What to Know About Sunday Services
Beginning on September 10th, we will return to our regular schedule of having two services each Sunday. The 8am service does not have music and lasts approximately 40 minutes. The 10am service features organ music and our choir, and lasts approximately an hour. Both services consist of Holy Eucharist (Communion) and have an informal coffee hour afterwards if you'd like to mingle or just caffeinate for the drive home. We usually have adult formation (think Sunday School for grown-ups) after the 10am service.
We invite anyone curious about Emmanuel or the Episcopal Church to come and check us out. Here are answers to some questions you may have. If you have others, please go to the staff listing and send a message to the Rector. Then we can add it to this page!
- What is the dress code? There isn't one. You will find people in everything from jeans or shorts to suits. The median attire (if there is such a thing) is probably business casual. But come in whatever makes you comfortable.
- Where can I park? There is abundant street parking all around the church. Look for the signs pointing you to the entrance. We do have a small parking lot which is actually on the Catherine Avenue side of the church and not the Kensington Avenue side. It usually fills up pretty quickly but has two handicapped spots available. Keep in mind that there are still steps from that parking lot into the church. If steps are a mobility issue, we have designated some parking on Kensington right outside the church as handicapped. The bright red door has a ramp instead of stairs and will get you into the church.
- How will I know what to do during the service? We totally understand that it can feel strange going to a new church. We strive to print bulletins each week that tell you exactly what everyone is going to say and do so you don't have to juggle multiple books. You just read the bold text. There are instructions for sitting/standing/etc. Or just do what you see the people in front of you doing.
- What is Communion like? During Communion (aka the Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Supper), we follow the instruction of Jesus to do this in his memory. Episcopalians believe in the Real Presence: that Jesus is really present in the bread and wine. You will first receive the bread and then have a choice of how to receive the wine. You can either drink from the chalice or have some poured into a single-use compostable cup. You may also choose to receive only one or the other. Or stay in your seat and not receive at all. Or come up and receive a blessing instead. You do you. Please note that we do have gluten-free hosts available -- you just need to ask. And if mobility issues make it uncomfortable to come up to the altar rail, please notify an usher and we will bring Communion to your seat.
- Is the service live-streamed? It sure is! Well, the 10am service is. The 8am is not. We do have designated off-camera seating in the very back if you aren't comfortable being on the video.
- Do you have air conditioning? We do now. It's a fairly recent addition to our historic building. And the HVAC system in the sanctuary all goes through an ionizing air purifier.
- How about COVID precautions? We are always watching the trends to try and keep people safe. Please see this page dedicated to the topic.
- What do I call the clergy? They're all pretty laid-back so use what you're comfortable with. Some choose to just use their first names. Some prefer the formality of "Father" or "Mother". But the most common is probably "Reverend Dave" or "Reverend Kate" for the priests and "Deacon Bill" for our deacon.
If you'd like to watch a service video or download this Sunday's bulletin, please visit our Livestream page.
