Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness
Worship
We strive to live in the way Jesus taught, empowered by the Holy Spirit, understanding that we all fall short at times. When we do, we reorient ourselves and return to the Lord. Practicing our spirituality strengthens our faith and helps us develop a deeper relationship with God. Our worship leads us to seek and serve Christ in all persons and strive for justice and peace. We invite you to join us in The Way, regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey.
The Church of the Epiphany is dedicated to proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ by word and example. Every Sunday, we continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. The principal Sunday worship service, when we participate in the breaking of the bread, the prayers, and fellowship, is called the Holy Eucharist. Eucharist means Thanksgiving.
Our Sunday morning Holy Eucharist services are at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The 8:15 a.m. service is Rite One, a quiet, spoken Mass without music, using traditional language. The 10:30 a.m. service is Rite Two, which uses more modern language. Most of our members attend this service, which includes hymn singing, organ music, and choir. Both services include Holy Communion.
We also offer a 10:30 a.m. online Morning Prayer for those who cannot be with us in person. We try to pray together each Sunday wherever we are.
Our Spirituality
Epiphany is a liturgical church that stands firmly in the Anglican tradition. We consider ourselves to be Broad Church. We occupy the Anglican Via Media, commonly called The Middle Way. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote that "there are three components of our heritage: strict evangelical Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and religious liberalism. Each of these has a place in the Church's life." Episcopalians continue in the catholic tradition of the Western Church while also being a product of the Protestant Reformation in England. We keep the beautiful and spiritually meaningful traditions of the ancient Church while incorporating and adapting modern sensibilities. In summary, you'll have to participate in our worship and life for a while to understand what our tradition means to us.
Music in Worship
The parish priest ensures that music serves as an offering to glorify God and aids the congregation in their worship. An integral part of our services, music is a vital form of prayer. The selection of music for all services at Epiphany—including weddings and funerals—falls under the spiritual authority of the clergy, ensuring alignment with the Book of Common Prayer and the theology of The Episcopal Church.
Anglican church music traces its roots back to the dawn of Christianity in the British Isles. Before the English Reformation, music in Anglican churches and cathedrals predominantly featured Gregorian chant and polyphonic settings of the Mass. In the 16th century, Anglican composers began to adopt a homophonic style. The evangelical movement within Anglicanism later popularized hymns, which were officially recognized as part of Anglican worship in the early 19th century.
Today, our worship services present a rich tapestry of musical expression. You can expect a diverse array of music, including antiphonal singing between the priest and congregation, choral offerings from the Chancel Choir, instrumental pieces, chanted prayers and scripture, sung Psalms, and congregational hymn singing.
Children in Worship
We believe that the place for children to be during worship is in worship. We are a multi-generational church. Our families bring their children with them to worship. If you have children, we encourage you to do the same. We understand that children have difficulty sitting in silence for a full hour. We expect that they will make some noise. Many of us have found that if children sit closer to the front of the nave, they will see more of what is going on in the liturgy, which may be more enjoyable for them and help them feel included. Some of our families prefer to sit in the back pews, closer to the doors, where they can go in and out of the nave easily. Please know that wherever you choose to sit, you and your children are welcome. There are busy bags available for children in the narthex. Ask for one from our ushers. Nursery care for children two and under is provided at our 10:30 a.m. service as needed.
Worship Ministries
Acolytes
Chancel Choir
Altar Guild
An acolyte is lay person appointed by the priest to assist in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Holy Eucharist. Epiphany has a long tradition of youth assisting the priest as acolytes. They light the candles on the altar, carry them in procession, and during the solemn proclamation of the Gospel, hold the missal for the priest, and prepare wine and water for the sacrifice of the Mass. At Epiphany, youth may begin acolyte ministry as early as twelve and often continue throughout their high school years.
Altar Guild
Chancel Choir
Altar Guild
The Altar Guild is a group of lay people appointed by the priest to assist the priest and care for the altar, vestments, vessels, and altar linens of the parish. The priest is the Head of the Guild but usually appoints a director to lead this group of volunteers. Altar Guild members must be confirmed communicants who are reliable, have careful attention to detail, and work well with the priest. The Altar Guild also frequently supervises the decoration of the sanctuary and chancel with flowers.
Chancel Choir
Chancel Choir
Handbell Choir
The Chancel Choir leads the congregational singing during worship. Epiphany's choir is made up of musically gifted parishioners who commit to a regular schedule of practice and attendance at worship. They enrich our worship. At times, the choir performs its ministry by singing alone, drawing on the Church's treasury of sacred music. Practice is every Thursday at 6:15 p.m. from September through May and once a month in the summer.
Handbell Choir
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Handbell Choir
The Handbell Choir is a beloved music ministry at Epiphany. Our handbell musicians come from within our parish and from the surrounding neighborhood. Like most of our church, the group is multi-generational and made up of people of varying ages, from school-aged children to retirees. Handbell Choir practices on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. from September through May.
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
We believe that God's presence in the Eucharist is real and powerful. The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion is the body and blood of Christ given to his people and received by faith. In the absence of sufficient deacons and priests, lay people appointed by the priest and licensed by the bishop may assist in the distribution of Communion and administer the chalice. Epiphany has a vibrant ministry of lay people who assist our priest with the distribution of Communion.
Lay Eucharistic Visitors
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Lay Eucharistic Visitor ministry is a special offshoot of the Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Like the LEMs, they are appointed by the priest and licensed by the bishop. Their ministry is to take the consecrated bread and wine from the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist out to parishioners who could not join the congregation for Mass and share Communion with them. These lay volunteers are entrusted to care for the body and blood of Jesus, as well as to provide pastoral ministry to the homebound or those recovering from illness.
Readers
Who Does What?
Readers
According to ancient tradition and Church teaching, lay people appointed by the priest are assigned the proclamation of the scripture lessons that precede the Gospel during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. They may also lead the prayers of the people. Epiphany has an active ministry of readers who devote themselves to regular reading and study of the scriptures.
Ushers
Who Does What?
Readers
Church ushers are instrumental in welcoming people to worship at Epiphany. They act as doorkeepers, answering visitors' questions, helping to seat worshipers, and occasionally escorting people to the Nursery or Parish Hall. Ushers collect the church's offerings, present them at the altar, and assist in Communion. They stand ready to assist anyone in the congregation who might need help. After the service, ushers ensure that the sanctuary is tidy and that prayer books and hymnals are in each pew. In many ways, the ushers are the face of the church. They are the first ones people see when they arrive and the last ones they see as they leave.