We want to get to know you better!

Join us for our next Newcomer’s Lunch with Dean Eric and members of our staff.

TBA
Immediately following the service

DiscoverCotA

Sundays January 18, 28, & February 1 at 9.45a

For those interested in Covenant Membership at Church of the Apostles, join Dean Eric two consecutive Sunday afternoons from 3-5p to learn more about our mission, visions, and values. You’ll learn about Anglicanism, our roots, and how to get involved in life at the church.

Click below to sign up for our next scheduled class.

Alleluia Hymn Sing

During the somber 40 days of Lent, we do not speak the word "Alleluia".

Beginning at 7p, we wrap up the evening by gathering in the Nave to sing several of our favorite hymns that contain "alleluia" in the lyrics.

The Season of Lent

Begins Ash Wednesday, February 17

Ash Wednesday
February 18 at  7a, noon, & 7p

The quiet, penitential season of Lent begins with one of only two days in the year when Christians (ages 18-59) are called to a day of fasting and a stark reminder that death is the “wage of sin.” The Imposition of Ashes vividly depicts this dire sentence, and causes us to long for the Good News of Easter. Services are in the Nave at 7a, noon, and 7p. 

Lenten Retreat
Saturday, February 21 from 9a ­­- noon

The Great Litany
Sunday, February 22  at 8.30a & 11a

The first Sunday in Lent, our Eucharist begins differently. In place of the opening hymn, The Great Litany is chanted during an extended procession. First appearing in 4th century Antioch, the Great Litany was adapted over a millennium later for inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer. Commended by its timeless value and use throughout the Church, it has been sung or said by Anglicans throughout the ages. Its name comes from the Greek word “litaneia” meaning “a supplication.” In the Litany, we ask for deliverance from sin, Satan, and death. In it, we ask for God’s mercy upon the Church and the world. At the heart of these requests is an abiding awareness that, from birth to death, we depend entirely upon the grace of God.

Men’s Lenten Study “From Duty to Delight”
Beginning Tuesday, February 24 with John Barr

For six Tuesday mornings in Lent the men of the parish (and their friends!) are invited to join together to kneel down beside the great prayers of the Bible—the native language of prayer. It will take us into the region of awe and intimacy, as we lean into deeper honesty and into the rhythms and grace God sends. We want to come into a new vivid sense of reality and intimacy when we pray. Let’s move from duty to delight as we kneel beside these biblical prayers and make them our own. What do we bring? Our failures and our longings for living water. Your Bible and a notebook. Tuesday, February 24, 7.15-8a in the Parlor. Plenty of coffee. No need to sign up. Just come. —John Barr

About Lent

History

Originally, Lent was a time of preparation for those about to be baptized: a time of study and prayer before baptism at the Easter Vigil, the first celebration of the Resurrection. Since these new members were to be received into a community of Faith, the entire community was called to join them in their preparation. Spanning the weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, Lent was also the time when those who had been separated from the Church for grievous sin (excommunicated) would be prepared to rejoin the community. If you or a family member would like baptism at our Easter Vigil service on Saturday, April 16, please contact the office.

Today

Today, Lent is understood as a time for all of us to prepare to celebrate Easter. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent being tempted in the wilderness preparing for his ministry. Christians today use this period of time for introspection, self examination, and repentance. Since Sundays always celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days. That is why they are referred to as the Sundays in Lent.

Practices

Fasting

Join in this season of fasting. Consider abstaining from some kind of food: meat, dairy, or eggs are traditional; or, abstain from all food for certain days, or for certain periods during the day (like from sunrise to sunset on Wednesdays and Fridays, or from lunch each day). But remember, since Sundays are always feast days, even in Lent, you are encouraged to break your fasts on Sundays.

Discipline

Instead of focusing solely on disciplines of abstinence and fasting, you might choose to embrace a particular discipline, like joining our Wednesday midweek Eucharist at 7.30a, or increasing the time you spend in Bible study, other devotional reading, and prayer.

Self-Examination

Growing as a disciple requires several things: education (study of scripture, of theology, of the lives of folks who are further down the road than us), experience (all sorts of events, good and bad, serve as the material from which our growth springs), and, finally, reflection (how do you make sense of, and incorporate, your education and experience into your life so that it becomes a part of you).

All of us have a wealth of experience, we all have some amount of education in the faith; but very few of us have time to reflect on our lives in a way that really allows us to grow from our education and experience. In fact, our busy, noisy culture actually hinders the kind of reflection that is necessary for growth!

Reflection isn’t hard, even if we aren’t that accustomed to it. Just ask three simple questions: What? So what? and, Now what?

When you ask, “What?” you are trying to figure out precisely what it is that you have learned or experienced. This is a chance to delve into the details.

Asking “So What?” gives you a chance to take the details you discover in the first question and try to see your life in relationship to them.

Finally, “Now What?” looks to future asking, “What sort of person do I want to be in light of what I have learned?”

Lenten Retreat

Saturday, February 21 from 9a ­­- noon

Hannah Miller King will be our special guest speaker at this year’s Lenten Retreat. She will lead us in a series of short devotions based on her forthcoming book. She will also be with us on Sunday as our guest preacher.

Hannah is a priest and writer living in the Western NC mountains. She and her husband Michael have served in ministry together for over a decade and are currently shepherding The Vine Anglican Church and raising their three children.

Her first book, Feasting On Hope: How God Sets A Table in the Wilderness, is about Christian hope in the wilderness of life. How do we make sense of unmet longings and unanswered prayers? Through sharing her personal story of deep loss, Hannah points us to the Communion Table as a sign of God’s present faithfulness and promise of future renewal.

Sunday, February 8

Annual Parish Meeting

Our Annual Parish Meeting will be Sunday, February 8 following one service at 10a. This meeting gives us an opportunity to look back together on the year past and ahead to the year to come.

We will elect three new Vestry members.

To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18 years of age and have signed a Membership Covenant. There is no absentee voting.

The Vestry is the elected lay-leadership body for parish. It is made up of nine members, each serving a three-year term.

Our Nominees

Todd Philips, Ned Walker, Bennet Griffin, Holly Pope, and Diane Crutchfield

This week we got up with our nominees and asked them three questions to help us get to know them better:

• How long have you been at Apostles, and what brought you here?

• Tell us a bit about yourself.

• What are your hopes for our parish?

 Groups

The early Church was known for its friendships, referred to as koinonia (Acts 2.42). This word for fellowship is based on the word koine, for “common.” They shared a common life.

As we encourage this Christ-based intimacy at Apostles, we are forming groups that will meet bimonthly for Scripture-based study and prayer; acting as a springboard for other fellowship activities, such as meals among families and friends.

Some groups will meet in homes, others at the church. Each group will have around 6-8 members (a minimum of four; no more than 12) which meet on the “off” weeks of the men’s and women’s Bible studies, with a variety of time and day offerings, all under the guidance of two trained co-leaders, as groups discuss John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way. Women also have the option of participating in a koinonia group through the Tuesday morning and Wednesday night Bible Study (with discussion based on the lesson, rather than the Comer book), or of doing both!

For now, these will be men’s and women’s groups. This simplified approach will help us in launching this program, but we have an eye to offering mixed gender groups in the future.

If you would like to join a women's Koinonia group,
please contact Deacon Lisa Wheeler.

If you would like to join a men's Koinonia group,
please contact Mr Hoyt Burnett.

Christian Education Classes

Sunday Mornings

9.45-10.35a

CotATalks

Parish Hall

A miscellany of short talks by speakers and topics that come by invitation of the clergy. Personal witnesses, biblical teaching, reflections on Christian living, deepening your relationship with the Lord, sharing the hope within you, and loving in difficult times and situations are just a sampling of the types of offerings found in this class.

Anglicanism 201

Admin Wing Office Commons
Dean Eric and Dr Ed Smither

“A Journey Through the Anglican Catechism.” Catechesis is the ancient practice of disciple-making through instruction on theology, ethics, and spirituality as embodied in the Apostles’ Creed, 10 Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. Join Dean Eric and Dr. Ed Smither as they guide us through the Anglican Catechism, entitled “To Be A Christian.”

CotAStudies

Christian Education Wing Room 105
Various Teachers

A more in-depth, sequential class on a biblical theme, book of the Bible, work of Christian literature, or relevant cultural topic.

Spiritual Formation According to the Church Fathers
Curtis Grenier
January 11 - March 8

Christian spiritual formation is the process of becoming more like Christ. This class will examine how this progression was understood in the eyes of select Church Fathers. We will begin with a broad overview of Scripture then reflect on various visions held by saints who came before us.

Life Together

Christian Education Wing Room 103
Sarah & Will Peden, & Amber & Larry Cook

A class for everyone—couples and singles. Warm and conversational, this class is designed for fellowship and relationship building, melded with exploring biblical essentials.

College Hour

Parlor
Heath Milford and Brayden Hembree

Join our community of college-age students each Sunday morning for fellowship, food, and study! We will be discussing the book of James, led by Heath Milford and Brayden Hembree in the church parlor.

CotA Talks with Dean Speece

——————

Sunday, Sept 15 :: Fr Eric discusses several facets of the theology of worship.

Sunday, Sept 22 :: Fr Eric presses a little deeper into our understanding or worship, particularly as it relates to experiencing God’s presence.

Sunday, Oct 6 :: Fr Eric shares some of his thoughts on prayer.

Sunday, Oct 13 :: Fr Eric shares about his personal journey to Anglicanism.

Sunday, Nov 24 :: Fr Eric talks about “the dark night of the soul.”

Sunday, Jan 19 :: Fr Eric invites former and founding Rector, Chip Edgar, to visit.

Ask-the-pastor-anything

Dean Speece will periodically do an “ask-the-pastor-anything” type of talk. If you have a topic or a question that you would like for him to speak on, send your suggestions to his email: eric@apostlescolumbia.org.

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the Cota Connection

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the 14th Sunday after Pentecost

the 13th Sunday after Pentecost

the 12 Sunday after Pentecost