What to Expect When You Visit

If you are new to Peoria, visiting town, searching for a spiritual home, or just interested in finding out a little more about God, Jesus, Christianity, the church, or spirituality, we invite you to join us on your journey at St. Paul’s.

The best way to experience our community is to join us for Holy Eucharist. In the Episcopal Church, every major worship service is centered around communion, where we celebrate around one table that God is present among us by remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Holy Eucharist, along with other services in the Episcopal Church, are drawn from the Book of Common Prayer, which is based on Scripture and ancient prayers. Through our ancient liturgy, we join with the saints across time and space to be present with God in worship.

As Episcopalians, we believe that the core of who we are as the church is founded in common prayer and sharing communion. We believe that as we do this, God joins us together in one body. We believe that we are all created in the image of God and that our body is made more beautiful by our differences and diversity, so we hope that you will come as you are and join us in worship.

However, we also understand that you may not know our prayers and our customs! If you are unfamiliar with the ritual customs of the Episcopal Church, simply relax with the liturgy and let the rest of the congregation carry you in worship. You are welcome to participate as little or as much as you are comfortable. When you visit, you will receive a bulletin that will help you to join in the prayers and music, and will explain different parts of the service. You can see an example here.

If you have questions about the service or St. Paul’s, please ask those around you, or the priests afterward. We hope that you will introduce yourself to us, and stay for coffee hour afterwards so that we have a chance to get to know you and your story.