< The Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal
The Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal
The Reverend Ted Koelln, Rector
3809 Spring Avenue SW ~ Decatur, Alabama ~ 35603
256 - 351- 9955

Worship

The Reverend Ted Koelln leads the Good Shepherd flock in its spiritual and worship life. The overall feeling of our worship services is very warm, caring, and relaxed. While you'll see some suits and ties on Sunday morning, people also feel comfortable in more casual wear. Some members of the congregation stand to pray while others kneel. The depth of our spiritual experience cannot be measured by our appearance. What seems most important to us is that we are all there to worship the Lord together.

 

Sunday worship is the center of our parish life. Holy Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. using the Rite II Liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. Rite I is used during Lent. Responses from a parish survey indicate that at Sunday morning services the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is the most important element of worship to the members of the congregation.

 

At the 10:30 Sunday service there is a diversity of music based in the Anglican tradition, accompanied by a talented choir and music director who is also our organist and pianist. The congregational singing is from the 1982 Hymnal, supplemented during certain seasons of the church year with songs from Taize (see www.taize.fr/en) and the Alleluia II book.

 

Evening services of Holy Eucharist include a healing service each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and a contemporary service with guitar music on First Sundays at 6:00 p.m.

 

Lay participation in services is excellent. There are opportunities to serve as lectors, ushers, acolytes, and lay Eucharistic ministers.  Members of our Flower Guild arrange fresh flowers for our services, and childcare is available during the 10:30 a.m. service.

 

We are blessed with many parishioner-made liturgical furnishings of the highest quality, including the altar, the pulpit, the chancel rail, the chancel chairs and prayer desks, and also the Shepherd's Cross which hangs behind the altar. Dedicated members of the Altar Guild carefully maintain the vestments, service linens, Eucharistic vessels and furnishings.

 

 

The Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal, a member of the Diocese of Alabama,

in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA, 

a member of the Anglican Communion.

05/30/2008 10:01 PM D1/2 link