When are the worship services?
Click here for our current worship series.
Sunday worship
10:30 am
Sunday bible study
9:00 am
Wednesday Services
7:00 pm
Where are you located?
210 Wilbrod Street (near the corner of Laurier and King Edward)
historic downtown Sandy Hill in Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6L5
Click here to find us on google maps.
I Need a fresh start.
That first day just didn’t go like you had hoped. Those resolutions are still unresolved. You’ve disappointed those closest to you. We like to think we are improving, in at least some parts of our life. But often, life seems more like a merry-go-round than an upward ascent. Thankfully, Christ’s undeserved love, his grace, is not a one-time only special. It's a continual renewal. The Psalmist writes, “Your mercies are new every morning.” At St. Paul, we gather to worship to be refreshed in God’s Word, to hear that we're forgiven over and over again, that we are loved and can start fresh. Do you need a fresh start? We invite you to come worship with us and find refreshment in the Word of God and his promises for you.
Who are your worship services for?
Families. We’re equipped, ready, and excited to have you and your children—young and old—in worship with us. Click Here to see what St. Paul has to offer your family.
Students. Located right next door to UOttawa classrooms, we love our Ottawa University students. Whether you need to study a religious service for class or are looking for a spiritual home away from home, we’re here for you. Click Here to see how St. Paul can enrich your university experience.
Immigrants. St. Paul was founded as a church of immigrants, and we continue to celebrate our diversity today. Our goal is to welcome all people, nations, and languages and to grow together as one family through Christ. Click Here to learn more about our St. Paul family.
Skeptics. Religious belief does not come naturally to many of us living in the 21st century. But Christianity also makes some remarkable claims, which we invite you to examine, fact-check, and scrutinize. In a world of polarized beliefs, we strive to be a church that welcomes genuine and fruitful dialogue. We do not shy away from examining our faith, we welcome it. And we welcome you.
You. St. Paul is a spiritual home where people gather to find peace and forgiveness in the gospel message that through Christ you are fully forgiven, right with God, and a new creation, transformed to live a meaningful, valuable life. If you are looking for spiritual direction, then you have come to the right place.
What can I expect?
Jesus welcomed everyone to listen to his words, and since we simply share his words, we welcome everyone too! St. Paul is first and foremost about sharing the good news of Jesus that we’re forgiven, and that forgiveness is for everyone and everyone, no matter what you look like, what you wear, or where you come from. Everything we do in worship revolves around and serves the central purpose of sharing the good news about Jesus. And so we sing about Jesus, we listen to readings from the Bible about Jesus, our pastor talks about Jesus, and we pray to Jesus.
St. Paul is one of the oldest congregations in Ottawa, and we’ve retained elements of that heritage as we blend thousand year old songs with contemporary hymns. But don’t worry, they’re still all about Jesus. And since St. Paul has such deep roots in the history of Ottawa, you’ll find 100 year-old members that have spent their entire lives as members of St. Paul sitting right next to first-time visitors and brand new members. St. Paul is also a Lutheran church, and so the way we worship reflects some of the ways Lutherans have shared Jesus throughout time. This means our worship service themes follow a church year, we love baptisms, and we love communion. But what really makes us Lutheran is that we love Jesus and want to share with Ottawa everything he did for us and everything he taught.
We take pride in especially two things at St. Paul that may set us apart from what you're used to. First, we teach only what God's Word has clearly taught. Second, we take great pride in that all of us who work together in fellowship at St. Paul are in complete unity of faith. And because of these two things, we end up practicing communion in a way that you might not be familiar with.
We practice Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) in a way that’s not as common these days. If you are a visitor, please introduce yourself to our Pastor prior to worship. At St. Paul, in keeping with our Lord's instruction as to how His Supper is to be distributed and in keeping with the ancient practice of the Christian Church, we practice Close Communion. As we prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, it is important for us to follow the guidelines that our loving God gives us in his Word. Communion means “with union.” In the Lord’s Supper we celebrate and participate in three distinct unions:
First, there is the union between Jesus’ body and blood with the bread and the wine (Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 10:16). Because Jesus’ body and blood are truly united in, with, and under the bread and the wine, participants are warned against receiving this Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Cor. 11:27), and urged that they recognize this union so that they do not bring judgement upon themselves (1 Cor. 11:29).
