“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before God with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:2
Worship at Christ Church creates a joyful space where we can encounter the presence of God – whether we are worshipping in the beauty of our historic church, or at home on Zoom or Facebook Live. Through songs and readings, sermons and prayers, we celebrate the great story of God’s amazing love. At the heart of that story is mystery, so we leave room for that too, most especially in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist (also called Communion), where we are made whole again as the body of Christ. Like a good restaurant, our “menu” features different flavors, styles and priorities – all of them are centered on the Good News of our belovedness in Christ
Church stays connected online. Our 11 o’clock worship service is hybrid – in-person and on Zoom and Facebook. Check below or our Facebook page for links to online worship and education opportunities.
With the newly issued guidelines on masks and distancing for persons who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, our worship practice are being updated. Those who have been vaccinated are not required to maintain social distance or wear a mask, but we encourage it – and singing is permitted only if people are wearing masks. Those are have not been vaccinated must wear masks, observe distance, and follow the safety protocols detailed below. We sanitize the church space before each Sunday. We no longer require pre-registration, though it would be helpful to know if folks have been vaccinated – click here. (The form need only be filled out once.)
OPTIONS FOR WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY –
9 am – In-person eucharist at Christ Church Wayside (13050 Rock Point Road, Newburg) Indoor service, with masks and distancing not required for those vaccinated, but encouraged. Singing is permitted only with masks. Those not yet vaccinated should continue to wear masks, observe distance and follow the safety protocols below.
10 am – Learning Hour on Zoom – click here. “Kids Forum” for children, courses for adults.
11 am, Sunday Worship, online (Zoom and Facebook Live) and in-person at Christ Church in La Plata – music, sermon, prayers, Holy Communion. Indoor service, with masks and distancing not required for those vaccinated, but encouraged. Singing is permitted only with masks. Those not yet vaccinated should continue to wear masks, observe distance and follow the safety protocols below.
Click here to connect online. First time using Zoom? Watch this 1-minute tutorial.
If you don’t have a computer or smart phone you can call in: +1 646 558 8656; Meeting ID: 609 359 4889 Our password is LPWay.
The worship leaflet can be downloaded here: Bulletin 6-20-21 Pent 4 (Our worship is paperless)
Safety Protocols:
- Wear a mask;
- Bring chairs if you have them (for outside worship);
- We are paper-less – you can print out the bulletin (see link above), or access it on a hand-held device Sunday.
- If you’ve been ill or traveling, worship from home.
- Church bathrooms are for emergency use only, and require following simple sanitizing procedures
- Communion will be distributed, bread only, by Rev. Kate;
- There will be no social time.
Protocols for sanitizing spaces and maintaining healthy practices can be reviewed here: La Plata-Wayside Regathering Plan- 7-15-20.
Night Prayers is at 8 pm each evening, Monday – Thursday. That can be accessed at this link; pw: LPWay
What to Expect in Worship at Christ Church
Expect to be accepted as you are – there is no dress code. Our worship follows the pattern in the Book of Common Prayer, which is the prayer book of the Episcopal Church. We sing, pray, listen, move; we stand, sit or kneel, depending on the part of the service – feel free to do what is comfortable for you. Everything you need to know for worship is provided on the screens in the church or printed in the worship bulletin each week (that is available online). some of the worshippers are there in person, some on Zoom; all are worshipping together. Our worship music is a mix of traditional hymns and more contemporary church music.
As Covid restrictions ease, we are returning to singing (with masks on), and to coming to the altar rail for Communion (bread only for the time being). We are not yet offering a social time with food after the service.