Worship at Christ Ascension Church
Worship in the Episcopal Church is called The Holy Eucharist, or "The Great Thanksgiving", in which we give thanks to God for the saving work of Jesus Christ.   We have three worship services at Christ Ascension. Each has its own distinctive character.  On Saturday evenings at 5:30 PM, we gather for an informal, "come as you are" service of the Holy Eucharist, where the atmosphere is more relaxed.  We also offer a healing service on the last Saturday  and we'll be open to other possibilities for this service as well.  Our Sunday morning services are  more traditional, but equally as welcoming.  At 8:30 AM,  we have a spoken service of the Holy Eucharist.  Our 10:30 AM, service is family-oriented with music.  No matter which service you attend, you’ll be welcome!

How You Can Get Involved
Listed below are just a few opportunities for service at Christ Ascension.

The Altar Guild – If you enjoy arranging flowers, caring for the vessels and linens used on the altar, and working with other dedicated members in setting up the altar, this could be for you. Members of the Altar Guild serve on a rotating schedule.

Acolytes – Acolytes are people  of all ages who assist the priest during the service by lighting candles, carrying the cross, banners and flags and other duties.

Lay Eucharistic Ministers – These members participate in the service by reading the lessons, leading the Prayers of the People, and assisting the priest at communion with the chalice.  We are adding "LEMs" all the time.

Episcopal Church Women – The "ECW" is a dedicated group of women who meet on the second Tuesday morning of each month at 10:30 A.M.

Music/Choir – We have a growing and enthusiastic choir.  We are always looking to add voices!

Adult Education –  Adult Education meets from 9:15 – 10:15 A.M. on Sundays.

Bible Study – Bible study meets weekly in the Library.  This is an ongoing chance to deepen your knowledge of the scriptures, and beginners are welcome.

Your First Visit to Christ Ascension
If  you decide to "take the plunge" and worship with us on a Saturday evening or Sunday morning, what can you expect?  Most importantly, please relax!  Many people who attend worship for the first time in the Episcopal Church worry that they'll do something "wrong".  Our purpose in worship is to praise God.  Everything else is secondary, so come to praise God and worry about the details later!  On arrival,  follow the signs on the inside of the church to the worship area (or walk in the front doors if you have parked on the street).  Bulletins are on a  table as you come in.  When you find your seat, you will notice two books:  The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and The Hymnal 1982.  Our worship usually begins on page 355 of the BCP, and page numbers are listed in the bulletin.  Hymns will be on a board up front and in the bulletin. The first half of our worship is called The Liturgy of the Word.  The second half of the service is communion.  If you are baptized, you are welcome to come forward for communion.  Simply hold out your hands to receive the bread.  For the wine you can take a sip from the chalice, dip or "intinct" your host in the wine, or elect not to receive.  If you are not baptized you may come forward for a blessing.  If you would like to be baptized, please speak to David, our priest.

About the Episcopal Church
If Christian churches are Catholic and Protestant, then the Episcopal Church is probably right in the middle of that spectrum.  The roots of the Episcopal Church  are in the Church of England.  Later, when the Church of England came to America, it was called the Episcopal Church.  "Episcopal" means "of Bishops" and the Episcopal Church is  governed by bishops.  Our bishop in Virginia is The Rt. Rev. Peter J. Lee.  Our Suffragan Bishop is The Rt. Rev. David C. Jones.  Our newest bishop is Bishop Coadjutor, The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston.  We worship using The Book of Common Prayer, which is closely related to Roman Catholic worship.  However, unlike Roman Catholics, we do not have a Pope.  We have priests, but they can be male or female and are permitted to marry.  We also pride ourselves on allowing for a diversity of opinions in our church.  While we're orthodox in every sense of the word, members of the Episcopal Church are entitled to their own beliefs on many matters, and are encouraged  to think for themselves.