Life at the Church of the Advent

Advent Church is a dynamic, growing and lively church in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition.  Considered "transitional sized", belonging to Advent can be compared to being in a very large family made up of smaller sub-families.  We have a fair share of programs and small groups as well.  Many of our founding families are still here, however we do have a healthy mix of new folks, too. We are composed of people of many different backgrounds, young and old, retired and working, and of many different nationalities and ethnicities.

The worship life at Advent is best described as "Three-streams Anglicanism".  We have a fully catholic liturgy and church structure, preach and teach the evangelical message, and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to use His gifts to strengthen, heal, and sustain others. 

We use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Hymnal 1982,  Lift Every Voice and Sing, and occasionally other worship music as well.  We use the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and follow the Revised Common Lectionary.  We offer two services each Sunday from Labor Day through Memorial Day.  The first is a said, simple service with no music.  Our primary Sunday Eucharist is a sung liturgy, occasionally with incense.  We offer laying on of hands and anointing for healing during our 10:15 am Sunday Eucharist.  During the months from Memoral Day through Labor Day, our Sunday service is at 9 am.

We offer Morning Prayer, as well as a daily Mass, every Tuesday and Thursday at 9am.  We also have special services during the year to commemorate particular events in the life of the church.  We pride ourselves on being a warm and friendly church and are always willing to welcome strangers into our fold!

Advent Church is a faithful witness of historic Christianity as expressed in Anglicanism.  We affirm scripture as the Word of God, relevent for our life today, and understand it to be the rule of life for the Christian.  We do not feel that scripture is ever outdated or irrelevant. 

At Advent Church, we hold to the following theology:

     1) The Lordship of Jesus Christ, His Virgin Birth, His vicarious death, His glorious bodily Resurrection and His Ascension to the right hand of God.  We believe that Jesus is the only Son of God, fully God, fully man, and without sin.  We believe saving faith in Jesus Christ is essential to salvation.

     2)  The Holy Trinity - one God as revealed in Trinity of Persons and unity of Being, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-eternal, co-equal and altogether one Almighty God.

     3) The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as containing all things nessesary to salvation.

     4) The Holy Eucharist as the central act of Christian worship (It is also called the Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, the Supper of the Lord, or the Mass).  We believe that Jesus is truly present: Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the consecrated elements.  We further hold that in order for a person to receive Holy Communion at our church, they need to have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, be baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and have prepared themselves spiritually.

Advent Church is involved in missions, evangelism efforts, the Cursillo movement, the catechumenate, Alpha, the Order of the Daughters of the King, women's ministries, scripture study, youth formation, and community outreach.  There is always something going on as we try to spread the Kingdom of God on earth.

Would you consider joining us?  We are ready to have you come and share in our life as we seek to serve the Lord Jesus and make His love known to all the nations - beginning right here in the Ocala/Dunnellon area.