Epiphany celebrates many different styles of worship, prayer, reflection, and education.

About Worship...

Our style of worship is informal, so you are welcome to come as you are. Services have a blend of contemporary and traditional elements. We celebrate The Family Meal (communion) on the first and third Sundays of the month, and we welcome all to partake in the sacrament with us. We feel that hearing from various perspectives enriches our worship experience, and we are blessed with several talented preachers in the congregation. The worship team offers welcome, comfort, inspiration, and challenge in all of our worship services. Each week our worship is a little different, however you can expect the welcome to be the same.

Children are also welcome in worship. Jesus invited the little ones to come to him, and so do we.

Music at Epiphany

A typical service will have a mix of traditional hymns, African American spirituals, and contemporary music. Our music is as diverse as our congregation.

Our choir comes "from the pews," and singing is an important part of our worship. Anyone who wants to “make a joyful noise to God” is welcome to join us. (No experience necessary.)

Prayer can take many forms and have many meanings.  These are just some of the ways our Epiphany community prays.

Centering Prayer

Centering prayer and meditation group meets twice per month to sit together in silent prayer. It's an opportunity to slow down, remember to breathe, and reconnect with our center. Participants take turns bringing a quote, reading, poem, or prayer to start the session, followed by 20 minutes of silence, and an finally an opportunity to pray aloud for those who wish. All are welcome.

Discernment

We believe God has a purpose for creation and that God calls us to active service in the world. Each member is invited to discern his or her own ‘calling’ and gifts for ministry. It is often helpful to have others listen with us as we wait for clarity about how God is leading us. This is offered individually, in Spirit Group, or from time to time, in other small group settings.

Serenity Garden

Church sanctuaries used to be left unlocked so that people could come for prayer at any time. These days that is not possible, but Epiphany has a prayerful place that is open at all times to anyone who wishes to use it. The Serenity Garden was created on our South lawn by the Garden Group. Anyone is welcome to stop, rest on a prayer bench in the shade of our “all saints tree,” smell the flowers, watch the doves take a dip in the bird bath, and see hummingbirds sipping nectar from the flowers. Sometimes it is important to stop “doing” for awhile and just be still. The garden was recognized as a National Wildlife Habitat in 2009.

Prayer Requests

We have a group that prays for the church and for individuals who request prayers. If you would like to ask us to pray for you, please submit your prayer request to the pastor at pastorkris@epiphanyucc.org. You may also want to ‘light a candle’ for yourself, your loved one, or for the situation for which you are in prayer at the following international website:
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/

Adult Classes

We understand ourselves to be disciples of Jesus. The word disciple literally means ‘learner.’ As people of faith there is always more to learn! It is a life-long vocation.

As we reflect on current events, our own experience, and Biblical and contemporary readings, we find ourselves challenged to grow in many ways: in understanding, in maturity, in faith, in acts of justice, and in finding out what it means to be human. We discover deeper levels of understanding and find meaning in our Christian identity as we bring our questions, our challenges, and stories of our own transformation to the table and share it with one another. Here ‘one size does not fit all.’ It is understood that we may find different answers to important questions of faith.

The Adult Class meets on Sunday mornings before worship. The class chooses topics it wants to study. Recent ones have included:

* Environmental stewardship
* Health care as a Justice issue
* Discussion of The New Parish
* Holiness in wholeness
* The New Jim Crow
* Lectionary study
* Get to know your neighborhood
* Immigration and sanctuary

Visit our Facebook page for current class offerings.