At Church of the Advent, our Sunday worship is guided by the ancient liturgical rhythm of the Book of Common Prayer. The BCP is the central liturgical guide to our tradition, yet one of its great gifts is the broad flexibility it offers in how the liturgy can be engaged by a community.
On most Sundays, we offer two worship services (at 10am and noon) which model different approaches to the liturgy. Our weekly services are Eucharistic, meaning that we share the sacred meal of the church in bread and wine each and every week.
Ministry for children is offered during worship for both services. Depending on the week, activities and teaching will be provided in either our children’s classrooms, in the children’s project corner of our sanctuary, or outside in our gardens. An usher will be happy to point the way to where our children gather each week.
Worship at 10 am
Our 10am worship service is the more ‘traditional’ expression of Anglican liturgy as it’s been known for centuries. Liturgical ministers are vested in robes; the liturgy includes more of the ancient texts which connect our worship to the early centuries of Christian practice, there are more musicians and more music (a blend of traditional, folk, and gospel influences), and scripture is explored each week through a sermon.
Worship at 12 pm*
Our noon worship offers a more conversational approach to liturgy. While it follows the same sacred rhythm of prayer, scripture, and Eucharist, this service invites deeper participation through dialogue in place of a traditional sermon. Together, we reflect on the week’s readings, share insights, and listen for how the Spirit is speaking among us. The tone is intimate and reflective, creating space for honest conversation and communal discernment within the beauty of Anglican worship.
Weddings at Church of the Advent
In the Episcopal Church, marriage is understood as a binding covenant between two people which arises from the larger sacramental life of the church. For this reason, we do not offer wedding services to the general public and we don’t rent our space to outside groups for weddings. As we understand it, marriage is always linked to the larger commitment of Christian discipleship lived out in community with others.
The Church of the Advent
hosts weddings for:
Active members of our congregation
Children of active members who are active in another Episcopal congregation
Active members of another Episcopal congregation who are seeking a facility for a wedding officiated by their own priest.
Our practice at Advent is:
In keeping with longstanding tradition, no weddings are performed during the season of Lent (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday).
No wedding will be scheduled until the couple has met at least once with the priest.
No wedding will be scheduled any sooner than 3 months after this initial meeting.
Our Minister of Music will coordinate with all music planning.
The marriage license must be delivered to the Advent office at least one week before the wedding date.
In the case of an interfaith wedding, we are happy to coordinate and co-officiate with a clergyperson of the other tradition.
Episcopal Church
canons require that:
At least one of the parties being married must be a baptized Christian.
The couple must complete marriage counseling with an Episcopal priest (counseling at Advent usually consists of 3-5 sessions in which stories are shared, church teaching on marriage is presented, relational issues are explored, and the service itself is planned). If the wedding couple are active members of another Episcopal congregation, they may choose to do this pre-marriage counseling at their home congregation (which should then send Advent a letter to confirm its completion).
If either party is divorced, clear permission must be granted by the Bishop of Southern Ohio (this can require a few months to obtain), and the wedding itself may not be performed any sooner than 12 months following the divorce decree.
The State of Ohio requires that a marriage license must be obtained at the Probate Court of Hamilton County. There’s no waiting period and the license is valid for 60 days.
Fees
NOTE: The following fees are requested of those who can afford them. If you’re a member of the Advent community and these fees are beyond your means, please reach out to Rev. Dan and we’ll reduce them. Financial cost should never be an obstacle to marriage in our community.
Building usage for wedding ceremony: $250
Clergy: It’s appropriate for the couple, if they have the desire and the means, to offer a gift of $400 to the priest to be used at the Priest’s discretion in the work of ministry.
Minister for Music services (planning, performing, etc): $250; Additional Advent musicians (organist, violinist, pianist, etc.): $150 per musician. Outside musicians obtained by the wedding couple are permitted with clergy authorization (fees negotiated between the couple and the musicians).
Additional fees required for setup/cleanup, reception hosting, etc. Fees may be lowered for those with limited funds. Additional gifts to support the work of Church of the Advent are always welcome.