Welcome!
…to St. Matthew the Apostle Oriole Anglican Church!
We are glad you are here.
You are very welcome, no matter how you found yourself here.
We are an Anglican church in Toronto that usually meets (but, not during COVID) every Sunday for services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., not very far from Fairview Mall and a two minute walk from the Don Mills Subway.
Right now we are gathering for worship in a smaller in-church service every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. You can register here, for free, to reserve your seat(s). If you prefer, we record our service so you can join in at our YouTube channel on the Monday after the Sunday service.
Even though it is not our main entrance, you can get to us through our north parking lot on the South side of Sheppard Ave. just west of Don Mills Rd. Of course, our main entrance is 80 George Henry Blvd, where you’ll find our south parking lot.
We encourage you to check out YouTube channel for our virtual services, and to email us or call us at 416-494-7020 if you are new or interested in getting connected.
New Here?
Anglicans believe that the central thing we do as Christians is to gather together for worship. At St. Matthew, our main opportunity to do so are the Sunday morning worship services. This is the main day of the week when members of our congregation come together as a community. We have an early Communion (sometimes called the Eucharist) Said Service (without music) at 8:00 a.m. that’s about 50 minutes long. Our 10:00 a.m. service is a Sung Service and goes for about 70 minutes.
We welcome everyone to participate.
We do not have a “dress code” at St. Matthew. Some people may dress informally – shorts in the summer, and others more formally. Wear what feels comfortable to you.
Of course, all children are welcome. At our 10:00 a.m. Sung Service provide programming for kids of different ages during the worship service, or you can keep your kids with you. All in our congregation make sure church is a safe environment for all.
You may want to arrive a few minutes before the worship service begins. One of our sidespeople will greet you in the Narthex, the “foyer” in front of the entrance of our worship space, to give you a Sunday bulletin so you can easily follow the service and participate, then will take you to where you would like to sit. You can sit wherever you feel the most comfortable. Feel free to ask the sidesperson or someone near you for help and guidance in following the service and how to join in.
Our service is a mix of readings, prayers and a sermon. Our 10:00 a.m. service has music, including hymns or songs sung by the congregation. Our early 8:00 a.m. Service has no music and the congregation is usually smaller than the later service.
You might be wondering when you should do what: kneel, sit, stand, say “Amen.” Just relax and follow what others are doing. You may see people bowing or making the sign of the cross at certain times, but this is a personal choice.
At St. Matthew, at one part of the service called the Peace, the people near you may greet you with a handshake and the words, “The Peace of Christ” or “Peace be with you.” Feel free to participate in a way that feels comfortable or appropriate to you. You can take in the words of the Bible and the silences. Contemplate the symbols and images – the cross, the altar, the candles, the stained-glass windows that enhances our worship space, known as the Sanctuary.
During the Sunday morning services, there will be a collection of money to support the congregation and the needs of others. You will see people passing a plate. You’re welcome to contribute, but don’t feel obligated. We have envelopes for visitors in the pew, or you can put an offering straight into the plate.
All baptized Christians are invited to receive the consecrated bread and wine at Communion.
Our sidespeople will guide the congregation to the altar and let you know where to kneel or stand,
You’re welcome to come forward for a blessing, whether or not you’re baptized. If you want the priest to bless you, cross your arms over your chest when she approaches you. You can also choose to stay in your seat during this part of the service – it’s up to you!
After every10:00 a.m. service we meet in the Welcome Room, in the East Wing of the building for refreshments and conversation. On the last Sunday of every month, after the 8:00 a.m. service, we met in the Narthex for light refreshments and conversation. You’re welcome to join in and mingle, but don’t feel obligated to stay. Feel free to introduce yourself to the priest, and anyone else, to ask questions.
Most importantly, come back!
We’d love to see you, again!
MISSIONS & CORE BELIEFS
Our Core Values
Because of our strong sense of community and care for one another, St. Matthew offers you the opportunity to enter into meaningful relationships through many different activities and events, and to experience the incarnate love of Christ as we walk this journey together.
We are called to, “to seek and serve Christ In all persons.”
To encourage and support the faith journeys of all who share the word of God with us through:
- Faith
- Fellowship
- Diversity
- Community
- Collaboration
- To love and serve our neighbours
- To give our time, talent and treasures responding to the many needs facing our neighbours near and far
- To encounter God through word and sacrament so that we might be transformed in order to share the Good News of God in Christ back out in the world.
- To offer programs to help participants to deepen their faith and to live that faith out in their daily lives
- To find ways to discern what God is at work doing in the lives of our neighbours and community and to join with God in that work.
- To offer spiritual support to those who find themselves experiencing any number of life changing events, such as illness or the death of a loved one.
- To enter into meaningful relationships through many different activities and events, and to experience the incarnate love of Christ as we walk this journey together
Upcoming Events
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Sunday Service
Toronto, ON M2J 1E7 Canada
15
Travel Adventure Series #1
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Sunday Service
Toronto, ON M2J 1E7 Canada
MATTHEW 10:40