Worship at Apostles Anglican Church
Communion at Apostles Anglican Church
Communion (or the Eucharist) is at the heart of Anglican worship. We believe that Jesus is intimately present with us when we take the elements, meeting us in the bread and wine. That’s why every Sunday we rehearse the gospel story in the breaking of bread, inviting everyone who has been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19) to come to the table and receive “the gifts of God for the people of God.” If that’s you, we invite you to come forward when the ushers indicate your row, receiving the bread and wine in rememberance that Christ died for you, and feeding on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
If baptism has not yet been a part of your journey, that’s okay! We invite you to come forward anyway. Simply cross your arms over your chest, and we’d love to pray God’s blessing over you.
When taking communion, you may either dip the bread into the wine; or you may consume the bread and drink directly from the cup.
Spiritual Formation
We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18; ESV)
We live from glory to glory as we walk in grace of our Lord. He is transforming His people into a magnificent doxology of praise unto the Father above.
We see to live fully into this call of transformation by rehearsing the great mercy and grace of our Lord in every aspect of life. This involves cultivating a life of spiritual formation through a range of disciplines. Some of these include the following:
Fellowship – Learn more about how to Participate in the life of our community.
Prayer – The Book of Common Prayer is one tool that can help us as we cultivate a life of ongoing prayer. Here is a simple tool for Morning Prayer.
Scripture – Anglicanism emphasizes that the “Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation.” Spending time reading and reflecting upon the Scripture is vital. Here are a couple tools to help you get started. Read today’s Daily Office Lectionary and check out our posts about “Scripture.”
Apostles Worship Music
Apostles Anglican observes two services on Sunday mornings: a Holy Eucharist – choral music service at 8:45am, which includes traditional hymns and liturgy, and a Holy Eucharist – acoustic music service at 11:15am, which features contemporary worship songs and hymns. The acoustic music service is lead by the Apostles worship band.
Both services offer opportunities for the congregation to serve each week, either through leading prayers, reading Scripture, taking part as an Acolyte or Chalice Bearer during the service, and helping prepare the sanctuary for Holy Communion through service on the Altar Guild. We would like to hear from those who might be interested in joining our choir or our worship teams.
From time to time we schedule a combined Sunday service on Sunday to enable the whole church to meet and worship together; the band, organ, choir and singers lead the music for this. For our major church festivals, such as the special services at Christmas and Easter, we include a string quartet, brass section, choral soloists and the children’s choir. Our quarterly family services also include the children’s choir.
8:45am Holy Eucharist – Choral Music
Our regular choir leads the sung worship and congregational singing at the 8:45 am Sunday service. The focus is on the traditional hymns and sung liturgy that forms the rich historical tapestry of our church music. The choir also sings featured anthem arrangements for the Offertory and during Holy Communion. Choir members are dedicated to singing to God’s glory and leading the congregational worship in a spirit of humility and service. Weekly practice is on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm, with no rehearsal during the summer break. We invite additional singers to join us for the seasonal festivals. For more information about the choir, please contact Rachel Wilhelm through the Apostles church office (865-385-6686)
11:15am Holy Eucharist – Acoustic Music
The Apostles worship team and worship leaders lead the 11:15 am Sunday service music. The sung worship is guided by leadership that is committed to offering Spirit-led, Christ-centered worship and praise music, grounded in current musical styles. Instruments featured each week include acoustic and electric guitar, piano, violin, synth, bass and drums, as well as featured solo instruments from time to time. The worship team rehearsals take place during the week and also on Sunday mornings at 10:15am. For further details, please contact Rachel Wilhelm at the Apostles church office on (865-385-6686).
The Daily Office
Digital and Audio Versions
Our rector, Fr. Jack King, has created a few downloadable resources for praying the Daily Office. These resources use the ACNA Daily Office liturgies and lectionary.
- A Daily Office Book: ePub version
- Evening Prayer for Families or Small Groups (PDF Download)
- Daily Office Lectionary Readings (ACNA)
- Daily Office 2019
Morning Prayer for Download via Soundcloud
Evening Prayer for Download via Soundcloud
Note: the audio versions of the Daily Office present a simplified form of praying each service. Pauses in the audio are provided for individuals to include readings from the Daily Office Lectionary. The ACNA Daily Office Lectionary readings are found here. These versions of the Daily Office are especially suitable for newcomers to Anglican spirituality or individuals praying the Daily Office at home.
Sunday Lectionary
If you are looking for the Sunday lectionary readings, you may find them here.
