How can I find my way through the service? The Episcopal Church uses the Book of Common Prayer, 1979, for its worship.  It contains the service of Holy Communion as well as the offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer; the Pastoral offices and other services that we use. The Book of Common Prayer is the red or black book in the pew rack.  In addition, we have a Hymnal, 1982, which is the blue book in the pew rack. The Order of Worship is found in the bulletin you receive as you enter the church. It contains page numbers where the various parts of the service may be found.  For the 9:00 a.m. Family Eucharist the entire service is projected against the wall to the left of the altar, both the liturgy and the words to the music. For the most part, the hymn numbers may be found on our hymn board found on the wall on the right side of the altar.  Occasionally, the priest, deacon, lay reader or choir director will announce a page number. Generally, we stand to sing hymns, to sing or say the Gloria in Excelsis, to hear the gospel, to praise God at the time of the Offertory; for the beginning of the Eucharist; we sit to listen to the lessons, the sermon, the announcements; and we kneel to pray the Collects, the Prayers of the People; the Consecration and the post-communion prayer. May I take communion? Anyone who has been baptized by water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in a Christian denomination is always welcome to receive Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church. Confirmation is not a requirement for receiving Communion.  When you kneel (or stand) at the altar rail, you will be given a wafer of consecrated unleavened bread and a sip of consecrated wine from the common chalice.  We believe these elements to be the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, taken for our spiritual nourishment.  If you do not wish to receive Communion, you may come to the altar rail to receive a Blessing from the Celebrant.  Please indicate this by folding your arms across your chest. How do I receive Communion? The usual way to receive the bread is to place your right hand in your left, and to extend your open palms toward the Celebrant.  To receive the wine from the chalice, it is helpful if the recipient guides the chalice from the base of it to his/her lips.  (Ladies are asked to please blot their lipstick.)  It you prefer to intinct (to have the wafer dipped into the wine), you may do so by holding the wafer in your fingers and by handing it to the chalice bearer to dip into the wine.  You may choose not to receive the wine. What about children receiving Communion? All baptized persons of any age are welcome to the Lord's Table.  Young children are encouraged to come to the altar rail with their parents.  Parents are best qualified to determine if their child is ready to receive the sacrament.  Many parents allow their small children to receive the bread only.  When the children are older, they allow them to have the bread that has been dipped in the chalice.  Those children who do not receive Communion will receive a Blessing.  Some persons believe that one should have children wait to receive until they can understand Holy Communion.  However, we do not wait until our children can understand the sacrament before they receive it.  As loving parents, we feed our children long before they understand nurturing.  We bathe them before they have a concept of hygiene, and we love and hug them long before they have an understanding of love.  We all come to the Lord's Table to be fed and nurtured by a loving God.  The clergy are available to every family for instruction of the first communion. How do I become a member of the Church? Anyone who has been baptized in any branch of the Christian Church and desires to be a member of St. Clement's is accepted as a communicant.  If you wish to become a registered member, you must either:  transfer your letter from your former Episcopal parish where you where registered (to do this you may write or call the Registrar or Secretary of your former parish requesting that they send your letter to St. Clement's or ask the Parish Administrator for assistance; or if you are not a registered member of the Episcopal church, you may attend an Inquirer's Class and then request to be Confirmed by the Bishop at his/her next Visitation date; or you may be Received by the Bishop from another denomination where you were confirmed and made an adult affirmation of your baptismal vows (i.e., Roman Catholic, Lutheran). Does it make any difference if I do not take up formal membership? While it will make no difference to the warm welcome you will receive at St. Clement’s there are some important things you will miss if you do not become a registered member.  First, only communicants who are confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church may hold office, serve on the Vestry, vote at the Annual Meeting and be a delegate to the Diocesan Convention/Council.  Second, it seems appropriate for those who desire to make St. Clement's parish their home to become members as a sign of their commitment. What do you call the clergy? Our priest prefers to be called Father Jamie or "Jamie" and our deacon, Deacon Lucy or "Lucy."  The correct way to address a letter to a priest or deacon is to use the title, The Reverend.  If the person has a doctorate you would address him/her as The Rev. Dr.  If the priest is a dean of a deanery, he/she is addressed as The Very Reverend.  Reverend may be abbreviated.  Further questions may be addressed to the clergy after the services.  We are delighted to have you worship with us and hope that you find St. Clement's a place you would like to call home.