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This video should give you a pretty good idea of what a Sunday is like at St. Alban’s.
Three are on Sunday mornings and feature prayers, Bible readings, a sermon, and Holy Eucharist (also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper). The fourth is Choral Evensong featuring prayers, Bible readings, a brief homily, and the St. Alban’s choir. Choral Evensong is followed by a spoken Holy Eucharist service (Rite I).
Our service times are:
7:30 AM – a spoken (no music) service of Holy Eucharist (Rite I) in the Church.
9:00 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist (Rite II), with organ and choir, in the Church. Features nursery and Children’s chapel.
11:15 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist (Rite II), with organ and choir, in the Church. Features nursery and Children’s chapel.
5:30 PM – Choral Evensong (1662 BCP), organ, choir, in the Church.*
Our services come from The Book of Common Prayer (1979 edition). We use Rite I in our 7:30 AM service; Rite I uses traditional language and is the classic Anglican order for Holy Communion. At our 9:00 & 11:15 AM services, we typically use Rite II, a modern language service. During certain seasons of the church year, we use Rite I in our 9:00 and 11:15 AM services. Our Evensong service is drawn from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
If you want to know what our sermons are like, you can find our podcast here.
*On hiatus for the summer.
From September to May, we also invite you to come at 10:15 AM for Sunday School. We have something for all ages. Sunday School takes a break during the summer months. (Although we typically offer a Summer Sunday School series in July. Check our calendar or social media pages for the latest info.)
We are located in Waco at the corner of Columbus Ave. and N. 30th St. in the historic Castle Heights neighborhood, just off W. Waco Drive. The church’s address is 305 N. 30th St. (Our offices are at 2900 W. Waco Drive at the corner of N. 29th St.). Directions available here. Campus map below.
Parking is available in the large parking lot behind the church, as well as on-street parking (please be courteous and watch for our neighbors’ driveways). Our historic church recently underwent renovation.
As you enter through the narthex or Welcome Center, our ushers will be happy to help you find your way around. Please let us know if we can help you find anything.
When you arrive at the church, an usher will greet you and provide a service bulletin (the printed booklet that contains our prayers, readings, hymns–everything you need for our service).
You may choose a seat wherever you like. In the Episcopal Church, our liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which dates back to the 16th Century (and before!), though we use a contemporary version. The BCP is the red book in the pew rack. You can follow along in the BCP, although most of the congregational responses are also printed in the bulletin. For the 9:00 & 11:15 AM services, you may need a hymnal, the blue book in the pew rack, though most of the hymns are printed in the bulletin. Hymn numbers are listed on the hymn boards on the wall and in the bulletin.
We have Communion at every service. Click here for common questions (and answers!) about receiving Communion in the Episcopal Church.
We welcome all kinds of people, and their styles. Many people wear their “Sunday best”: coat & tie, dresses, and the like. Many others prefer the jeans-and-a-polo or “dressy casual” look. We’re glad you’re here, so come as you are.
Our services follow a set order of events, called a liturgy. This comes from an old Greek word meaning “work of the people.” If you’re new to this style, it may feel awkward at first. But like dancing, you’ll get used to it. It’s an ancient and biblical way to pray. It makes sure we all worship together as a community. And each week it reminds of who God is, who we are, and what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
In liturgical services like ours, we worship with our whole bodies: at different times we kneel (usually to pray), we sit (usually to listen), and we stand (to honor and show reverence). Some folks make the sign of the cross to have a physical reminder that Christ is for us. With all these things, if they help, feel free to do them. If they trouble your conscience or are physically difficult, feel free to pass. As we say in the Episcopal Church, “all may, some should, none must.”
Jesus welcomed children, and so do we! If you have young children, our 9:00 and 11:15 AM services offer a nursery and Children’s Chapel (a kids’ program during the sermon). The nursery is for children ages 0-4, but we realize some kids can be anxious about going to a new place. So of course, parents are welcome to bring their children into services with them. Kids ages 4 and up join their parents for the beginning of the service, and are then dismissed for Children’s Chapel before the Gospel reading. They return before Communion. Finally, all our staff and volunteers who work with children undergo a background check and are certified by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas’s Safeguarding God’s Children Program.
Contact Dr. Rachel Toombs, our Director of Formation and Connection.