When you arrive at St. Mary’s, there are several parking spaces for guests to make finding a spot easy. If the parking lot is full, there is also overflow parking in the wooded area.
When you enter the church, there will be folks opening the door for you and then our friendly greeters will help you with a nametag. Wearing a name tag helps us address you by name.
Some people come in their Sunday Best to St. Mary’s and others wear jeans and flip-flops. At Christmas and Easter, folks generally dress up but we’re pretty much a “come as you are” sort of place.
The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, so we use the Book of Common Prayer for worship, which is based on scripture and ancient texts of the early Christian church. The first part of the service is scripture readings, prayers, and the sermon. Before the Gospel, the children (3rd grade and below) may leave to go to Children’s Chapel, and they return in time for Holy Eucharist. The second part of the service begins with the altar being prepared for Holy Communion, which is also called Holy Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper. It is the remembrance of the meal of bread and wine that Jesus shared with his disciples. Since the altar is God’s table and not ours, all are welcome to come forward when the usher tells you it is your turn. If it is not your custom to receive Communion, simply cross your arms across your chest at the altar and the priest will pray a blessing for you. You don’t need to be a member of St. Mary’s to partake in this sacrament.
You may receive the wine by intinction, that is, carefully dip your bread (wafer) into the wine. Please take care that your bread and not your fingers touch the wine. Parents, you may need to assist your children. Our bread contains wheat; soy-dairy-wheat free wafers and chalice are available at all services; please let the clergy know.
An usher will give you a worship bulletin. The bulletin will tell you what’s going to happen during the service and provides page numbers so you can follow along in the prayer book.
If you have young children, there is a Children’s Corner in the corner of the church, with quiet activities and a sensory basket full of tactile objects for children, as well as seasonal activities. Children are SO very welcome in worship at St. Mary’s, so expect some kid noises, wiggles, and dancing.
If you have small children, we do have a nursery for children 5 years and younger. One of our hosts can walk you over to the Holy Family Center where our nursery is located. Our nursery is staffed with loving and trained individuals who are consistently there so your child can get to know them. They will text you if they need you during worship so leave your phone on vibrate. However, ALL children are welcome in worship at St. Mary’s if you prefer to not use the nursery.
You’ll receive an information card to complete which asks for some basic contact info. This will put you on our mailing list so you can remain current on events at St. Mary’s
Our promise to you: whether you’re a cradle Episcopalian or new to the Christian faith, we promise to welcome you as if Christ just walked in our door. We welcome all people without exception.