”

If you are interested in discussing baptism please complete the inquiry form.

Confirmation

Confirmation is “the sacramental rite in which the candidates ‘express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop’ (BCP, 860). Those who were baptized at an early age and those baptized as adults without laying on of hands by a bishop are expected to make a mature public affirmation of their faith, recommit themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism, and receive laying on of hands by a bishop (BCP, 412). Adults baptized with the laying on of hands by a bishop are considered to be confirmed.

The Episcopal Church’s theology of Confirmation has continued to evolve along with its understanding of Baptism. Confirmation is no longer seen as the completion of Christian initiation, nor is Confirmation a prerequisite for receiving communion. Whereas Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body the church (BCP, 298),Confirmation has been increasingly understood in terms of a mature, public reaffirmation of the Christian faith and the baptismal promises.

The Episcopal Church has three steps to make a “mature commitment to Christ”: Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation. Those who have made a mature commitment in another denomination such as Roman Catholic or Orthodox may decide to be Confirmed or Received. For those who have been Confirmed or Received but have been away from the faith or would like to reaffirm their commitment to Christ may Reaffirm their faith.

Confirmation classes are discussion-based and are framed around the Episcopal Church’s Outline of the Faith or Catechism, which can be found on page 845 of the Book of Common Prayer.

If you would like to discuss confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation please complete the inquiry form.

Online Resources

For those who do not have a Book of Common Prayer at home, Church Publishing has released a PDF version so you can have it on your computer. And remember the Book of Common Prayer is always online.