Your First Visit

It can be intimidating to walk into a church for the first time. Maybe you're new in town. Maybe it's been a long time since you've been to church, or maybe you've never been to an Episcopal church at all.

You'll Be Welcome

We extend you a warm and unconditional invitation to worship with us. Like the sign says, "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You", and we mean it -- whether you're just visiting Raleigh, curious about Christianity, looking for a place to worship, or searching for a community that will embrace you as you are. Style of dress is your choice.

When you visit us, you will be our respected and welcomed guest. You will not be singled out in an embarrassing way, nor asked to stand before the congregation nor to come forward. You will worship God with us. Should you wish to know more about Nativity or the Episcopal Church or how one becomes an Episcopalian, the clergy and membership will gladly answer your questions and suggest the way to membership.

Bring the Kids

Your entire family is welcome at Nativity. For the convenience of parents, we operate two nurseries, and we offer pre-school Christian education during the 10:30 service. Children are brought into the church before Communion, enabling the whole family to receive Communion or a blessing together. Click here for more information about our Christian Education program.

Special Situations

If standing or kneeling is difficult for you, feel free to sit. Our facilities are modern and code-compliant, so there is plenty of room for wheelchairs. If you cannot read regular-size print, we can obtain large-print materials for you. If you are deaf, please contact the church office by TTY, and we will gladly arrange for American Sign Language interpretation by a professional.

The Place of Worship

As you enter, you will sense an atmosphere of worship and reverence. Your eyes are carried to the altar, the stations of the cross, and the angel triptych. We never forget that this is God's house. On the altar are candles to remind us that Christ is the "Light of the world" (John 8:12). We have flowers to beautify God's house and to recall the resurrection of Jesus.

Entering the Church

Greeters welcome all who enter. If you desire, they will answer your questions about the service. On your first visit, we invite you to sign our guest book. Ushers will provide you with three leaflets as you enter:

• the order of service, which allows you to follow along. It lists the songs, page numbers for the Book of Common Prayer, and special prayers.
• the day's readings from the Bible, and
• the announcements, so you know what is going on at Nativity for the week.

It is the custom upon entering church to kneel in one's pew for a prayer of personal preparation for worship. For some, it is also a personal custom to bow to the altar on entering and leaving the church as an act of reverence for Christ. Most Episcopalians do not talk in church before a service but use this time for personal meditation and devotions. We ask that you turn off audible ringers on cellphones before entering the building.

The Service

We worship God by celebrating the Holy Eucharist, which is the Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving." In the Eucharist, we give thanks for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. It is also known as Holy Communion, for in it we commune with God and also with each other as the Body of Christ.

The service is a drama that we all enter. The first act of the drama is "The Liturgy of the Word," based on Jewish worship that preceded Christianity. God's mighty acts in history are recalled through scripture and applied to our lives in the sermon. The second act of the drama is "The Liturgy of the Table." Through repeating the words and actions of Jesus' last meal with his disciples, we ourselves join the story and make it our own. In a mystery, bread and wine become the outward signs of inward grace received.

Bible

The Episcopal Church authorizes many bibles for use in public worship. At Nativity, readings are usually from the New Revised Standard Version. Personally, you may use any translation of the Bible that you wish.

Book of Common Prayer

The primary guide for worship in the Episcopal Church is the Book of Common Prayer, 1979. Episcopalians call it "common" because the clergy leading the service use the same book as the congregation -- you see what they see. Page numbers from The Book of Common Prayer are usually announced by the clergy throughout the service and are given in the service bulletin, but if you get lost, please don't by shy about asking your neighbor for the page number. Look for the red or black book near your seat.

Hymnal

Nativity uses the 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church. Service music to accompany the Holy Eucharist is in the front; these pages have an "S" prefix. Hymns are in the remainder of the book. It is the custom in our church for everyone to sing hymns and service music, except for the anthem sung by the choir during the offertory. Some hymns date back to the earliest use of music in Christian worship; other hymns are modern compositions of both word and music. Usually we have organ or piano accompaniment, but occasionally we use other instruments. Look for the blue book near your seat.

Communion

At Nativity, all Christians including children and non-Episcopalians are welcome to receive communion at God's altar. Ushers will guide you to the altar rail. Priests, deacons or lay Eucharistic Ministers will offer you the bread and wine consecrated as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. You may receive the wine from a common cup or you may "intinct" by dipping the bread in the chalice. If you wish to receive a blessing rather than the Sacrament, simply cross your hands over your heart as a signal for the priest.

You'll notice...

Episcopalians have been accused of injecting confusion into the service with all the standing, sitting and kneeling. The general rule is to stand to sing, to affirm our faith by reciting the Creed, and to hear the Gospel. We sit during other readings from the Bible, the sermon, and the choir anthems. We stand or kneel for prayer to show our gratefulness to God for accepting us as children or as an act of humility before God.

At Nativity, the clergy and the lay persons participating in the service follow customs such as making the sign of the cross and bowing to the altar as a way of showing their love and respect for God. Whether you follow these customs is entirely up to you.

Following the Service

The clergy greet the people as they leave. You are invited to Corlett Hall for refreshments and fellowship (in summer, we often move refreshments to outdoors under shade).

A Few Inside Tips

If you would like to learn more about the Episcopal Church, go to The Seekers' Center at the Episcopal Church USA or to What is the Episcopal Church? from Anglicans Online.

Here are some basic terms that may be confusing to visitors.