Visitors welcome!
Never been to an Orthodox church before? No problem.
Service times
We are having services, but attendance is restricted due to COVID-19. To add your name to our signup list for services and receive our service schedule, subscribe to our weekly email bulletin. (You can easily unsubscribe once you have the schedule information you need.)
What to expect
Orthodox worship
Orthodox worship is beautifully unique, engaging all the senses with sights, sounds, smells, and movement. When we pray in church, we mysteriously join in the eternal worship that happens in heaven. Orthodox worship takes place within and outside the usual realms of time and space.
Here are a few distinctive details of Orthodox worship:
- Chanting: Almost the entire service is sung. The music is entirely a capella, led by a small choir. Most of the words in our services come from the Bible.
- Standing: We stand for most of the service out of reverence for God’s presence in our midst. Guests can sit or stand. Participate to the degree that you feel comfortable.
- Incense: We burn fragrant incense in a metal vessel called a censer. The burning incense symbolizes prayer. “Let my prayer come before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. . . .“ (Psalm 141: 2)
- Icons: Icons portray holy people who have come before us or to commemorate events in the life of Jesus and of the church. We do not worship icons, but we do treat them with special respect to honor and venerate the holy examples of those depicted in them.
- Candles: We light candles to symbolize the light of Christ
Communion
Communion, or Eucharist, is one of the sacred mysteries in the Orthodox Church, so we take it very seriously. Only baptized, Orthodox Christians who have prepared through prayer, fasting, and recent confession may receive communion.
At the end of the service, the priest offers blessed bread to all. All are welcome to partake of this blessed bread (called antidoron).
Orthodox Divine Liturgy
This video explains a bit about why we do things the way we do in the Orthodox Church and will give you a sense of what you will experience if you visit on a Sunday morning.
(The footage of the church in the video is from a different , much larger, Orthodox church, but the general structure of the service is the same.)
Etiquette
When we come to the church and its services, we are entering the Kingdom of God on earth and we honor this sacred space with reverence both in our appearance and actions.
- Church clothing should be modest and clean.
- No food or drink in the church during the services (with the exception of a small snack, that is not messy or noisy, for very small children.)
- Please turn off your phones before entering.
Kids
We love kids! Our children worship together with us rather than going to a nursery or to separate children’s programs. We believe that children are full members of the body of Christ. Even if children can’t understand what is happening, they can experience the presence of the Holy Spirit.
That said, we don’t expect kids to be quiet and still for an entire service. A little “holy noise” from children is to be expected and you don’t need to be embarrassed if your kids are antsy or restless. Behaving in church is a skill that is developed over time and some kids are more wiggly than others. Do your best and know that we are happy to have you and your kids with us.
Accessibility and special needs
Our space is accessible, with an elevator. We welcome people with special needs. Please contact us to let us know what we can do to help if have any concerns about visiting.
