Getting Started

Many will tell you that Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived. Many will tell you that a life with Him will satisfy and fill you. But knowing this information as told to you is not enough nor is it the desire of God. A personal encounter between you and Jesus Christ is the minimum that Jesus expects. He wants you to feel His love directly from Him and He wants to fulfill all His promises to accept you and give you peace personally. So we must all strive for a personal encounter with God. This can be a very different experience for all of us from a slow gradual realization over a long period of observation and enquiry, to a sudden dramatic moment like St Paul on the road to Damascus. Regardless of how you experience God there is one essential step that is taken by every single believer, which is to read the Word of God directly for yourself. 

Our encounter with Our Lord Jesus starts by His Word. The Gospel stories reveal to us the person of Jesus and His teachings. The journey to falling in love with God involves falling in love with His message. If you don’t have a Bible the links below will get you started. You can work through the Gospels from Matthew to John, or start with the Gospel of John and move on to the letters of John. Write down any questions you may have and bring them with you when you come to visit us.

Below are a few things the Coptic Church feels one should know in order to begin to get a grasp of the fundamentals of what the Coptic Orthodox faith is really based upon. 

Scripture 

Read the Gospels of St. Mark and St. John as they are a good place to start for anyone new to Orthodoxy. Follow that by reading the three epistles of St John. The following links will take you to the relavent reasoruces: 

1) Gospel of St. Mark

2) Gospel of St. John

3) First Epistle of St. John

4) Second Epistle of St. John

5) Third Epistle of St. John

Here are a series of prayers that are all recited daily by the Coptic believer often several times a day. If you are struggling to pray we strongly encourage you to use these words, making them your own words. 

Prayers

• Learn The Lord's Prayer

  O Lord, make us worthy to pray thankfully:

  Our Father Who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name. 

  Thy kingdom come. 

  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

  Give us this day our daily bread.  

  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

  Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

  For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

• Learn The Prayer of Thanksgiving

  Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.

  O Master, Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank You for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition, for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto You, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.

  Therefore, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, to grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace with Your fear. All envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all Your people, and from this holy place that is Yours.

  But those things which are good and profitable do provide for us; for it is You Who have given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.

  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love of mankind, of Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.

• Learn Psalm 50

  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassions blot out my iniquity. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my iniquity; and my sin is at all times before me.

  Against You only I have sinned, and done evil before You: that You might be just in Your sayings, and might overcome when You are judged. For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins my mother conceived me.

  For, behold, You have loved the truth: You have manifested to me the hidden and unrevealed things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with Your hyssop, and I shall be purified: You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. You shall make me to hear gladness and joy: the humbled bones shall rejoice.

  Turn away Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Do not cast me away from Your face; and do not remove Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation: and uphold me with a directing spirit. Then I shall teach the transgressors Your ways; and the ungodly men shall turn to You.

  Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips; and my mouth shall declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would have given it: You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God shall not despise.

  Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then You shall be pleased with sacrifices of righteousness, offering, and burnt sacrifices: then they shall offer calves upon Your altar. ALLELUIA.

The Creed

• Learn The Creed

  We believe in one God, God the Father the Pantocrator who created heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen.

  We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures, ascended to the heavens; He sits at the right hand of his Father, and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.

  Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

  And in one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.

Get in touch

For more information please contact us using the links below. If you would like to visit us please do. The usual service times are as follows:

• • Wednesday Liturgies: 5:30-7:00am
  • Friday Liturgies: 9:30-11:30am 
  • Saturday Liturgies: 9:30-11:30am (not very common, please call or email before coming)
  • Sat vespers and praises: 6:30-8:30pm
  • Sunday Liturgies: 9:00am-12:30pm

We hope to see you soon, God Bless.