Your first Sunday, explained
Visiting an Orthodox church for the first time can feel unfamiliar. You don't need to know the prayers, when to stand, or what to do before you arrive. One of our greeters will be in the narthex to welcome you, and a Greek-English Divine Liturgy book will be available so you can follow along if you would like.
Sunday worship begins with Orthros at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. First visit? Many people come closer to the start of the Divine Liturgy.
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22407. Parking is free and on site, entered from Spotswood Furnace Road.
Please stay. Nobody is counted at the door, you may leave whenever you need to, and you need bring nothing.
A Welcome from Fr. John
A short welcome message could be added here.
A first-time visitor arrives having never met the priest. A brief welcome — written or a short video — would let Fr. John greet someone before they walk through the door, and would sit here, at the top of the page a visitor reads first.
Placeholder. No text or video has been recorded, and none has been written on Fr. John's behalf.
Before you come
Four questions people ask before a first visit. None of the answers is homework — open the ones that would set your mind at rest and ignore the rest.
What should I wear?
“Dress like you are meeting someone important.” — Fr. John
Orthodox Christians approach worship with reverence, and our clothing can reflect that. Choose something modest and respectful — but don't let anxiety about what you are wearing keep you from coming.
You do not need special clothing to visit, and you do not need to buy anything beforehand. In our parish you will see people dressed in a range of ways. The point is reverence, not a uniform.
What about head coverings?
The practice of Christian women covering their heads during prayer has ancient roots and is mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11. It continues among many Orthodox Christian women today, although customs differ between parishes and cultures.
At our parish, many women veil and many do not. Women who cover their heads for prayer are welcome to do so, and women are not required to cover their heads in order to attend.
Visitors should never feel that they need to buy or wear a veil before attending.
Most importantly: please come. We would much rather have you worship with us than stay home because you were worried about what to wear.
What should I bring?
Just yourself.
You don't need to bring anything to attend an Orthodox service. Just come.
If you are used to a Protestant church, you may be accustomed to carrying a Bible on a Sunday. You are welcome to bring one, and you do not need it to follow the Divine Liturgy: Scripture is woven all through Orthodox worship, and the appointed Epistle and Gospel for the day are proclaimed aloud during the service.
If you would like, you can read the day's Scripture readings before you arrive.
A Greek-English Divine Liturgy book will be available to help you follow the service. One of our greeters will be happy to help you find one. The books belong to the church and stay here at the end of the service, so please leave yours in the pew as you go.
No Bible to pack. No supplies to bring. No homework to finish. Just come and worship with us.
What language is the service in?
About half Greek, about half English. You do not need to know Greek.
As a Greek Orthodox parish, our services are roughly half in Greek and half in English. The Nicene Creed, the Lord's Prayer and other parts the congregation prays together are offered in more than one language, so that everyone gathered can pray them.
Greek-English Divine Liturgy books are available in the pews, with the service set out in both languages. If you would like help following the service, please ask a greeter — we also have a small number of books with the Greek transliterated into the Latin alphabet, which many first-time visitors find easier to use.
You don't have to keep up
Orthodox worship can be a lot to take in at first. You may find yourself hunting for every hymn and response in the book while the service has already moved on. If that happens, stop searching. Close the book for a while. Look around, listen, pray, and let the Liturgy carry you.
Follow along when it's helpful. Listen and observe when it isn't. Participate as you become comfortable.
Words you may begin to recognise
Κύριε, ἐλέησον
Kyrie eleison — “Lord, have mercy.”
You'll hear this response again and again throughout Orthodox worship. Even if you know no other Greek, it probably won't be long before you recognise Kyrie eleison.
The congregation also recites the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed — often simply called the Creed — an ancient statement of the Christian faith professed at every Divine Liturgy. Both it and the Lord's Prayer are set out below if you would like to read them beforehand.
Read the Nicene Creed
The Creed was set down by the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) to say plainly what the Church believes about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Orthodox Christians confess it together at every Divine Liturgy — the same words the Church has prayed for more than sixteen centuries.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Read the Lord's Prayer
The prayer Christ taught His disciples. The congregation prays it aloud together near the end of the Divine Liturgy, and the priest concludes with the doxology: “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον· καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν· καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
You don't need to understand every word to come and pray with us. Take your time. Listen. Observe. Follow along when you can. There is no test, and no one expects you to know what to do on your first Sunday.
Want to learn a little more before you come?
Walking into an Orthodox church for the first time can be a little overwhelming — there is a lot to see, hear and take in.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has a short introduction to what you will encounter in an Orthodox church, including the narthex, the nave, the icons, the altar and Holy Communion.
This is entirely optional. If you are curious, or simply feel more comfortable knowing what to expect, it is a good place to start.
When you arrive
Enter in peace. We'll help with the rest.
Enter in peace. Nobody expects you to know what to do.
When you first enter the church, you will find yourself in the narthex — the entrance area just before the main worship space, which is called the nave. You will see icons and candles, and, most Sundays, a greeter waiting to welcome you and point you the right way.
You are welcome to light a candle, venerate the icons, or simply walk in and find a seat. If these practices are unfamiliar, there is no expectation that you imitate what others are doing. You are welcome simply to observe and pray.
Occasionally you may arrive during a portion of the service when we ask those entering to wait quietly in the narthex. Don't worry about knowing when to enter — one of our greeters will be happy to guide you.
There is no reserved seating. Sit wherever you like, and ask the person next to you if you are unsure about something — people are glad to be asked. Orthodox services include standing, sitting, bowing and making the sign of the Cross, and you should not feel you have to keep pace with everyone around you. Sit when you need to. Stand when you're comfortable. Watch, listen and pray.
Most of all, enter in peace.
We come seeking healing, mercy and life in Christ. You are welcome to come and seek Him with us.
Faces You Might See
You'll already know a few names when you arrive.
Our parish already has greeters in the narthex on a Sunday morning. This is what a more intentional Welcome Ministry could look like from a visitor's side: the people you will actually meet, introduced before you get here, so that walking in alone feels less like walking in among strangers.
A sentence in their own words.
A sentence in their own words.
A sentence in their own words.
A sentence in their own words.
Placeholder. First names only, and no photograph published without the permission of the person in it.
Not sure who to ask?
Look for one of our greeters in the narthex. They will be glad to welcome you and help you find your way.
Sunday morning, step by step
What actually happens, in the order it happens. Sunday runs from Orthros through to coffee hour, and you are welcome at every part of it.
Orthros
Orthros, also called Matins, is the Church's morning service. It includes psalms, hymns, Scripture readings, and prayers centred on the Resurrection, the feast, or the saints commemorated that day.
Visitors are welcome at Orthros, but should not feel obliged to begin a first visit here. Many inquirers, and many families with young children, arrive closer to the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.
Divine Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy is the central worship service of the Orthodox Church, where the parish gathers in prayer and celebrates the Holy Eucharist. Expect ancient prayers and hymns, readings from Scripture, incense, icons, and stretches when the congregation stands.
You are welcome to take part in the prayers and the worship. Don't worry about knowing when to stand, sit, make the sign of the Cross or venerate an icon. You are equally welcome simply to observe and pray.
Holy Communion
Holy Communion is received by Orthodox Christians who are properly prepared to receive according to the practice and pastoral guidance of the Church. If you are not Orthodox, please do not approach the chalice for Holy Communion. You are warmly invited to remain with us in prayer and to receive antidoron, the blessed bread offered at the conclusion of the Liturgy.
Orthodox Christians understand Holy Communion as an expression of full sacramental unity in the faith.
If you are unsure what to do at any point, ask the person who greeted you. Nobody minds the question.
Antidoron
Antidoron is blessed bread that everyone may receive, including visitors who are not Orthodox. Fr. John normally hands it out as the Divine Liturgy concludes and people leave the church on their way to the hall — so you will pass him, and you are welcome to take a piece.
Antidoron is blessed bread, but it is not Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome to receive it at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, including visitors who are not Orthodox.
Sunday School
You may notice many of our children leaving together after Holy Communion has been served. They are going to their Sunday School classes, which continue until coffee hour, when the children rejoin their families in the hall.
Visiting with children? See bringing children below, and please ask a greeter when you arrive.
Coffee hour
Our Sunday doesn't end when the service does. After the Divine Liturgy we gather in the Fellowship Hall for coffee hour and fellowship — an old Christian habit of sitting down together after worship. What is on the table varies from week to week, but visitors are warmly invited to stay and join us.
Visitors are warmly invited, and you do not need to bring anything. This is the easiest place to meet parishioners, ask the ordinary questions you didn't want to ask during the service, and find out what this parish is actually like.
What about bringing children?
Bring them. Children belong in the life of the Church.
Children of every age are welcome in our services. Orthodox worship is something we experience together as a family, and children learn to worship by being present for worship — seeing the icons, hearing the hymns, smelling the incense, making the sign of the Cross, growing into the rhythm of the Church alongside the rest of us.
Christ welcomed little children and taught that we too must become like them. Children are part of the worshipping life of the Church, and families should not feel embarrassed by the ordinary sounds and movement that come with bringing young children to Liturgy. If your child needs a break, you are always welcome to step into the narthex and return when ready.
Babies cry. Toddlers wriggle. Children whisper, drop things and need to move about. Please don't worry if yours make noise — no one expects them to be perfectly quiet for an entire service.
If your child needs a break, you are always welcome to step out and come back when you're ready. But please never feel that you have to leave simply because a child is being a child.
If a full Sunday morning would be difficult for your family, many families with young children arrive closer to the beginning of the Divine Liturgy rather than staying for all of Orthros beforehand.
Sunday School
During the school year, parish children attending Sunday School leave for class after Holy Communion has been served, and stay in class until coffee hour begins. Whether a visiting child may join a class that same day has not been settled — if you are visiting with children, please ask a greeter when you arrive and they will help you.
Your children are welcome here, too.
12326 Spotswood Furnace Road
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22407
From I-95 take exit 130B and go west on Route 3 for just over four miles. After the Harrison Crossing Shopping Center, turn right at the next light onto Spotswood Furnace Road. Riverbend High School is on the right; the church is on the left, just past the school.