Your First Visit: What to Expect
Your First Visit
Welcome home to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church
The first thing we would have you know is that you are welcome in this place. Whether you are visiting from San Diego or from out-of-town, new to the Christian faith, or seeking a Church home, we invite you to explore St. Bartholomew’s. And wherever you are in your spiritual journey, we hope that you will accompany us.
St. Bartholomew’s strives to be a welcoming and diverse community, offering a variety of worship, fellowship, education, and ministry opportunities. Therefore we invite you to join with us as we “seek and serve Christ in all persons.
If you are planning to visit St. Bartholomew’s for the first time, we want to make you feel welcome and comfortable. To help accomplish this we have prepared some frequently asked questions and answers that we hope will assist you in preparing for your first visit.
Where is St. Bartholomew’s Church located?
St. Bart’s is located in the Poway area of San Diego, adjacent to Rancho Bernardo on Interstate 15, approximately 25 miles north of downtown San Diego.at 16275 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA 92064.
Click the map image below for an interactive Google map. Or, for quick directions:
If traveling S on I-15, take the Rancho Bernardo Rd exit; at the end of the off-ramp, turn left (eastward), go under I-15 and continue eastward on Rancho Bernardo Rd for about 1.2 miles to Pomerado Rd. Turn R (south) onto Pomerado Rd and continue for about 1 mile. We’re on the left (east) side at 16275 Pomerado Rd.
If traveling N on I-15, take the Rancho Bernardo Rd exit. At the end of the off-ramp, turn right (eastward) onto Rancho Bernardo Rd; continue for about 1.1 miles to Pomerado Rd. Turn R (south) onto Pomerado Rd and continue for about 1 mile. We're on the left (east) side at 16275 Pomerado Rd.
How large is the Episcopal Church in the USA?
The Episcopal Church is made up of between two and three million worshipers in about 7500 congregations across the United States and related dioceses outside the US. St Bart’s is among the largest of the Episcopal churches in the US with approximately 2000 members and an average Sunday attendance of 500.
What Makes us Episcopal ?
The Episcopal Church, having its roots in the Church of England, is also an Anglican Church. Like all Anglican churches, the Episcopal Church is distinguished by the following characteristics: Protestant, Yet Catholic Anglicanism stands squarely in the Reformed tradition, yet considers itself just as directly descended from the Early Church as the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. Episcopalians celebrate the “Mass” in ways similar to the Roman Catholic tradition, yet do not recognize a single human authority, such as the Pope of Rome.
What kind of worship will I experience?
Worship in one’s first language: Episcopalians believe that Christians should be able to worship God and read the Bible in their first language, which for many Episcopalians is English rather than Latin or Greek, the two earlier and “official” languages of Christianity. In keeping with our tradition, the Book of Common Prayer has been translated into many languages so that those Episcopalians who do not speak English can still worship God in their own native tongue.
What is The Book of Common Prayer?
Unique to being an Episcopal is the Book of Common Prayer, which is the collection of worship services that all worshipers in an Anglican church follow. It’s called “common prayer” because we all pray it together and around the world. The first Book of Common Prayer was compiled in English by Thomas Cranmer in the 16th century, and since then it has undergone many revisions for different times and places. But its original purpose has remained the same: to provide in one place the core of the instructions and rites for Anglican Christians to worship together.
The present prayer book in the Episcopal Church was published in 1979. Many other worship resources and prayers exist to enrich our worship, but the Book of Common Prayer is the authority that governs our worship. The prayer book explains Christianity, describes the main beliefs of the Church, outlines the requirements for the sacraments, and in general serves as the main guidelines of the Episcopal life.
What do we believe in?
Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
The Episcopal approach to reading and interpreting the Bible was first articulated by Richard Hooker, also in the 16th century. While Christians universally acknowledge the Bible (or the Holy Scriptures) as the Word of God and completely sufficient to our reconciliation to God, what the Bible says must always speak to us in our own time and place.
The Church, as a worshiping body of faithful people, has for two thousand years amassed experience of God and of loving Jesus, and what they have said to us through the centuries about the Bible is critical to our understanding it in our own context. The traditions of the Church in interpreting Scripture connect all generations of believers together and give us a starting point for our own understanding.
Episcopalians believe that every Christian must build an understanding and relationship with God’s Word in the Bible, and to do that, God has given us intelligence and our own experience, which we refer to as “reason.” Based on the text of the Bible itself, and what Christians have taught us about it through the ages, we then must sort out our own understanding of it as it relates to our own lives.
What do I need to wear?
Dress comfortably for the season of the year. While some people choose to dress up, most wear casual and comfortable clothes for Sunday morning worship services, Bible study and other church events.
When do I need to arrive for Sunday Services?
Plan to arrive about 10-15 minutes prior to the time of worship you plan to attend. This will give you some time to park in one of our convenient "visitor parking" spaces and make your way to the church where you can sign our Guest Book on the Patio. Our friendly Greeters are available to answer any questions you may have about St. Bart’s and to help you find a comfortable seat.
What should I do when I get there?
You can also use this time to fill out one of the Visitor Cards and receive a free Visitor Package. The Visitor Package will enable you to get to know us a little better and provide you with an opportunity to share some information about you and your family. You can also request a personal contact from a member of our clergy or request more information about St. Bart’s.
What about my children? Are there activities for children and youth?
Children are most important to St Bart’s and are encouraged to join their parents for Sunday worship or participate in our Sunday School or Youth Activites. Check out the Youth and Families section of our website for more information.
What style of worship will I experience?
Worship Styles
Episcopalians worship in many different styles, ranging from very formal, ancient, and multi-sensory rites with lots of singing, music, fancy clothes (called vestments), and incense, to informal services with contemporary music. Yet all worship in the Episcopal Church is based in the Book of Common Prayer, which gives worship a familiar feel, no matter where you go.
Liturgy and Ritual
Worship in the Episcopal Church is said to be “liturgical,” meaning that the congregation follows service forms and prays from texts that don’t change greatly from week to week during a season of the year. This sameness from week to week gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar to the worshipers.
For the first-time visitor, liturgy may be exhilarating… or confusing. Services may involve standing, sitting, kneeling, sung or spoken responses, and other participatory elements that may provide a challenge for the first-time visitor. However, liturgical worship can be compared with a dance: once you learn the steps, you come to appreciate the rhythm, and it becomes satisfying to dance, again and again, as the music changes.
The Holy Eucharist
In spite of the diversity of worship styles in the Episcopal Church, Holy Eucharist always has the same components and the same shape.
The Liturgy of the Word
We begin by praising God through song and prayer, and then listen to as many as four readings from the Bible. Usually one from the Old Testament, a Psalm, something from the Epistles, and (always) a reading from the Gospels. The psalm is usually sung or recited by the congregation.
Next, a sermon interpreting the readings appointed for the day is preached.
The congregation then recites the Nicene Creed, written in the Fourth Century and the Church’s statement of what we believe ever since.
Next, the congregation prays together—for the Church, the World, and those in need. We pray for the sick, we thank God for all the good things in our lives, and finally, we pray for the dead. The presider (e.g. priest, bishop, lay minister) concludes with a prayer that gathers the petitions into a communal offering of intercession.
In certain seasons of the Church year, the congregation formally confesses their sins before God and one another. This is a corporate statement of what we have done and what we have left undone, followed by a pronouncement of absolution. In pronouncing absolution, the presider assures the congregation that God is always ready to forgive our sins.
The congregation then greets one another with a sign of “peace.”
The Liturgy of the Table
Next, the priest stands at the table, which has been set with a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers, raises his or her hands, and greets the congregation again, saying “The Lord be With You.” Now begins the Eucharistic Prayer in which the presider tells the story of our faith, from the beginning of Creation, through the choosing of Israel to be God’s people, through our continual turning away from God, and God’s calling us to return. Finally, the presider tells the story of the coming of Jesus Christ, and about the night before his death, on which he instituted the Eucharistic meal (communion) as a continual remembrance of him.
The presider blesses the bread and wine, and the congregation recites the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the presider breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as the “gifts of God for the People of God.”
The congregation then shares the consecrated bread and the wine. Sometimes the people all come forward to receive the bread and wine; sometimes they pass the elements around in other ways.
Do you have a nursery?
Our nursery is available for parents with children age 3 and under; the nursery is available on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is located adjacent to our Parish Hall.
I have some questions. Whom may I call at the church for answers?
Please call the church office at (858) 487-2159 and our staff will be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Our online events calendar is another source of information about what is occurring at St. Bart’s. If you find an event within the calendar that interests you, just place your cursor over the event and click on it. A new window then shows more information about the event and a contact to call for more details.
May the peace of Christ be always with you.
We’d like to get to know you, too! Please email the Rev. Bill Zettinger, wzettinger@StBartsChurch.org or office@StBartsChurch.org for additional information. We would be happy to speak with you and look forward to an opportunity to welcome you personally.