What to expect

A typical Sunday service is a mixture of old and new, reverent and casual, shared and individual. We practice customs that ancient Christians practiced and sing songs that are brand new. You’ll see people dressed in their “Sunday best” and others in jeans and T-shirts. And while we find great meaning in praying some of the same prayers that millions of other Christians are praying across the world at the same moment, we also encounter God in a personal, individual way.

We begin the service by listening to God's Word read from Scripture and preached by our pastor. Then, we respond by lifting up our hearts to the risen Lord Jesus and celebrate Eucharist, or Communion, together. Throughout the entire service we intersperse songs – some that were written several hundred years ago, some that were written last year. During every service, we all participate in speaking, praying, praising, and feasting. That’s because we believe worship is the work of all the people. Some might be intimidated by not knowing what to do or say the first week, but we use the 2019 ACNA Book of Common Prayer that has everything clearly written out (and you’ll catch on quick!). These values are rooted in our Anglican identity, a worldwide family of churches that involves the whole church and the whole person in praising God. You can read more about each element of our service here.

After the service, many people stay around to talk. We hope you will too!

If you’d like to know more before you visit, you might find our Children’s Ministry or Frequently Asked Questions pages helpful. Also, don’t hesitate to email-- our Rector is available at eric@stmichaelswi.org. We would love to answer your questions or meet together to share stories.