Visit Us

For our guests and visitors, Welcome!
We are very thankful and pleased to have you worship with us. When you arrive one of our Greeters will hand you a service bulletin. It will guide you through our service (along with some help from the rector) and help you to participate fully. We encourage you to ask for any help you may need. If you are not familiar with the Episcopal Church, please read further.

Worship
Our bulletins include everything you will need to participate and enjoy the service.

Standing, Sitting & Kneeling
You may see each of these postures when you visit, depending on the season of the church. If a given posture is difficult for you, please choose another that is comfortable for you.

About the Offering of Money
A regular part of our worship is returning to God a portion of what God has given to us. This occurs in our service when the announcements are completed. As a visitor, you are under no obligation to participate in this offering. However, please feel free to do so if you wish.

Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion or The Lord's Supper) at St. Joseph Church
Everyone is always welcome at the table!  No restrictions at all!  Please come!

How do I actually receive Communion?

  1. File up in line to the altar rail following the guidance of the ushers.

  2. You may stand or kneel to receive communion at the rail.

  3. Or if it is a season we are standing follow the person in front of you.

  4. To receive the bread, simply extend your hands with one hand on top of the other, and your palms open.

  5. To receive the wine, either

    • gently help guide the chalice to your lips or

    • during this time of the corona virus we are not intincting

    • It is permissible to receive only the bread, and not receive the wine.

If you prefer not to receive Holy Communion, you may come forward for a blessing. Crossing your forearms over your chest indicates to the priest that you are there for a blessing. After the blessing, simply return to your pew.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH: U.S.A. & WORLDWIDE

The Episcopal Church is made up of between two and three million worshipers in about 7,500 congregations across the United States and related dioceses outside the U.S. Also, we are part of a world-wide body, the Anglican Communion, numbering more than 80,000,000 members throughout the world.

A summary of what we believe begins on page 845 in the Book of Common Prayer which can be found online here.

St. Joseph Episcopal Church

St. Joseph was founded in 1964 by a group of men, women and children from St. Paul’s Church in Lakewood, CO.

We have a history of enthusiastic involvement in outreach ministry to our community and an emphasis on excellence in all that we do. Worship defines and sustains our common life of faith and ongoing study informs it. We invite you to participate in that life with us.

PARTICIPATION

If you wish to be placed on our mailing list, be contacted personally, or give us other information please let the church office know at 303-985-7170 or office@stjosephlakewood.org.

Scripture and tradition clearly teach that living out one’s faith and participating in the Body of Christ, the church, go hand in hand. We believe that one cannot be a Christian in isolation.

We are open and eager to have any and all interested persons make St. Joseph their church home after adequate and unhurried exploration, reflection and prayer.

GETTING AROUND IN OUR BUILDING

Our building is in the shape of an octagon and has three levels.

The worship area is called the nave. The vestibule or entrance area to the nave is called the narthex.

The next level contains the Parish Hall. It can be entered either from the nave or from the ground level.

The third level houses the nursery, church offices, library, classrooms, restrooms and a common area we call Cron Hall. It can be entered from ground level on the South/Southeast side or from the Parish Hall.

Would you like a brief tour after worship?

The greeters will be glad to show you around St. Joseph Church after you have worshipped with us.