| 10 September 2008
Our Sunday worship gatherings are family friendly and focused on a holistic community worship experience. No expectations on how you dress; come in whatever makes you feel at home around your family and friends.
When you come in the sanctuary, you can expect to be greeted by some good music, the faint scent of incense or oils, and a relaxed but contemplative environment. To begin our service, our community musicians will play a song to call us all to worship. People will still be mixing and mingling during this song and you are encouraged to do whatever is natural to you: to sit and read through a psalm in preparation, to greet those you will be worshiping alongside, or to take advantage of the moment to enjoy some good music. You might hear a song that's been a long time favorite from a variety of genres, or the band might improvise a piece. This is our version of the old-time church bells.
Our worship is an intentional stream of songs, poems, ancient and modern liturgical elements, teaching, and reflection. We might pray aloud as a community or leave a space of ambient silence for you to individually reflect or pray. We sing hymns, praise songs, music from the Taize community, and some original works from the Ecclesia musicians. We join in communion weekly by tearing from a shared loaf and dipping it into wine from a shared cup. You might come on a week when we engage in other renewed rituals of our faith or when we open up multi-sensory prayer stations in a corner of the room. In every part of the worship service, you are encouraged to participate when you feel comfortable or to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the music and the surroundings when you don't feel prepared to interact.
Young people and children are an important part of our worship gathering. They are invited to participate with the songs and prayers and rituals with their families. There is children's class available for little children ages 6 months - 7 years old.
At the conclusion of the service, the band will play a postlude piece as we prepare to leave. The staff is available to talk or pray with you after the worship gathering as well.
