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ST. ANDREW'S SERVICES:

Sundays at 8:00 a.m. (Book of Common Prayer) and 10:00 a.m. (Book of Alternative Services).    Thursdays at 10:00 am (Book of Alternative Services).  

As things can change PLEASE SEE THE HOME Page or  WORSHIP TAB for any change notices.

Our Door is Open
   It is our hope that as soon as you arrive you will feel the warm welcome of this parish community. A reservation for seating is not required. If you have a special need, a wheel chair or power chair for example,   contact the church office at 250-656-5322  Monday to Friday morning  if you wish.  We will make an effort to accommodate you even if you just  arrive at our door.

Here are a few things about which you might be curious:
(At the end of this page you can send us a short note.)

Faith Tradition
   Although we are an Anglican parish, many of our members come from other faith traditions- United Church of Canada, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, and so many more. We welcome everyone and embrace our diversity as another gift from our Creator.   No matter what faith tradition you may be from, or if you have no faith tradition, you are more than welcome

Dress 

   St. Andrew is a diverse church in so many ways and what we wear each Sunday is one of those ways! Above all we want you to be comfortable. This is Sidney and as you may have found, this is a casual and comfortable community. Wear what feels good to you and you will fit right in. Some people will wear their “Sunday Best” while others will be in everything from casual to jeans.

When you arrive: Parking
(Church and Hall is accessible from either 9691 Fourth or 9686 Third Streets)
  There is ample parking, with some areas closer to the door than others. If you find it easier to be dropped off right at the door, that is fine.   Most people enter by the main door (on the south side of the building, just off the main parking lot). But some of our folks feel it is easier to enter by the north door (along the side of the church that faces onto Oakville Street). That door has no stairs or ramp, so it is the wise choice for some. Handicap parking spaces are available on both sides of the building, as well.

 A Sidesperson Will Welcome You 
   We don’t pounce, but we do want you to feel welcomed and are ready to answer any questions you may have. Sidespersons will offer you a service bulletin and can answer your questions. You will be invited to sign our guest book, if you wish to do so.

Service Times 
   Sunday morning worship during most of the year is held at 8:00 a.m. (1st Sunday of the month, beginning October 2, 2022) using the Book of Common Prayer  and at 10:00 a.m. (Book of Alternative Services).  The 8:00 am service is a quiet, contemplative service and our service at 10:00 a.m. is a family-oriented service with praise music as well as traditional hymns, with our choir.  Sunday School is offered September - June.

We also worship at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday mornings.  At various times through the year, we also have additional services during the week. These additional services or any changes will be listed on the "Events Page" church calendar on this web site.

   We are quite relaxed and don’t want you to miss any part of our worship, but if you arrive a little late, please feel free to come on in, anyway! You can always join the worship after we have begun. Sidespersons will be at the door near the back of the worship space to welcome you. Our Sunday services each usually last about an hour.  Following the 10: 00 a.m. service we have a coffee and tea time in our church hall.

Washrooms
   There are washrooms available near the back door of the sanctuary.  Signs will lead you to them, and sidespersons will also be happy to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to leave the service at any time that you wish to do so, and then come back in at your convenience. We are a very casual lot - no one will be offended.

Seating
   Once you enter the worship space, choose a seat anywhere you feel most comfortable. There are no “assigned” seats. Here you will notice our diverse parish family, as some will be happily greeting and catching up with each other while some will be sitting quietly and praying. Before the service begins the congregation will be invited into some silence to prepare our hearts for worship.

 Worship
   We follow the rich Anglican liturgy in our prayer books and also in the Iona (Celtic) tradition.   Your bulletin will guide you through the service.  Our worship leaders will also announce which pages we will be next looking at, and you will also find that people sitting near you will be happy to point you in the right direction as we go along. The 10 a.m. service is the easiest to follow as the whole service is printed in the service leaflet, so there is no trouble in knowing what is coming next.  Our Thursday 10:00 am service uses the Book of Alternative Services.  Our sidespersons and others sitting near you will be happy to help you find your way through the service.

    If you are not familiar with a liturgical style of worship, we believe you will find it meaningful as everything we do or say has purpose and the service flows from one piece to the next in a rhythm that quickly becomes very familiar. There will be times that we all sit and times that we stand.  In any of these times, you will see that some people choose to continue to sit, or stand, even when others are doing something else. There is no “right way” to worship God- and you are welcome to do whatever feels most comfortable for you.

 We Celebrate the Eucharist Every Sunday
   At the centre of who we are as a parish family is our celebration and receiving of the Holy Eucharist, also known as The Lord’s Supper or Communion. It is our tradition that all are welcome at God’s Table and are invited to receive Communion. 

   The Sidespersons direct us when it is our turn to come to the altar.  You will be offered both bread and wine. To receive the bread, simply place one hand on top of the other, palms open and up and the bread will be placed on your top hand. To receive the wine, you may drink from the cup or if you prefer, simply place your finger-tips on the base of the cup. If you prefer not to receive one or both simply cross your arms in front of you. This will indicate that you prefer a blessing, which the priest will offer. After you receive, return to your seat. 

   Children are welcome at the altar. Parents can indicate to the priest whether the children are to receive a blessing or participate in the bread and wine (or just the bread).

 The Peace and Fellowship
   Our liturgy begins with music and scripture reading followed by a Sermon. The service includes a time when we pray for our needs and the needs of others, and an opportunity to greet one another and offer “The Peace of the Lord” to each other. 

 With Covid, we stay at their seats and offer this greeting to those close,  Once Covid is over- if it ever is, we may return to a time when we can step out into the aisle to greet others. You will hear some joyful voices during this time. After the Peace is exchanged, we will proceed with the Eucharist.

 After the 9:00 a.m. service ends, we enjoy some refreshments together. We hope you will want to stay for a few minutes, but if you need to be on your way, we certainly understand. We are just glad you have joined us!

 See you next time!

 Two of the photos (church exterior and the Bible) in the slide show above are used with permission of Toad Hollow Photo.