Worship at EBC
Worship is conversation with God, and about God with each other. It is one of the ways we are intimate with God, express our gratitude, praise, and laments, and through corporate worship we help each other grow into a deeper experience of God.
“Reaching out to God is a natural and necessary step in the life of someone who feels God reaching out to them—Will we leave his hand empty or reach out to touch in return?” (Enter the Worship Circle, Ben Pasley, 2001)
At Emmanuel we strive to touch God by making worship an authentic “work of the people”—inclusive and participatory. Congregation members are involved in the planning and leading of worship teams, reading scripture, writing and reading prayers and poetry, working with puppets and drama, liturgical dance, and decorating our sanctuary with art, symbols and banners. Symbolism and the arts are important to us as ways of engaging the whole person—mind, emotions and senses, in worship, and as a way of understanding God’s creative nature and intimate presence in our lives.
9:30 Family Worship
Our family-oriented 9:30 a.m. service has a relaxed atmosphere, contemporary worship teams, kid-friendly songs and stories told through puppets, and a condensed sermon to keep the service to one hour. Periodic all-age services offered at this time are even more child-friendly, with children remaining in the service for the full hour (instead of going to Learning Centre).
11:00 Worship
Our Traditional 11 am service blends worship songs with traditional hymns, contains elements of liturgy such as responsive prayers and confessions (written by the writers’ group) lectionary readings, symbolic actions, and communion is observed on the first Sunday of the month.
Worship Arts
Music flows freely at Emmanuel, from contemporary and Celtic worship teams to traditional hymns with pipe organ, to instrumental ensembles playing classical chamber music or accompanying choirs and congregational singing. Children, teens, and adults of all ages are encouraged and coached towards developing and sharing their musical gifts in worship.
Dance highlights worship in special services, the style being determined by the skills of the volunteers involved, but always discreet and designed to glorify God.
The Writers’ Group at Emmanuel strives to write prayers, responsive readings, and poetry to be read in worship services, and prose articles for the monthly e-news newsletter. We explore scripture, our spiritual experience, and our lives through writing within this supportive small group. We are always open to new members.
Visual Arts are celebrated at Emmanuel as ways of knowing and sharing God’s truth, beauty, and creativity in worship. The sanctuary at EBC is a modern, octagonal building of wood, full of natural light from skylights. Paintings of stained glass windows, created by one of our UVic students, adorn the walls, and coloured wall hangings are changed often to reflect the seasons of the church calendar (eg. Advent, Lent). Images that enhance spoken word or music are projected during the service and printed on bulletin covers.
A Sanctuary Choir of roughly 30 members rehearses weekly, sings 2 Sundays each month in the traditional 11:00 a.m. service, and presents special Christmas and Easter services. Their repertoire includes classical and contemporary choral anthems, traditional hymn arrangements, and special programs include excerpts of larger choral works, such as Handel’s Messiah.
A small Chamber Choir of younger voices convenes periodically for special projects, such as Messiah for Christmas 2007. New members and UVic students are always welcome!
Drama and Puppetry is regularly used in our 9:30 a.m. family and all-age worship services and is a growing area of our worship.