Worship
Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian or are entirely new to the Episcopal Church, it is our hope that you will feel welcomed and at home at St. Andrew’s! When you arrive at St. Andrew’s for a worship service, you will be provided with a worship bulletin (leaflet) that will guide you through the service. You will not be singled out as a visitor, and you may sit wherever you feel comfortable in the church. If you have any questions, there are greeters near the front doors who are available to assist you with any questions or other needs that you may have. Please come, visit, and get to know St. Andrew’s in person!
Currently, we offer two services on Sundays, and both have a slightly different “feel.”
- 8:00am – This service is a quiet, contemplative service with a smaller attendance, and it typically lasts less than an hour. Though it follows the same pattern of our 10:30 a.m. service and includes Holy Communion, it uses the older language found in Rite One of our prayer book. This language is similar to the 16th and 17thcentury English found in the King James version of the Bible. We typically do not sing hymns at this service, but our organist does provide music from the organ.
- 10:30am – This service is the larger of our two services, and it typically lasts about an hour and ten minutes. This service follows the typical pattern of Episcopal worship found in our prayer book and includes Holy Communion. This service uses the language of Rite Two from our prayer book, meaning that it is modern, contemporary English. Music is an important component of this worship service, and it includes congregational hymns, choral music sung by our choir, and music provided on the organ, piano, and other instruments.
Baptisms
Baptism is the action through which an individual becomes a part of the Christian community and a member of the church. It is not simply a family celebration or rite of passage; rather, it is a sacred and holy act. In the Episcopal Church, baptism is made available to infants, children, and adults.
When adults are baptized, they publicly affirm their decision to place their hope and faith in God as revealed to us in Jesus and declare their intention to follow Jesus’ teachings and way of life. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, adults seeking baptism spend a period of time preparing to be baptized. The process of preparation is known as the catechumenate and typically lasts ten months (September through June), with the baptism administered at Easter.
When infants and younger children are baptized, parents and sponsors (godparents) promise on behalf of the children to actively raise them in a Christian home and in a church community, so they may grow to know God and embrace the Christian faith. Parents seeking baptism for their children should be actively engaged in the life of St. Andrew’s or in another church community and committed to raising their child within the life of a church community. The baptism of an infant or child is typically administered during worship on one of four Sundays each year: Baptism of the Lord Sunday (January); Easter Sunday; (March/April); Pentecost Sunday (May/June); and All Saints Sunday (November). In the event of an emergency, hardship, or other extenuating circumstance, baptisms may be administered at a different time and location. Preparatory meetings with the rector (pastor) are required prior to a baptism.
In the Episcopal Church, we recognize baptisms performed in other Christian churches and denominations as long as it was administered with water “in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy,” as commanded by Jesus in the Gospels. Once individuals have been baptized, regardless of the church or denomination, they do not need to be baptized again.
If you would like to discuss baptism further or schedule a service of baptism, please contact the church office at office@saeccp.org or 301-864-8880.
Watch a very brief video on baptism produced by an Episcopal congregation in Baltimore, Maryland.
Weddings
If you are interested in celebrating your wedding at St. Andrew’s, please contact us at least six months prior to your desired wedding date, at office@saeccp.org or 301-864-8880. Typically, one of the priests associated with St. Andrew’s officiates at weddings. Officiants or ministers of other churches are occasionally permitted to officiate with the appropriate approvals.
Funerals & Memorial Services
In the Episcopal Church, funerals and memorial services are not only a time to mourn and remember one who has died, but they are also celebrations of resurrection and the promise of eternal life given to us by God in Jesus Christ. If you have experienced the loss of death and would like to hold a funeral or memorial service at St. Andrew’s, please contact the church office as soon as possible at office@saeccp.org or 301-864-8880.
Serve in Worship
- Altar Guild – Members of the of the Altar Guild assist with worship by setting up and clearing the altar before and after worship services, cleaning and storing the silver vessels used in the celebration of Holy Communion, and arranging flowers that are placed in front of the altar during worship services.
- Altar Servers – Altar servers assist the priest each Sunday morning by carrying the processional cross or candles, assisting in preparing the altar for Holy Communion, and distributing Holy Communion to worshippers.
- Readers (Lectors) – Readers assist in worship on Sunday morning by reading the appointed passages from the Bible or reading the prayers.
- Greeters – Greeters perform an essential ministry of hospitality on Sunday mornings by welcoming people arriving for worship services, distributing bulletins to worshippers, and assisting visitors with any needs they may have.
- Counters – Each Sunday, our counters work in teams of two to count the monetary offerings given during worship services and make bank deposits.
