Grace Church is a Eucharist-centered congregation with one service on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. The service is primarily Rite II with music and choir. Rite I is typically used during penitential seasons. As part of our commitment to young families, we have a bright and beautiful nursery in the atrium just off the church. We have the same nursery worker each week to provide a welcoming place for our youngest
members or visitors. Every Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. there is Holy Eucharist in the chapel. This service also offers an opportunity for healing prayers and anointing of oil, if desired. Customarily for Christmas Eve, Easter, and Ordinations the worship will include orchestral ensembles and incense.
The laity at Grace are actively involved in our worship services as choir members, lay readers, altar guild, acolytes, chalice bearers, ushers, element bearers, musicians, bell ringers, and lay Eucharistic ministers. To appeal to more people, our former rector, deacon, and
organist have worked purposely to offer opportunities to experience worship in different ways and in different spaces, called “Sacred Spaces.” During a renovation in 2017 we worshiped in the parish hall and sang with a piano. As weather permits we have services on our labyrinth. Other worship opportunities include a Celtic Eucharist, choral evensong, a Seder meal, and a very popular service of Lessons and Carols during Advent.
Our deacon reads Compline each weekday evening, and this prayer service is available via video on the church’s Facebook page. On Sundays at 9 a.m. children are offered two levels of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. An Adult Forum also meets at 9 each Sunday morning. Topics of study are from books read, DVD series, and documentaries. The Forum is a very popular group and includes participants from other churches in town. We have study groups on Wednesday evenings, especially during Advent and Lent, as well as shared movies on Saturday or Sunday nights. Our rector and deacon facilitate a very successful Education for Ministry (EFM) group. The labyrinth, modeled after the Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth near Paris, France, is always available for walking and meditation and is open to the community. The labyrinth area, Grace Commons, is an inviting and peaceful place for our entire city. It is an open space available
for anyone to sit, walk, pray, or meditate. We have had a variety of worship services there, a special sacred space. It is a unique offering to all residents of Hopkinsville and Christian County.