1737 Hillandale Rd
Durham, NC 27705
919af913kjfdap-286-2273
parish-admin@stlukesdurham.org

1737 Hillandale Rd · Durham, NC 27705 · 919af913kjfdap-286-2273 · parish-admin@stlukesdurham.org

Worship

At St. Luke's worship is the central experience of our shared life in Jesus Christ. In worship we offer everything: our selves, our bodies and our souls to the transforming mercy of God. In worship we receive forgiveness of our sins, the assurance of God's love, and the power of the Holy Spirit to go forth to serve Christ by serving our neighbors far and near.

Our worship combines the contemporary with the traditional. The liturgies of our parish follow the Book of Common Prayer. Our contemporary worship space, with the altar in the center, is our expression of the ancient truth that the Sacraments of Jesus Christ are the central mystery and unity of our faith.

Tradition at St. Luke's also means a generous, widely inclusive hospitality. We take pride and care to make sure visitors feel welcomed and quickly oriented to the worship.

St. Luke's has always placed a high priority on the beauty of worship as celebrated by music, architecture, preaching and the entire liturgy. We take particular joy in our church, which was designed by one of our own parishioners, and being surrounded by art that inspires us, such as our Stations of the Cross, much of it created by other parishioners.  

Thus, at St. Luke's we see in worship and all aspects of our parish life the art of living our faith.

Worshipping at St. Luke's

On Sundays we gather at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for the principal services of the week: the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. At the Holy Eucharist we are brought into closer community to God and neighbor through the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament.  

Worship for Children

Children of all ages are welcome and present at all of our worship services.  A crying baby does not present a problem (except sometimes to the parents!).   Some families find that their youngest children are more comfortable in the nursery, staffed by our long time staff member, Miss Carol, as well as by volunteers. The nursery is for infants through three year olds.

Worship-Related Ministries

Acolytes: Acolytes assist in the worship service by carrying the cross and torches in procession, and by serving at the preparation of the altar for the Eucharist.

Altar Guild: The Altar Guild is a group of parishioners who serve on rotating teams to prepare the altar for celebrations of the Eucharist.   The work includes the changing of seasonal hangings and maintaining the supplies used in worship.

Music

The Senior Choir sings at the 10:30 a.m. service when we are on our winter schedule. They take a well-deserved break when we switch to our summer schedule, where we celebrate our second service of the morning at 10:00 a.m. This talented group of musicians includes both new and long-time members of St. Luke's, with new members always welcome. The choir and congregation are thrilled with the leadership of our Director of Music and Organist, Kaye Saunders.

Sermons

We have the great blessing of hearing many different preachers at St. Luke's. A number of our more recent sermons are available here.

Healing Ministries

Anyone may ask for prayers for healing and receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. Clergy and lay healing ministers are available each Sunday at the 8 and 10:30 services during communion in the chapel behind the pulpit.

Baptism

Together with Holy Eucharist, Baptism is one of the two great sacraments in the Episcopal Church. It is the entrance ritual, "the outward and visible sign," that someone has been adopted into "the household of God." At St. Luke's, a Baptism service is always a joyous occasion as we welcome the newest members into the Christian faith and life. We baptize infants, children, youth, and adults.