“Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”
Ephesians 6:7-8
In addition to our regular Sunday morning worship services, the Dorset Church offers the following special worship services:
ASH WEDNESDAY
Our Pastor offers ‘Ashes to Go’ from 7:30 to 8:30 am on the morning of Ash Wednesday at the entrance to the church driveway. This allows people to receive the imposition of ashes on their way to work or running morning errands.
HOLY WEEK
PALM SUNDAY Children, youth and adults present a reenactment of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem during Worship.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
A Tenebrae Service is offered on Thursday evening of Holy Week during which our Deacons recreate the Last Supper. Each of 12 deacons reads a scripture lesson from the account of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, then extinguishes a candle. After the last candle is extinguished, the congregation departs in darkness to ponder Jesus’ last words to his disciples and his betrayal by those closest to him.
GOOD FRIDAY
Seven members of the Dorset Church are asked to give a reflection on one of the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the cross. This service is held at 12 noon and ends with ringing the church bell 39 times, representing the number of lashes Jesus received before being crucified.
EASTER SUNDAY
We decorate the church with bright spring flowers, and the choir prepares a special anthem to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.
ADVENT
To help us prepare for the birth of Jesus, members of the church light an Advent candle and offer a prayer at the beginning of worship each of the four Sundays before Christmas.
LIVING NATIVITY
On the fourth Sunday of Advent. children, youth and adults, under the direction of our Sunday School teachers and the Christian Education director, tell the story of Jesus’ nativity with Mary, Joseph, a baby, shepherds, sheep, angels and a star.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Two services are offered on Christmas Eve. A family-friendly service takes place at 4:30 pm, with a special time with the children that includes gifts for them to take home. The service at 8 pm offers Holy Communion and special music performed by the adult choir. Both services include a candlelight service where we pass the light of Christ’s love, candle to candle, while singing ‘Silent Night.’
EPIPHANY
On the Sunday closest to Epiphany, we gather after our Worship Service for a potluck lunch where we receive a paper star with a word for us to ponder in the year ahead. We also share our reflections on the star we received the year before. We dine at tables decorated with a creche depicting the nativity of Jesus from a variety of cultures and traditions and in a variety of styles, from simple wooden figures to ones made of crystal. And for dessert, there is King cake to celebrate the kings who came with precious gifts to honor the new born king of earth and heaven, as told in the Gospel of Matthew.
ALL SAINTS
On the first Sunday of November, we take time to remember those who have died. Congregants can submit the names of those they wish to remember, and as their names are read, they come to the front of the sanctuary to light a candle.
HEALING/BLESSING SUNDAY
On the last Sunday of the Liturgical year (the Sunday before the season of Advent), we offer a service of healing and blessing. Church Ministers and two members of the Deaconate stand at the front of the sanctuary to anoint anyone who wishes to come to anoint them with oil and say a prayer for healing or blessing.
ROBERT FROST SUNDAY
On the second or third Sunday in October, we celebrate the poetry of Vermont poet Robert Frost. His poems are used as part of the Liturgy and the adult choir sings one or two of his poems set to music.
MARTIN LUTHER KING SUNDAY
On the Sunday closest to Martin Luther King Day, we incorporate parts of his speeches in the Liturgy and sing freedom songs from the Civil Rights marches to honor all who have given their lives, as well as those who continue to dedicate themselves to the unfinished cause of racial and economic justice.
MEMORIAL DAY
The Dorset community meets at the Dorset Church on Memorial Day to read aloud the names of all local military personnel who have died, from the time of the Revolutionary War to the present. This events also recognize those living who have served, or are currently serving, in the military. At the conclusion of the Church service, congregants join with other members of the Dorset community for a parade from the church to Maple Hill Cemetery for a military salute for the fallen.
ECUMENICAL THANKSGIVING AND MARTIN LUTHER KING SERVICES
The Dorset Church is part of the Interfaith Fellowship of greater Manchester. In addition to collecting and distributing financial assistance to those in need, the Interfaith Fellowship offers a Thanksgiving service on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and a service honoring the work of Martin Luther King on the Sunday before Martin Luther King day. These services are open to everyone in the Manchester area and are hosted each year by different churches in the Interfaith Fellowship.
For more information on our Special Services (dates, times, etc), please contact the office at 802-867-2260 or email us at [email protected]