Beginning September 13, 2009, our Sunday worship schedule will look like this: 

9:30 – 10:30                        Traditional Service 

9:30 – 10:00                         Children’s Chapel (children join service for communion) 

10:30 – 11:00                        Hospitality 

10:45 – 11:30                         Sunday School for age 4 – grade 8/9

                                               Adult Education (for those who attended 9:30 service)

11:00 – 12:00                        Inspirations Worship Service

11:30                                      Children join service in progress, or go home

12:00 – 2:00                           Youth Group for teens (Christian education for high school;

                                   grades 7-8 also welcome)

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Once when Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, he gave a simple but profound answer:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”  (Mark 12:30).

 Our encounter with and response to God on all levels – heart, soul, mind and strength – enrich our worship experience and empower us to worship God through our daily lives.  An enriching, empowering worship experience is our goal in both of our worship services.  Beginning September 13, we will continue our lovely traditional service at a new time, 9:30 a.m.  We will begin our new “Inspirations” service at 11:00 a.m. 

 What is the Inspirations Service?  The best of ancient and modern worship is what we aim to combine in our new 11:00 “Inspirations” worship service.  Within the basic Eucharistic framework, we will work with various ways to experience God, including:

      Eucharist:  we will encounter God through the sacrament of communion, using various approved Eucharistic prayers, and sharing in real bread baked by our members.

·     Music:  we’ll sing a variety of music drawn from American religious traditions such as gospel, blues, and jazz, plus familiar, easy-to-sing hymns.

·     Atmosphere: we’ll be a bit more casual than our traditional service, with fewer vestments and changes in posture, and a more informal sermon time.

·     Meditative Prayer Time:  between the sermon and the prayers of the people, there will be a short meditative musical interlude, during which members may choose to light candles or engage in other interactive prayer experiences.

·     Explanations:  from time to time, we will explain certain worship practices to help our congregation understand the richness of our tradition.

·     Interactive Elements:  we may choose to read the gospel or another lesson in dramatic form, or add other elements.

·     Environmentally Friendly:  rather than print a full paper bulletin, we will hand out paper announcements and project the service on a screen.

This service will evolve as it progresses.  Try it and see what you think, and give us your input, ideas and suggestions!