I'm new here

Whether you are new to town, just visiting,
or born and raised here,
we invite you to stop in and meet us!
You can come with questions, great thanksgivings, seeking faith, or needing hope and we will welcome you.

I'm new here. What can I expect?

You are here for the first time for a reason! Either you are new in town and looking for a church or visiting someone who is a member. Maybe you gave up on church a long time ago and decided to give it a new try. Or maybe you have never been to church. Some were baptized, others not. Some grew up in a different Christian tradition, while others are exploring Christianity for the first time. No matter the reason, we are glad you're here and we want you to feel comfortable. We've all been visitors in other places, too and so, we suspect, you may have questions ranging from “What do I wear?” to “What can I expect?”

What should I wear?

Dress in whatever you think is most helpful to you. That is to say, most people dress casually.
Hey, this is Southwick on a weekend! You will see all styles here. We have a coat rack for your
winter wear right inside our entry, which we call our hospitality room!

What will I see when I walk in the door?

We have two front doors but we enter in through the first door, closest to the parking lot.
You will enter into our hospitality area. There you will be greeted by someone who will
point you to the coffee! The Mrs. Murphy's donuts will be ready, with juice boxes for the
kids. We will be happy to give you a tour of our building, show you the Nursery,
restrooms, etc. You are welcome to bring your coffee and donuts into the sanctuary...we do!

What is the worship like?

The Episcopal church is a liturgical church, meaning that our worship has a structure.
Our praise band leads us into worship generally with three contemporary Christian
songs. We then hear a Bible reading and a message that is relevant to
our lives, our relationships with God and others, our world, and gives us direction.
These messages are not dry or boring. Be prepared to look at scripture in a new
way, from a different perspective. Be prepared to think, reflect, laugh, be inspired.
After the message, we pray together for the needs of the world, our local community
and our friends.

The second half of the service is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. If you have never
visited an Episcopal church, this part of the service has a more traditional feel. Music
during the Eucharist tends to be quieter, more reflective. Everyone is invited to come to
the altar at Communion time. Baptized Christians may receive Communion and others
can receive a blessing. We end our service with a praise song.

All of our prayers and song lyrics are projected on the wall above the praise band.
Although we follow the Book of Common Prayer, you do not need to follow along in
a book, as it is all on the wall. Since we have chairs and not pews or kneelers, we sit
or stand if able, to pray. Start to finish, the average service is about an hour and fifteen
minutes, less than half of a Red Sox game, and less than any feature film.

Our Wednesday evening service is quiet and contemplative, a great mid-week worship
opportunity that only takes 40 minutes. At least once a month, Holy Eucharist is part
of the Wednesday evening service. You are welcome to join us at any time, to find the
right fit for you.

Practical stuff: Where do I park? What about children?

Our parking lot, next to the church, leads to a set of 3 steps with handrails on both sides, or up a sidewalk that leads to our front double doors for greater accessibility. Enter through the single door, which leads into our Hospitality Room where you will be greeted with a cup of coffee! A hallway behind the Hospitality Room leads to restrooms and to the rooms where our Nursery and is located.

At Southwick Community Episcopal Church "SCEC", we know the importance of worshiping with your family. Your children are welcome to join you for all or part of the service. We have childcare in our Nursery on Sunday mornings for children infant to age 4.