No Evening Prayer Tuesday, November 11th
No Evening Prayer Tuesday, November 11th
We are a community of believers dedicated to serving God and our neighbors in Northeast Georgia. Join us for worship, fellowship, and service opportunities. We look forward to getting to know you!
Regular Services are on Sunday at 11:00 am
For Feast days and other church events please follow the link below!
Please reach us at staacapa@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
At St. Thomas the service is traditional. We participate in the liturgy that comes from the early centuries of the Church as it has been crystalized and put forth in the 1928 Prayer Book tradition of Anglicanism. We sing hymns from the 1940 Hymnal, which contains both ancient hymns from the early and medieval Church, as well as some of the favorites that you may know from whatever denomination you come from. If you are new to a traditional service, don't worry! Time is the best teacher, and all of us who are Anglicans have come to deeply appreciate the orderliness and structure of traditional liturgical worship.
Absolutely! All visitors are welcome at St. Thomas. Whether you are a Christian of a different denomination, or someone who is stepping foot in a church for the first time, we would be happy to have you join us. Once when Jesus was eating with people that the religious leaders in Jerusalem dared not associate with, they asked Jesus' disciples this question, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick...for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:11-13). Jesus will never turn someone down who thinks that they are not worthy to seek his help. Someone who recognizes that they are not well and wants help is exactly the person that Jesus wants to associate with!
There is no official dress code at St. Thomas, but we do like to wear our "Sunday best." Something slightly more formal than what you would wear to work, but less formal than a wedding is perfectly appropriate. A three-piece suit is not required, but if you want to wear something like that we would never stop you from doing so!
As the famous song goes, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world." At St. Thomas we believe that children need to be in church, and we would be delighted to have children of all ages to participate in the liturgy. The sound of babies in the pews is a sign of life, and not a nuisance!
The people at St. Thomas would be happy to help you understand what to do in the service. If you are unsure, you may ask one of the parishioners. If you would prefer to simply observe the first time you visit, that is also fine.
On Sundays, Holy Communion beings at 11:00 AM. We look forward to seeing you!
If you've never used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, that is okay! There is a guide to the liturgy found in the back of each pew to help you follow along with the service. It will help you know what you are to say and what you are to do. Someone would also be happy to assist you if you have any questions, simply ask!
Father Ian does hear confessions. Anglicans have always practiced sacramental confession, and it has been a source of great comfort to many people who have confessed their sins to a priest. At St. Thomas we take the words of Jesus seriously that he says to the apostles after his resurrection, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:21-23). This ministry did not end with the death of the apostles. It has extended all the way to the present day, and is a visible, tangible way to know that God has truly forgiven our sins. No one is absolutely required to confess their sins to a priest, but it has been proven beneficial to those who have decided to make their confession. If you have any questions at all about how sacramental confession works, or if you would like to schedule a confession, please reach out to us. Father Ian would be happy to talk with you!
Anyone who has been baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and who has been confirmed, or desires to be confirmed, and/or believes in the true presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, can receive. There are two ways to receive Holy Communion: directly on the tongue or through intinction. If you wish to receive on your tongue, simply open your mouth and the priest will place the host on your tongue, and you can receive from the chalice when it comes around to you. If you wish to receive through intinction, hold your hands out to receive the host in your hand, and wait for the priest to come back with the chalice. He will take the host, dip it in the chalice, and place the intincted host on your tongue.
If you are not receiving Holy Communion, but would like to receive a blessing, kneel at the altar rail and cross your arms over your chest, indicating to the priest that you wish to receive a blessing.
The term "Anglo-Catholic" is used by those Anglicans that want to emphasize the Catholic (universal) heritage of Anglicanism. This includes theological doctrine, moral teaching, and liturgical expression. Catholic Anglicans believe, along with other ancient and apostolic Churches, in the principle set forward by the 5th century monk St. Vincent, "Within the Catholic Church, we hold that which hath been believed everywhere, always, and of all men: for that is truly and properly Catholic, which comprehendeth all things in general after an universal manner. And that shall we do if we follow Universality, Antiquity, and Consent" (St. Vincent of Lerins, Against Heresy, chap. ii). Anglo-Catholics are inspired and taught by all figures in the English-descended Churches, before, during, and after the Protestant Reformation. Any teaching that is found in an individual English or American theologian in the Anglican tradition which cannot be traced back to the ancient Church, or is not implicitly supported by the same, is rejected as non-Catholic based upon the above principle illustrated by St. Vincent.
We would love to meet you, so feel free to visit us this Sunday!
1636 Mud Creek Rd, Alto, GA 30510, USA
Office Hours Wednesdays and Fridays: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm (540) 739-4226
Holy Communion
The Daily Office
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