When you arrive at the Anglican Parish of St. Peter, Quamichan for a Sunday morning service you will be welcomed by a Greeter who will hand you a service leaflet. At the 8am service this will include an outline of the service and the weekly announcements. At the 10am service the majority of the service is printed in a reusable leaflet with references to hymn numbers and readings provided on a weekly insert. Hymns can be found in our hymn book “Common Praise” or in “Songs For a Gospel People.” You will also receive a copy of the weekly announcements.
If you are unfamiliar with the customs of the Anglican Church, simply relax with the liturgy and let the congregation carry you in worship. You can simply let the beauty and the prayerfulness of the liturgy wash over you.
Anglican services can include a lot of movement. We stand for singing, the reading of the Gospel, and the Creed. When we are called to pray together we stand, sit or kneel, following our personal practice. At the 10am service when we share the Peace of Christ we do so by shaking hands of those around us, warmly greeting each other, saying, “Peace be with you.”
At the appropriate time during the service the sidespersons (at St. Peter, Quamichan this will most often be the greeters) will collect financial offerings (for the support of the parish) & food bank offerings (for support of the Cowichan Valley Basket Society).
Later in the service the sidespersons will invite people to receive Holy Communion. Who is welcome to receive Holy Communion?
- All who seek God are welcome to receive the Bread and the Wine during Holy Communion. Even if you are not sure that you seek God you are still welcome because God seeks you. Come and hold in your hand and taste on your lips the love which we cannot comprehend. If you prefer to receive a blessing instead, cross your arms across your chest and the priest will know you wish to receive a blessing.
- Due to health concerns, the practice of “intinction” (dipping the bread/wafer into the wine) is no longer an accepted practice for public worship in the Diocese of British Columbia. It is also perfectly acceptable to receive communion in one kind only (e.g. bread and no wine). If you would like to learn more about Holy Communion please speak to the Rector.
When you visit, we encourage you:
- To allow us to present you with a token of welcome by identifying yourself as a first time visitor during morning announcements.
- To allow us to greet you in the entryway after the service and hear just a little about how you have come to visit us.
- To join us for coffee or tea in the hall and let us have a chance to say more to you and to hear more about you.
- To ask any questions you may have about what you have experienced. We’re happy to talk about any of these things in that many of us are new to it too.