Holy Eucharist 

In worship, we are united, acknowledging the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and to celebrate God's presence among us.

All are welcome to participate in our worship regardless of age, income, race, prior religious experience, or any other personal quality.  This is because it is in worship that we live out our life as a Christian family together.

Scripture is the foundation of our worship. The service follows an order found in our worship book called the Book of Common Prayer, two-thirds of which is scriptural. Every worship service includes the reading of Holy Scripture from the Old and New Testaments. Many of our prayers and hymns are filled with scripture. 

The Book of Common Prayer includes a variety of ancient and modern prayers and worship services for occasions when the whole community gathers and for times when people pray alone. The Book of Common Prayer allows everyone to participate, reminding us that each person is an important part of the worship experience, whether the service is a celebration or a solemn occasion. It is a guidebook for daily Christian living. Music, at our 10:30 am Sunday service, is an integral part of uniting our prayers and Scripture.

In our worship service, we celebrate God with us through water, bread and wine. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us through water we are united with God. We call this Baptism. The Episcopal Church believes through baptism in any Christian denomination, we become brothers and sisters in God's family.

Jesus shared bread and wine with his first followers and is with us when we share in the family meal we call Holy Communion (Holy Eucharist, Last Supper). Through it we receive the forgiveness of our sins and a strengthening of our union with God and one another as we remember Christ's life, death and Resurrection. Every person is welcome and encouraged to share in this meal when visiting St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.

For a more complete discussion of the Holy Eucharist, click here.