Worship

Our Beliefs & Mission

Grace Parish is very relaxed when it comes to worship services, which are contemporary by choice and featuring inclusive language. Liturgy features the Book of Alternative Services and uses a screen for words of prayer, scripture and music. When the Clergy are not available, Lay Ministers of Word and Sacrament take the service, versant in using reserved sacrament.

To be a loving and joyful community, witnessing and ministering to others by growing in the faith of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Prince George is an inclusive, accepting community, providing opportunities for all to come together to celebrate their diversity. We encourage the affirmation of everyone, regardless of their ability, age, class, race, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We, the parishioners of Grace Church, pledge to uphold and promote these values and we commit to speaking up to oppose racism and hate in all its forms.

Tuesday evening meditation and a labyrinth in the front yard are shared by many. Special services include: a Christmas Pageant, an Advent service of lessons and carols, and Maundy Thursday with foot washing. Summer services often features special themes; one is reserved for people to bring their pets for a special blessing.

Worship Information

• Schedule
  • Holy Eucharist Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
  • Holy Eucharist Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.
• Communion Information
  • All are welcome at the Table of the Lord in Grace Church.  

Sermons

Clergy and laity preach at Grace.  Watch our services here to see and hear our preachers:
https://www.facebook.com/GraceAnglicanParish

Music in worship

Hymns are an important part of Anglican Worship.
By the Ven. Peter Zimmer

“Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! “   (Psalm 98.5)

Music is an important part of Anglican worship, in a way that is different from its place in more evangelical services.  Five hymns are interspersed throughout the service: Opening, Gradual, Offertory, Communion, and Closing. We sometimes think that they move the service on, whereas in fact the service has an integrity and movement of its own.

We have begun to rediscover the beauty of Morning Prayer. Because of the structure of this service, we have increased opportunities for hymnody. There are hymn settings for all the canticles and psalms. There are a number of possible responses to the readings. The readings may be followed by silence, a canticle, a responsory, an anthem, instrumental music, or a hymn. 

Instrumental music can play an important part of worship.  We often have music before the service begins, to set the mood and allow us to quiet ourselves and prepare for worship. in the same fashion, a postlude is an excellent coda to worship.  It provides an opportunity for the musician to summarize and cap the day’s worship. Next time you worship, attune yourself to the many roles music plays in your life.

“What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” 

(1 Corinthians 14:26)

Silence in worship

An important element in our worship is silence. It is not enough for us only to speak. We must also make time to listen. In the silence, we deliberately and consciously slow down so that we can hear the promptings of the Spirit in our hearts and minds.

Silence is not just about reverence. It is also about combating all the noise in our world. It is a hard thing for many of us because we live in a world filled with noise—radios, televisions, car audio systems, computers, smartphones, tablets, and so on. In worship, we work hard at building-in some silence—moments of silence, really—in which we can listen to the promptings of our hearts and minds. We need silence so that we can listen, so that we can pay attention. So much of the sound in our world is intended as a distraction to avoid this very important task of listening.

We begin with a few moments of silence. There is a brief time of silence following the sermon. There are snatches of silence at various points in worship between various parts of our service. This is a conscious, counter–cultural choice which we make.

Some people say that worship is boring. I suppose that can be so. We are so used to all the distractions around us. But when we learn to listen, really listen, in the midst of that silence, it is no longer a matter of being bored. It’s about seeking to take advantage of an opportunity to practice something different in worship.

Excerpted from Speaking and being silent in Worship from the website of Christ Church Anglican, Cranbrook BC.

http://cranbrookanglican.ca/2018/01/28/speaking-and-being-silent-in-worship-january-26-2018/

Children are welcome

Few things speak of God more than the sound of children.  Their chatting, laughing, squirming, dancing, fussing, even their crying remind the congregation that God is building for the future as well as nurturing us in the present.  At Grace children are welcome to participate in the entire service, and they are invited out for some kids-only Sunday School fun with our Sunday School teachers if that is their preference.  

Your Life Events

Please contact us at (250) 562-5611 or for information about

• Marriage
• Baptism
• Confirmation
• Funerals