Who can Take Communion?
Some Episcopal churches limit Communion to confirmed members of the church. However, according to the liturgy, Communion is open to anyone who 1) earnestly and truly repents of his/her sins; 2) is in love and charity with his/her neighbors, and 3) intends to obey God. If you come to Communion intending all of these things in your heart, you will find Communion strengthens your intention and comforts your heart. Should you come to Communion not intending these things, Paul warns that you are eating and drinking judgment upon yourself; you may become sick or even die.

That being the case, we believe that it's up to you to decide whether to take Communion or not. If you are relying on God and His grace, draw near with faith, and take Communion to your comfort.

Can Children Take Communion?
You are the best judge of the state of your son's or daughter's soul. If you believe they can meet the criteria for taking Communion, please feel free to bring them forward with you. If you are unsure, but would like for your child to receive a blessing from the priest, simply have him or her stand at the alter with his/her arms folded across his/her chest.

Doesn't the Liturgy Get Boring?
Yes, of course. We try to keep it fresh - just as a musician will try different ways of practicing scales and arpeggios. Our challenge is always to pour our own life's meaning into the words. For example, in the Confession of Sin, our challenge is to not merely say the words, but to hold in our minds our particular sins - to confess them and receive God's forgiveness for them. None the less, the liturgy can easily become boring and rote.

However, we don't do these practices because they are ancient. They are ancient because they work. The liturgy is one part of the entire set of practices that shape our inner landscape so that it is like Jesus', so that obeying him becomes the natural result of who we are inside. If you are actively using the spiritual disciplines to become more like Jesus, the liturgy will resonate profoundly in your soul. You will find it strengthens you to pursue Jesus. If you are not actively trying to become like Jesus, you will find the liturgy becomes very boring, very quickly.

But if you aren't actively trying to become like Jesus, or if you aren't actively investigating whether Jesus is worth apprenticing yourself to, why are you coming to church anyway?

What is Your Relationship to Christ's Church of Amherst?
One of the evidences of God's hand in starting this venture is the excitement and affirmation of both the CCA Board of Elders and the Bishops of the SEC at this experiment. Our priest, Richard Griffin, is one of the elders of CCA; as a subcongregation of CCA we operate under the authority of the Board of Elders. Both our governing Bishop, William Corley, and our Presiding Bishop, Huron Manning, understand and affirm that relationship.

As a subcongregation of CCA, we meet in the CCA sanctuary and are supported by the CCA staff. All of our offerings go to Christ's Church of Amherst. This structure provides us the freedom to not worry about building programs, rent payments, utility payments, and all the accoutrements that a church plant would entail. Instead, we are free to focus our efforts on learning how to rely on God to build Jesus in us.

We thank God daily for the structure He has provided for us.