Relax
Walking into a church for the first time (or for the first time in a long time) can be intimidating. Please be assured that at St. Matthew's, you'll receive a warm, relaxed welcome. We're genuinely glad that you've chosen to worship with us, and we look forward to meeting you.  (And if you have kids, we're happy to see them, too--we have a nursery during our services for children under 5). Feel free to watch and observe. When the offering is collected, feel no obligation to give (it is primarily for our regular members).

What's in the Service?
Our worship services include readings from the Old and New Testaments, a Psalm, a sermon based on the day's scriptures, an affirmation of faith using one of the Creeds, congregational prayers, several congregational hymns and choral anthems, and a celebration of communion (Holy Eucharist). Our 10:30 am service follows the Episcopal Rite II, using newer language and a full choir (Sept. to June). Our 8:00 am service follows the Episcopal Rite I, using older language, and without the choir. In the summer, we have a single 9:00 a.m. service, and we experiment a bit by using different Anglican liturgies.

Follow Along
The church bulletin is the basic guide to the service.  Much of the service and some of the music are printed there. The remainder of the service text is in the black Book of Common Prayer in your pew. Hymns are in the red Hymnal or in a hymn book given to you when you enter.

You Can Participate
Episcopal worship is participatory.  We generally stand to sing, sit during readings and the sermon, and stand or kneel during prayer. Practices vary--even among individual Episcopalians. Some -- but by no means all of us -- kneel or cross ourselves at various points in the service. These actions are personal aids to worship and are purely optional.  Please, do what you find comfortable.

You are welcome to take communion as you wish. You may take the bread and wine, the bread only, or not to go up for communion at all. The communion table is God's table, and no one will be turned away. Children may come forward for a blessing.

Join Us for our 7-minute Welcome
Right after our 10:30 a.m. service (9 a.m. in the summer) we offer visitors a 7-minute (no more!) welcome to St. Matthew's.   Just come up the front of the church and we'll give you a quick introduction to who we are and what we do.  And, if you'd like, we'll accompany you downstairs to join our coffee hour, where we'll introduce you to some other folks.

Thank you for worshipping at St. Matthew's!