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Regular Worship Services
From September through May we have two worship services on Sundays: 9:30 and 11:00 am. There's no dress code at our church. People wear what they are most comfortable in, and it varies from "Sunday Best" to shorts and sandals, or anything in between. During the service there is childcare for infants and toddlers, and Religious Education classes (Sunday School) for two-year-olds through senior high.
Each Sunday, a member of the Eliot community delivers the Sunday Morning Welcome, sharing a personal story about how they came to be at Eliot Chapel, what is meaningful here for them, or how they are living their faith.
The first Sunday of each month, children are included in the first fifteen minutes of regular worship services . After the welcome, hymn, reading, etc. we have a short "Message for All Ages". Then the kids leave for their Religious Education classes.
During the summer, we have one service only, at 10:00 AM. Many services are lay-led, and child care is provided. See Summer Services and 2007 Summer Services Schedule for more information.
|
September – May | |
| 9:30 | Worship Service: Sanctuary |
| Sunday School: Nursery - 5th Grade | 10:30 | Coffee Hour in Adams Hall |
| 11:00 | Worship Service: Sanctuary |
| Sunday School: Nursery - Senior High | 12:00 | Coffee Hour in Adams Hall |
|
June - August | |
| 10:00 | Summer Service: Sanctuary |
Coffee Hour
Immediately following the church service, everyone is invited to Adams Hall for coffee and conversation. This is a time for people to renew acquaintances, catch up with old friends and make some new ones!
Special Worship Services
About five times a year, Family Worship takes place in Adams Hall concurrently with the adult service in the sanctuary. It starts at 9:40 for the first service and 11:10 for the second service. The goal of Family Worship is to provide children an opportunity to enjoy a full worship service at a level they understand, while giving families an opportunity to have a common worship experience. The service usually includes readings, music, meditation, offertory, and story. Parents are encouraged to attend Family Worship with their children, but teachers will be available in each classroom to escort children whose parents won't be attending.
Although our ministers conduct the majority of the Sunday services at our church, occasionally guest ministers or other speakers will deliver the sermon at a Sunday service. Also, several special services have become traditional at Eliot Chapel, including our Thanksgiving Bread Service, Candlelight Services on Christmas Eve, Flower Communion, and Blessing of the Animals.
Thanksgiving Ethnic Bread Service
This unusual service came from Minister Emeritus John Robinson. It has been celebrated at Eliot Chapel since 1976. The tables are set in the center of the sanctuary with the chairs lining the periphery. Members and friends of Eliot Chapel are invited to bring traditional breads to share. Being a wonderfully diverse group of people, many traditions and heritages are represented. Some of the breads shared in the past have been pantone, pita, matzos, French bread, pumpernickel, braided egg breads, Swiss Zopf, sourdough, limpa, stollen, gugelhopf, and barmbrack. As each individual comes forward and places his / her bread on the table, he/she introduces him/herself and states the country or region from which the bread comes. If inclined, individuals may wear native costumes or speak their native language first, before translating in English. The bread is then broken, shared and enjoyed. The traditional music at this service is Blue Grass.
Christmas Eve Services
One of the most appealing services that Eliot Chapel offers is its annual Christmas Eve service. It focuses on light and its meaning of promise and joy. Each member of the congregation takes a small candle upon entering the chapel. As the service progresses, each of five candles is lit while the minister explains its meaning. Then, the congregation joins in singing appropriate Christmas songs. A singer positioned in the balcony begins the final carol, Silent Night. The entire body soon joins that single voice. The lights are dimmed, and additional candles are lit from those at the front of the chapel. These, in turn, pass the flame to each row. The light then progresses from person to person, until each participant holds a burning candle. This rather simple service symbolizes so beautifully the joy of the mid-winter festival season as well as the camaraderie one finds in a shared experience. For the 2006 services, childcare is available at the first two services only.
Flower Communion
The Flower (festival) Communion is a tradition we celebrate on Mother's Day in which everyone attending the service is invited to bring a flower of his/her choice from a garden or field. Originally, the flowers were placed by each person in one central vase. This act signified the choice of giving freely, and the large vase of beautiful flowers symbolized the body of the church. One by one, the members came forward and chose a flower differing from the one they brought. After the last member came forward, the vase would be empty.
Today, the flowers are arranged in baskets instead of a central vase but the sense of shared community still exists. Flowers are given to express many feelings in our lives: love and joy, encouragement, friendship, and sympathy. The central bouquet or baskets of flowers on communion Sunday symbolize all these expressions. In our congregation, we all willing to give these things as well as to receive them.
The Blessing of the Animals
Blessing of the Animals is traditionally held on the Sunday of Memorial weekend. Members and friends are invited to bring their special "loved pets" into the chapel to celebrate our relationships with animals and the many ways our lives are interwoven with them. Specific guidelines have been set to make this service both meaningful and enjoyable for all participants.