Interested in our Church?
We believe that God is Love and that we are called to love others as ourselves. We, like everyone else, can fail miserably on occasion, but this does not stop us from trying. We also believe that all are welcome, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
Our regular church service, which is accompanied by organ and choir music, is held every Sunday at 9:30 am, both in-person and virtual via Zoom.
Being an Episcopal Church and as part of the Anglican Communion, our worship is based upon a tradition that extends back to the earliest liturgies in Christian Churches. Holy Communion is an important part of our worship, as is using hymns from several practices: classical, traditional, contemporary, and from the American Black / Caribbean / African traditions.
Our bulletin includes everything you will need for the service, including the words from scripture and hymns. In general, our practice while worshiping is to stand to sing and praise, to sit to listen, and to kneel to pray. However, you may see some people standing or sitting rather than kneeling, others raising their hands to pray, and yet others making the sign of the cross at times. Everyone does stand to hear the Gospel proclaimed in Church. We believe that God wants us to ‘come as we are’ to worship, so that means there are no hard and fast rules – no one right way to worship.
In addition, from October through June, we have children’s services during the regular worship time of 9:30 am, with children and adolescents reading the scriptures and helping with the offering. Every early January, we have an Epiphany Pageant, with all our young people participating. Our Sunday School is now hybrid, with students and teachers in person and on Zoom.
At St. Andrew & Holy Communion, all are welcome to receive communion. The ushers will direct you when to come forward and offer you hand sanitizer to use. You hold out your hands, one over the other to receive the bread. Right now due to Covid, we are offering consecrated wine either by sipping from the common cup or by intinction (dipping) by the priest from a separate cup. If you want to receive only consecrated bread, you are welcome to do so. Those who do not wish to receive Communion may come forward and cross their hands over their chests to receive a blessing.
“Thank you for joining us.
May God bless you and yours,
May God keep you healthy
and filled with love.
”
The Choir
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. (Ps 104:33).
Worship is very important at St Andrew and Holy Communion (SAHC), and music plays a major role in assisting and leading the worship experience. The SAHC choir reaches out within our church and outside in the larger community to encourage individuals to consider serving by offering their time and talent in the parish’s music ministry.
All are welcome! There is no audition; the only requirement is that you love music, and want to join us in glorifying God with that gift.
We lead the music at services throughout the year, except for the summer months (July & August).
Here at SAHC we enjoy exploring different music styles and genres, and are eager to embrace and employ even more of the wide eclectic forms of music to be found in our long church history. As members of this vital ministry, we encourage choristers to be lifelong leaders at church.
Rehearsals are held each Sunday, directly before the 9:30am service.
Donald C. Morris began his involvement with the Newark Boys Chorus School in 1987 as a Science teacher and Associate Conductor of the Concert Chorus and was appointed Music Director in September 1996. He supervises the musical education and training of all the students at the school, and has prepared the Chorus for its tours of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, Argentina, Chile, and four tours throughout Europe.
Mr. Morris has a M.A. in Music Education from Hunter College, a B.Sc. in Zoology and Chemistry from the University of the West Indies, and a L.R.S.M. (Licentiate of the Royal School of Music) in piano performance. A resident of Newark, Mr. Morris is Organist and Choirmaster at the Episcopal Church of St Andrew & Holy Communion in South Orange, NJ.
Donald Morris
We will baptize people who are not members of our church, as well as those who are members. Please call the church office at 973-763-2355 to schedule an appointment with our Priest-in-Charge to discuss this possibility.
We will marry people who are not members, as well as those who are members. Please call the church office at 973-763-2355 to schedule an appointment with our Priest-in-Charge to discuss this possibility.
