Saturday Church
5:00 p.m. (Chapel)
Join us for a service of Holy Eucharist. The service includes readings, prayers, sernon, and communion.
Sunday Church
9:30 a.m. (Sanctuary)
Join us for a service of Holy Eucharist. The service includes hymns, readings, prayers, sermon, and communion. This service is also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. Recorded services and service bulletins are available HERE.
11:15 a.m. (Chapel)
Join us for a service of Holy Eucharist. The service includes hymns, readings, sermon, and communion.
Communion at Home: If you would like a pair of Eucharistic Visitors to bring Communion to your home once a month or once every other month, please contact the Church Office.
Drive-Thru Communion: If you are unable to come to church on Sunday, and would still like to receive Drive-Thru Communion in your car, please contact the Church Office at 703-938-6521 by Friday the week before.
Advent Lessons and Carols
Sunday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m.
(incense)
Join Holy Comforter’s Adult Choir and Choristers for the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols for Advent. This Advent service is modeled after the Festival of Lessons and Carols for Christmas from King’s College, Cambridge. Holy Comforter’s service will include prayers and readings alongside festive hymns, anthems, and organ music. A reception will follow the service. Don’t miss this extraordinary event!
Got kids? Sunday School happens 10:35 to 11:30 a.m.
Christmas Eve – Sunday, December 24
Come at 11:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. for a child-friendly service, the Children’s Living Crèche. Join the children of Holy Comforter as they retell the story of the birth of Jesus. Childcare will be available in the Nursery for ages 4 and under! All children are welcome to participate or watch! Costumes available for all.
If your child would like a lead role in the Living Crèche (no speaking parts) please sign up below. Lead roles include Mary, Joseph, three kings (girls and boys are welcome to take these roles), and the lead angel. In addition to these roles, we’ll need many “friendly beasts,” shepherds and angels whose roles DO NOT require signup in advance.
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Children’s Living Crèche*
12:30 p.m. Christmas Communion in Cars – For those who cannot receive Holy Communion in person, drive through the front circle of the church at 12:30 to receive Holy Communion and a Christmas blessing while staying in your vehicle.
4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Children’s Living Crèche* (Livesteamed on YouTube and Facebook)
7:00 p.m. Festival Choral Eucharist with Brass Quintet (Livesteamed on YouTube and Facebook)
10:00 p.m. Festival Choral Eucharist with Brass Quintet (incense)
Christmas Day – Monday, December 25
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Organ Music and Carols
* childcare available for ages 4 and under
New Year’s Eve – Sunday, December 31
10:30 a.m. Christmas Lessons and Carols and Holy Eucharist – Extend your Christmas Season with more chances to sing some favorite carols.
Contribute to the Christmas Flower Fund
Please help the Altar Guild to create a vibrant altar display by contributing to the Christmas flower fund. We will include the names of donors and their Memorial or Thanksgiving in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Bulletins. Please complete the Christmas Altar Flowers Form. The deadline for inclusion in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Bulletin is Monday, December 18 at noon. Questions? Please contact Lolly Mixter.
Sunday
Children’s Chapel during the 9:30 a.m. service (beginning October 1)
Before the gospel, children who would like to go are invited to follow the acolyte with the dove cross to the Chapel, where a children’s book about faith is read and time for conversation, prayer, and response is given. Children are returned to the Sanctuary for the Peace.
Nursery 9:00 a.m.–Noon
Childcare on Sundays for children through age 4 is available in the Nursery, located on the lower level below the Sanctuary.
Coffee and Fellowship Hour following the 9:30 a.m. service
Join us in the church Narthex for coffee and conversation. All are welcome for an informal fellowship hour—a chance to see one another and chat.
Register for Children and Youth Activities!
Sunday School for Pre-K–6th Grade meets from 10:35 to 11:30 a.m. Learn more.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (4-year olds and kindergarten) Room 309 (3rd floor)
Godly Play (1st–4th graders) Rooms 310 and 313 (3rd floor)
Faith in Action (5th and 6th graders) Lilian Croy Room (1st floor)
Sunday School for 7th–12th Grade meets at 10:35 to 11:30 a.m. Learn more.
Middle School meets in the old library (1st floor)
High School meets in McGill Hall (2nd floor)
Children’s Study of the Holy Eucharist
Worship is at the heart of our community. Our experience of God creates a sacred life which changes the way we live, treating ourselves and others with dignity. Fed at Christ’s table, we take that deep nourishment out into the world, recognizing Christ’s presence everywhere. All of our ministries are a response to the love of God we experience around the table. It is a profound claim on our hearts, minds and bodies.
Monday
Centering Prayer 1:30 p.m. on Zoom
Please join us for Centering Prayer, a means of Christian meditation that uses a single word for us to rest our attention while we come before the presence of God. This will include a brief check-in, an opening prayer, brief instruction, 20 minutes of silence and then a brief closing prayer. Please follow the link below and follow the prompts.
Tuesday
Men’s Bible Study 6:45–7:45 a.m. on Zoom
Join us on Zoom early for coffee followed by our Bible study. Please contact the Rev. Jon Strand or Ray Wadlow to RSVP. We are using the Bible study guide from St. Stephen’s Richmond—found below—to start out. We will generally meet weekly, taking breaks for holidays and the summer.
Women’s Bible Study 6:45–7:45 a.m. on Zoom
Bible women, especially those who speak, are surprisingly bold! Join us as we explore their voices, many of whom have been silenced or forgotten. Every week, please contact the Rev. Ann Gillespie to be included—first come, first served (limit 20). Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you!
Learn More
Worship Ministry
Helping our community prepare for and celebrate all the services of our liturgical life.
Acolytes & Vergers:
All youth in grades 7 through 12 are encouraged to serve in the Acolyte Ministry. Acolytes not only grow spiritually by playing an active, meaningful role in the liturgies, but also develop tremendous leadership skills as they grow from being a young torch bearer to captain of their own team. School volunteer hours can also be earned. Vergers are committed lay people who assist the clergy in the conduct of public worship. Their varied tasks include recruiting, training and directing the acolytes, physical preparation of the worship space, coordination of lay ministers, ordering and marshaling of processions, as well as general safekeeping of the church building. Vergers are selected by the rector.
Digital Ministry:
Run the audio and video for services in the Sanctuary and help live stream and record services—which involves monitoring the sound and video systems to ensure proper volumes, camera coverage, recording and troubleshooting and possible video editing for recorded services. An important part of the ministry is facilitating holiday services which expand the audio and video capabilities throughout the church building to accommodate the increased number of parishioners attending those services.
Eucharistic Ministers:
As Eucharistic Minister, you will serve the chalice of consecrated wine at the altar during Holy Eucharist at Sunday and special services. Lead Eucharistic Ministers assist the Priest in the preparation and serving of the Holy Eucharist, lead the procession, and perform other duties during Saturday services.
Greeters:
Greet people as they arrive at the services and assist any newcomers to find what they might need after the service—an excellent way to help with a person’s journey of faith. All that is needed is a welcoming attitude and every other talent and essential knowledge will develop on its own.
Lectors & Intercessors:
Read the lessons and/or psalm for the day and offer the prayers of the people as assigned for each service.
Manna Makers:
Music Ministry:
The Adult Choir and Choristers serve on Sunday mornings and at other special services or events. The Chorister program uses the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) training curriculum called Voice for Life.
St. Mary’s Altar Guild:
Members prepare the worship spaces for the gatherings of God’s people: Holy Eucharist, Evensong, Baptism, Weddings, Funerals, Taize, and special liturgies. We take care of the sacred vessels, linens, and vestments working in teams that rotate weekly. At Christmas and Easter we decorate the church in celebration of our lives together in Christ. The Altar Guild is open to all parishioners ages 14 and up. We will train you!
Ushers:
Provide assistance in seating, handing out bulletins, and other logistics for services.