WORSHIP AND LITURGY
All Saints’ has an active music program with a fine choir. They have traveled to Ireland and England and are planning another trip to England. The choir has also produced and sold CDs. During the Advent season, there is also a children’s choir, complete with Saturday morning “song school” practice. We are blessed at All Saints’ with a very talented and popular music director who offers a range of talents to the many different services we hold. Our recent survey of the parish indicates that the music and music director are highly treasured by the congregation.
The normal worship patterns of a Sunday are:
- 8;00 am BCP service without music
- 9:30am BAS service with Eucharist, music (organ and piano and once a month choir), Sunday school and once a month the All Age Liturgy
- 11:00am BCP, matins and Eucharist on alternate weeks, with choir and sung responses, held in Cathedral style.
- Combined 10:00am service (usually BAS) on special occasions and before vestry meetings
- 10:30am Thursday morning Eucharist service (BCP)
- 7:30pm Evensong, Thursdays, October to May
- 4:30pm Sunday Evensong once a month, October to May
- Parishioners at home who are not able to come to church are visited for communion.
Pattern for Holy Week:
- Palm Sunday 10:00am combined service (BAS)
- 7:30pm half hour service held in the chapel every Wednesday in Lent and Monday – Wednesday of Holy Week
- Maundy Thursday service with foot washing
- Good Friday service, with “Garden Watch” time for silent prayer through the evening
- Saturday Vigil – 9:00pm service with adult baptism (if needed) and celebratory wine and cheese after
- Easter Sunday Morning 9:30am (BAS) and 11:15am (BCP)
Several years ago, the parish introduced its “Excellence with Choice” program which was designed to offer both BCP and BAS services to the meet the variety of needs and preferences within the congregation. Generally speaking this has worked well, though there are a few problems. Some parishioners are deeply attached to the BCP service and felt that the BAS was “imposed” without enough consultation. Also, the 11:00am BCP service does not have a church school component, so young families preferring the traditional liturgy are not being served. The BAS service has, however, seen tremendous growth, while there have been shrinking numbers at the 11:00am service. This dynamic has sparked conversation about whether to combine the services and how we would do so. There are strong feelings on both sides of this issue.
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