Collective Worship

Sunday worship grounds our community in embodied sacramental living. We gather and meet with the Lord weekly through the rhythms of liturgy and the Eucharist at two service offerings, a traditional service that meets at 8:30 am and a contemporary service that meets at 10:55 am. Parishioners are formed through liturgy, prayers, and songs; they hear and respond to the Scriptures read and the Word preached; they come to the Lord’s table; and they receive a blessing. At both services, parishioners will respond in worship in myriad forms. At the traditional service, worship is characterized primarily by organ and piano, hymnody, and regular kneeling. At the contemporary service, worship is characterized primarily by guitar and piano with modern songwriting and it is common to see parishioners standing and arms upraised. While the services are different in their experience, their commonality is greater than their divergence. They share a foundation in the Book of Common Prayer and distinctive Anglican practices. There is balance between form and freedom within our Sunday gatherings which our parishioners experience at both services. 

Average attendance for the 8:30 am and 10:55 am services are 35 and 120, respectively. While the age range for the 8:30 am service tends to be 55 and over, and young adults and young families are found at the 10:55 am service, these are not fixed characterizations. Some parishioners prefer to alternate their attendance between the two services. Many attendees value the “both-and” approach to service meeting times and formats, as our community seeks to meet each person wherever they are in their walk with Christ and however they most connect with Him in our midst.

In addition to the two Sunday worship gatherings, Apostles hosts periodic inter-liturgy gatherings called Discipleship Hour. These gatherings are from 9:45 to 10:45 am and feature special topics for study, discussion, and small group fellowship. Some topics of Discipleship Hour gatherings have included ‘The Mission of God,’ ‘Michelangelo Sistine Chapel: Christ Prophesied,’ ‘Wealth and Poverty in the Bible,’ ‘Christ in the Dark,’ ‘A Conversation on Following Jesus as Anglican Christians,’ ‘Discipleship for Parenting,’ ‘Exploring the Kingdom of God,’ ‘Practices for a Discipling Community,’ and ‘When Prayers are Not Answered.’ Discipleship Hour has also simply been a place to have coffee and conversation with fellow parishioners. This time between services has also been used to hold a catechesis class in preparation of confirmations during the Bishop’s visit.

Beyond Sunday, Apostles host numerous gatherings throughout the liturgical year for worship and connecting to the cosmic story of God. Some of these services are done in partnership with our sister Anglican church in Lexington, St. Patrick’s Anglican Church. These services include Advent Lessons & Carols, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day liturgies, Ash Wednesday, and the Holy Week services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday liturgy, and Easter Vigil. In addition to liturgical calendar gatherings, Apostles also hosts annual Parish meetings, Parish luncheons, retreats for men and women, bi-monthly Renew nights on Fridays for worship and prayer, fall fire pit parties, and more. Apostles is a community of people who like to gather for worship, food, fellowship, service, and simply to have fun and enjoy each other’s company.