Walking into a church for the first time (or for the first time in a long time) can be intimidating. At Good Shepherd, we're genuinely glad that you've chosen to worship with us, and we look forward to meeting you. The following information may help you know what to expect when you join us for worship.
In common with other Christians throughout the world,
Episcopalians hold certain basic beliefs about God and the nature
of creation. Those beliefs are summarized in the Apostles'
Creed and the Nicene Creed. From the days of the early
Church, the Apostles' Creed has been the public affirmation made by
persons who are about to be baptized. The Nicene Creed, which dates
from 325 AD, is the most universally accepted statement of the
Christian faith, affirmed by the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern
Orthodox Churches, and most Protestant denominations.
We regularly affirm these statements of faith in our worship
services.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
In addition to these basic statements of faith set out in the Creeds, Episcopalians believe that the Bible is the Word of God because God inspired its authors and because God still speaks to us through scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Bible readings and sermons based on those readings are a central component of our worship.
The other central component of worship is Holy Eucharist, Communion, or Mass in which we remember Christ's sacrifice of himself for the world and are spritually nourished by gathering together around the Lord's table. All baptized Christians, from any denomination, are invited to receive Communion at Good Shepherd.
We would love to worship with you at Good Shepherd. Our regular weekly service times are set forth below, followed by a brief description of each service. Please join us!
| Sunday Services | |
| 8:00 am | Holy Eucharist, Rite I |
| 9:15 am - 9:45 am | Adult Forum (nursery available). Click here for more information |
| 10:00 am | Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with full choir and Children's Chapel (nursery available) |
| Weekday Services | |
| Wednesday at 6:30 pm |
Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with unction (Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body.) |
Our main Sunday service is at 10 o'clock. This service features a full choir, with several congregational hymns and choral anthems. This service, uses a more contemporary liturgy (Rite II), is held in the sanctuary. For the first part of the 10 o'clock service, children under the age of 8 have the option to participate in children's chapel, which presents the day's scripture readings and sermon in a form tailored to younger children's understanding. Following the sermon, the children rejoin their families in the main sanctuary. Adult forum is offered from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The Nursery is available Sunday's from 9:15 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Services offered at 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. on Sunday generally are smaller and, some feel, more intimate than our 10 o'clock service. The 8:00 a.m. service, which is held in the sanctuary, uses a traditional-language liturgy (Rite I) from the Book of Common Prayer. The 12:00 Service is Informal Prayer & Praise, with contemporary music and worship, dialogue bible study and prayer circles.
What's a Service Like?
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 the Holy Eucharist.
What's a Liturgy?
As an Episcopal church, Good Shepherd follows a liturgy, which is a pattern of scripture readings, prayers, and congregational responses that are set forth in the Book of Common Prayer (and, for ease of use, reprinted in the Sunday service leaflet). Although the content of services changes from week to week, the pattern of worship remains basically the same throughout the year. The Book of Common Prayer, in addition to being a wonderful aid to worship, is one of the great literary achievements of the English language. Two-thirds of the prayers and responses in the Book of Common Prayer are themselves taken from the Bible.
You Can Participate.
The congregational responses throughout the service make Episcopal worship participatory worship. And, because the service is printed in the Sunday bulletin, it is easy for visitors to follow and join in, if you so desire. Finally, many -- 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. If you don't feel comfortable worshiping in this way, that's no problem; if you find these traditions helpful, that's great too!
The Episcopal Church USA has prepared an excellent overview that provides more information about the practices and traditions of the Episcopal Church. That overview can be found by clicking here.
Please join us for worship at Good Shepherd. We can't wait to meet you!