Simple Gifts at St. Gregory's

After a year and a half of experimenting with different ways to involve children in worship, St. Gregory's has finally found the right recipe for meeting our children where they are while also engaging an intergenerational crowd.

The Simple Gifts Eucharist is held the first Sunday of every month concurrently with the 10 AM service in the church. It is billed as "for the young and young at heart" and features the Simple Folk, a troupe of three (sometimes four) guitars including Char and Steve Vinik, Jon Baker, and sometime appearing Vanessa Vinik, who lead the congregation, which averages 50 adults and children, in sometimes very familiar, sometimes very new and often some original songs. An overhead projector displays the words to the songs, and the participatory pieces of the liturgy. The sermon time often involves some sort of hands on project, planting seeds, hunting for manna in the garden, drawing our "Holy ground rules."

At the Eucharist all the people come from their chairs which are arranged in the round with the altar in the center, to the altar where the Eucharistic prayer is Rite III, told in story form and different every time. The bread is distributed with each person passing a wafer to their neighbor, the priest following with the chalice. We wrap things up with an original post communion prayer and a rousing closing hymn which usually involves marching around the room.

It is a delightful service that was the dream of The Rev. George Price, the rector of St. Gregory's two years ago. The Simple Gifts Eucharist Ministry Team is made up of: Steve and Char Vinik, Jon Baker, Ann Anderson, Church School Coordinator, Vicki Klemke, Church School teacher and The Rev. Alison Harrity, assistant to the rector.

• Worship for all ages with music and song. The young and young at heart join together with guitars for spontaneous and not quite formal worship, Eucharist and praise.