How We Worship
What to Expect When You Visit Us​
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You'll be welcomed with open arms and open hearts! We cordially invite you to worship with us and we’ll do everything we can to make you welcome. The ushers at the door will greet you and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
When you visit us, you’ll be our respected and welcomed guest. You’ll not be singled out in an embarrassing way. You’ll simply be worshipping God along with the rest of us.
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Services
We are a bilingual multicultural congregation that worships in two languages at two services. The Holy Eucharist in English is on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at the Belmont Ridge Middle School and at 3 p.m. in Spanish at St. James' Episcopal Church in Leesburg. The services include wonderful music, a children's story, a sermon, and Sunday School. There is always a "coffee hour" following every Sunday service which gives the community of faith an opportunity to be in communion with one another.
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CLICK HERE for 10 am and 3pm Facebook Live Link
CLICK HERE for 10 am and 3pm Zoom Link
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St. Gabriel's also offers a midweek monthly Eucharist service with anointing and prayers for healing at Ashby Ponds, a Retirement Living Community in Ashburn. The service takes place in the Cherry Blossom Game Room on the second floor of the Great Oaks Building at Ashby Ponds every third Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. People of all denominations are welcome to worship!
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Music
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To sing is to pray twice according to St. Augustine of Hippo, and we agree with him because singing accentuates our worship of God. The voices God gave us are instruments with which we make holy music for the Lord. Our sung prayer expresses the spirit of our hearts and soul, and the joy resulting from the presence of Jesus Christ in our holy lives.
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Music and sung prayer are an important and intentional act that symbolizes our unity in Christ which is why the music ministry is a crucial part of St. Gabriel's worship life. Since our inception in 2002, we have used a rich blend of music from classical and contemporary traditions, including hymns, choruses, anthems, chants, and rounds. We invite people of all ages to sing with joy on every occasion and to be conscious of the voices around you, a physical manifestation of our prayerful unity.
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Our choirs are energetic and devoted. They--we--are good friends. We invite you to consider joining us for a song, a service, a season, or for a longer time to deepen your experience of our worship through music.
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The choir for the English language service usually meets on Saturday mornings for rehearsal in the music room on the second floor of the Parish House at St. James' in Leesburg. The choir for the Spanish language service usually rehearses Friday evenings in the church at St. James', and on Sundays prior to the service. Peter Schweitzer can be reached at music@stgabriels.net.
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Dress
Come as you feel most comfortable. At St. Gabriel's you will find parishioners dressed in shorts and jeans and jackets and dresses. God doesn't care what you wear, and neither do we!
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​Babies and Children​
You are welcome to bring your family to church. There’s a staffed nursery for infants and children up to the first grade age. Older children typically start the worship service in the main auditorium, participate in a children's lesson provided by the clergy, and then spend about thirty minutes in Sunday School during the school year before rejoining their families for the Peace and Holy Communion. All children and youth activities are supervised by at least two adult staff.
​Accessibility
Saint Gabriel's at the Belmont Ridge Middle School and our Spanish language service at Saint James are entirely wheelchair accessible. The ushers will make sure you are comfortable. You can receive Communion at your seat , just tell the person sitting closest to you to inform the ushers.