What to expect?
Whether you are a life-long Anglican, just coming back to church after a long time away, visiting from another denomination, or even if you've never encountered church at all, our hope for you is that you might find your time in our parish to be an uplifting, and hope-filled encounter with Christ.
There are three opportunities for worship each Sunday morning.
The first is the 8 am service as St. Mary’s, Summerside. This service is always a service of Holy Communion from the Book of Common Prayer. It is what is traditionally called a “said eucharist” or for some, a “low mass”, meaning that it is said rather than sung, and there are no congregational hymns.
At 9:15 at St. John’s, and at 10:45 at St. Mary’s we offer the same service of Holy Communion. These services alternate between the Book of Common Prayer (in more traditional language) and the Book of Alternative Services (in more contemporary language).
At these services the Sunday School meets, our priest offers a children's talk, and we sing hymns. After the 10:45 service we gather in the hall for coffee and tea and for fellowship with one another.
The Ups & Downs
Often, people who have never worshiped in an Anglican church will notice that in our services there is a lot of standing, kneeling, and sitting.
We want our whole selves engaged in worship, and so we allow the posture of our bodies to reflect what is happening in our minds and hearts. When we proclaim something as a congregation or when we join our voices together in hymns of praise to God we stand up, we sit to listen, and we kneel when we are in prayer.
It can be a bit disorienting and confusing at first, but don’t get anxious about “getting it right.” Not everybody is able to stand or kneel, and that is fine. We welcome you to follow what the congregation is doing, but know that God welcomes you whether you are sitting, standing, or kneeling.
The Holy Eucharist
At a certain point in the service the congregation will be invited to approach the altar rail and receive the Eucharist .
The Anglican Church of Canada welcomes all people who are baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and receive communion in their own denomination to receive the Eucharist (this means that you don’t have to be an Anglican to receive). If you wish to approach the rail and receive a blessing instead you can stand or kneel and cross your arms over your chest and a priest will offer you a blessing.
Q: Are my children welcome at church?
A: Yes! Of Course! In fact, we have a few options for families.
At the 9:15am & 10:45am services, from September to May, there is Sunday School. If you have a little one who is interested in joining our Sunday School, even just for the day, please let a greeter know! Our Sunday School teachers will be happy to welcome them and include them in the teaching, crafts, and fun that takes place.
We understand that sometimes smaller children can't stay as quiet as parents may like during a service - please don't feel embarrassed or like you're disturbing everyone if this is the case, we welcome the sounds of children! However, if you do need a quiet place to go there are rooms at the back of St. John's church, and a toddler room in the basement of St. Mary's that are open and available for your use.
You are welcome
If you still have questions or wish to talk to Rev’d Colin about Anglicanism, Christianity, or our services, please don’t hesitate to contact him by email.
At our 9:15 and 10:45 services there will be greeters to welcome you at the door and they would be more than happy to help you find a seat, get you situated, and to answer any questions you might have about our worship.
