Prayer Group & Meditation at 8:15 A.M.
Celebration at 10:00 A.M.
Hospitality at 11:30 A.M.
Summer in the Park Weather permitting Celebration is held in Powderhorn Park near 33rd St & 14th Av every other Sunday see hompage for dates.

What to expect on Sunday morning

Prayer group: 8:15
This group supports and encourages each other in deepening their prayer life, in praying for each other, members of the congregation, and our community. Everyone is welcome.

Greeters
You will be met by a greeter at the door to welcome you, give you a program, hand out activity bags to kids and answer any questions you might have.

Celebration Singing
Celebration begins with SINGING! Bring your instrument. Join right in. It's a half hour jam session, with guitars, piano, drums, banjos, harmonicas, autoharp, flutes, trumpet, trombone... you name it. The songbook is eclectic—Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Gospel, Shape note, union songs, songs by members... just call out the page number of the song you want to hear. Shout, clap, stomp, warble! If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk, you can sing!

Find your place in the circle
We begin the formal portion of the service with a welcome to all those gathered, and an honoring of God's creation. Sage is burned at the altar. (If you are sensitive to smoke, you may wish to sit toward the back or side and open a window, or ask that it be put out promptly afterward.)

Children's Circle Candle Lighting
Children and youth are invited to come up to the front and lead the congregation in the reading while lighting candles corresponding to the four directions and the center.

Sunday school
Sunday school for children 3 and older runs concurrent with service. Children three and younger can enjoy (or their parents can enjoy) free child care in the cry room. Parents are welcome to stay in the cry room and stay in touch with the celebration via a window and speaker.

Lao Tzu
We share a reading from the Tao Te Ching and five minutes of silent contemplation.

Introduction of visitors
We ask visitors to introduce themselves so we can welcome them properly. Don't be shy! This way we can call you by name when we talk with you after church during coffee hour.

Bible verse
A member reads a selection from the Christian scripture.

Sermon
The pastor or guest speaker wil give a 20-minute sermon/presentation. We have a wonderful, vibrant, intellectual pastor who gives moving sermons. He also shares the pulpit about once a month with a member or guest speaker. Hearing people share their personal spiritual journey is a great way to get to know people in the community.

Questions & open discussion
A period for questions and open discussion follows the sermon. Would you like some clarification? Do you feel compelled to disagree? Are you moved to share your own insight? Go ahead. Walker encourages free, honest exchange. We learn as we engage each other. We value and honor one another's unique perspectives.

Sign ups & collection of the offering
Clipboards are circulated with sign-up sheets for next week's service, for the next rummage sale or workday, for Sunday School teaching. If you are a visitor, please sign in so we can send you our newsletter. And we'll send around an offering plate. Many thanks for those who help us keep this community going.

Announcements
Everyone is encouraged to write a joy, concern, prayer request or general announcement on the weekly bulleting provided and pass them forward in the offering basket. You may also request that your announcement appear in our monthly newsletter, the Walker Talker. Announcements are read aloud by the minister.

Special performances
Once a month or so we're treated to a marvelous performance by our choir, the Walker Singers, under the direction of Jim McCreary. Other special performances include songs, poetry or stories by members.

Communion in the circle
And now for the best part... the closing. We leave the pews and gather in a circle. We share communion weekly. This is God's table and ALL are welcome. We break bread together and pass it around as the pastor says:

The loaf is one,
as we are one with God.
The loaf is broken
God participates in our brokenness.
The loaf is shared in the circle,
and the broken becomes one.

You may drink from the cup or save a bit of bread to dip. We serve juice, not wine.

Now we pray together for the specific needs of those in attendance, those in our community, our nation and our world. We also share our joys of prayers answered, of blessings received—a baby, a job, years of sobriety, years of marriage. We sing happy birthday to anyone who has had a birthday in the past week.

"Amazing Grace"
We close by singing "Amazing Grace." The words can be found on the bottom of the weekly bulletin. (We've changed it just a little.) Gather together, hold hands or link arms with the person next to you and sing. It really is amazing.

Social hour or potluck 12 noon
Coffee and treats follow immediately after service. Sit and chat, meet new people. Ask about what someone said after the sermon. Enjoy yourself. And there's usually more singing over by the piano. At least one Sunday a month there is a potluck with a social justice presentation or discussion topic.

Pets
Pets are not allowed in the church building, but may visit for services held at Powderhorn Park.

A word about what it means to be a community
Just like the holiday meal with the family when you have to listen to uncle Ed's story for the 43rd time... or put up with grandma's complaining, sometimes being part of a caring community means putting up with small disturbances. Floors will creak as someone arrives late. The radiator pipes hammer away. Jets fly over the gatherings in the park. A child may fuss. There may be an occasional verbal interruption by a person who is challenged by mental illness. Try not to let these things disturb you. Take it with grace.