Church of the Good Shepherd

Our 8:00 a.m. service is a simple and contemplative liturgy with no music. We alternate this service between Rite I and the four Eucharistic prayers of Rite II with each new season of the Church's calendar year. The attendance at this service is usually a smaller group of fifteen to twenty. Although most of those attending this liturgy have been members of the parish for five years or more, newcomers are always warmly welcomed by the members of this loving and faithful congregation. This service is approximately 35 to 40 minutes in length.

The 9:15 service most often has our largest attendance of forty to fifty people. There is no choir at this service though our parish musician provides us with some music including a single hymn sung by the congregation with one or two verses to begin the liturgy and the final two or three verses at the end of the service. This service always uses the liturgy of Rite II, Eucharistic Prayer A (which is the most familiar to the majority of Episcopalians). Newcomers who are not familiar with the Episcopal Church tend to gravitate toward this service. Our children and youth often participate in the service by coming forward at the end of the liturgy to process crosses, banners and/or candles out of the church during the final hymn. Please note that participation in this closing procession is improvised each week by any children or youth who are present and come forward, children new to the parish are more than welcome to join in.

At 11:00 we offer our most traditional Episcopal worship experience with a small choir and full service music including three hymns sung by the congregation. As at 8:00, we alternate seasonally for this service between the various Eucharistic liturgies of The Book of Common Prayer. The service is approximately an hour long with an average attendance of thirty-five to forty-five. This is typically the liturgy which newcomers familiar with the Episcopal Church seem to favor. As at 9:15, our youth and children come forward to process crosses, banners and/or candles as the final hymn is sung and children new to the parish are always welcome to join in with them.