IN-PERSON SUNDAY WORSHIP – Takes place each week at 10:30am.
We look forward to welcoming you back to St. Andrew’s.
The Nursery and Church School, along with the Youth Group are all in session. Please see the Faith Formation page here for further information.
You will find a printable copy of the Sunday Bulletin here: https://standrewstoronto.org/online-bulletin/
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Each week we will continue to produce a service for Sunday morning worship via Youtube. The link for the service will be sent out on Saturday evening and a link will also be available on the homepage of the website: https://standrewstoronto.org
The current service will be available throughout the following week and a link to previous services is also provided.
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Over the years St. Andrew’s initiated features of Presbyterian Church life that are now regarded as commonplace. It pioneered in restoring liturgical form to the increasingly impromptu Presbyterian worship service of the 19th century. The introduction of instrumental music into worship, robing of the choir, and innovations in the service of Holy Communion marked St. Andrew’s as a leader in Presbyterian worship.
The worship of God is the first priority of the church – and all of its ministries emerge out of this primary calling. Each Sunday morning, members and friends of St. Andrew’s gather for worship at 10:30 am – and there are guests and visitors every week, so newcomers are always welcome.
The style of worship at St. Andrew’s is rooted in the reformed / Presbyterian tradition, and embraces a fairly traditional format for worship (sometimes called the “liturgy” of the church).
Upon your arrival, you will be greeted at the door and handed a bulletin which outlines the various parts of the service, including the hymns and readings. It is good to keep this bulletin with you throughout the service as it contains a lot of the information that is needed to fully participate.
You are welcome to sit anywhere that you would like within the church or in the second floor gallery / balcony. If you have children with you we are happy to offer nursery care for those under 4 in the well-equipped facility, located on the second floor of the St. Andrew’s Centre. Nursery care is available from 10am to 12 noon under the supervision of a professional childcare worker. Children over the age of 4 are present in the church sanctuary for the first part of the service and then go to Church School after the “Children’s Time” at the front of the church.
The worship service at St. Andrew’s proceeds “unannounced – that is”, the ministers do not announce the hymns or when people are supposed to stand. If you are new, and unsure of when you are supposed to stand or sit, the bulletin offers directions but, sometimes the best thing to do is to be aware of what others around you are doing (and, most importantly, do not feel awkward or embarrassed if you stand or sit at the wrong time!)
The Sacrament of Communion is celebrated a number of times through the year, and details about this celebration are included in the church bulletin. At St. Andrew’s, everyone is welcome to participate in this Sacrament – regardless of one’s denominational or congregational affiliation.
We seek to maintain a fairly reverent tone in the worship services at St. Andrew’s, but also try to be a friendly, welcoming and joyful community. We hope that you feel completely welcome – regardless of whether it is your first time, or whether you are a long-serving member of the community.
Every Thursday from 12:15 – 12:45 pm, a short service of Communion is held in the Chancel area of St. Andrew’s Church.
Upon entering the church sanctuary, please come up onto the chancel (which is the raised area at the front of the church). There will usually be a bulletin available, as well as a copy of the biblical passage for the service. Everyone is invited to sit in the chancel pews.
The service includes prayers, readings from the Bible, a short reflection / homily, and the Sacrament of Communion. At the appropriate time in the service, everyone who would like to participate in this Sacrament is invited to come forward and to form a semi-circle around the Communion Table. The minister(s) and servers will bring the bread and wine to each person, and people are invited to stay together in the semi-circle until everyone has shared together.
At St. Andrew’s, everyone is welcome to participate in this Sacrament – regardless of one’s denominational or congregational affiliation.
