A Welcome on Reel Road
St. Michael & All Angels' Episcopal Church sits at 909 Reel Road on the east side of Longview, Texas, in a setting that feels both rooted in its neighborhood and open to anyone who happens by. The congregation describes itself as a joyful, open-hearted community of God's people, living and worshiping in the Episcopal tradition. Its words of welcome are as direct as they come: you are welcome here, and you are invited to come and just be yourself. Worshipers arrive in shorts and flip-flops, in jeans and a T-shirt, and in their Sunday best, and find a place at the table all the same.
The parish is a small one in size but a broad one in makeup. Members come from different backgrounds, different journeys and different places in life, and the community is young, old and everything in between. What holds the people together is a shared conviction that they see Christ in one another, walk together, pray for one another, and encourage one another along the way.
Sunday Mornings at 10
The congregation gathers at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings for its principal worship service. The rhythm of the morning is shaped by three gatherings. Bible study opens the day at 9 a.m., giving members a chance to read the upcoming lectionary texts together. The 10 a.m. service follows, and after the closing blessing, the community reconvenes at 11:30 a.m. for Holy Conversation, a time to talk through the sermon and readings over coffee and unhurried conversation.
Visitors driving to 909 Reel Road should know that the road is under construction and currently runs one way in the direction from Pine Tree Road to Gilmer Road. Those who cannot attend in person can join the service live on Facebook and YouTube at 10 a.m. and watch replays at any time afterward.
A Blended, Book-of-Common-Prayer Worship
St. Michael's describes its worship as both contemporary and traditional, drawing on the Book of Common Prayer while also speaking in its own voice. The liturgy uses words shared across the Anglican world and rooted in the very earliest church, and a time of open prayer allows the gathered community to add their own voices as well.
Within a single service, it is common to see some worshipers kneeling, others standing, some lifting their hands during songs and prayers, and some making the sign of the cross on their chests. The church holds that whatever style a person is comfortable with, they will find something familiar in the worship at St. Michael's, and perhaps a new way to connect with God as well.
Communion at the Heart of Worship
Communion sits at the center of the congregation's life together. When the community gathers to share the broken bread and wine, members witness that they are made one body in Christ and that Jesus is present in their gathering. Communicants may drink from the chalice directly or hold the bread and dip it in the wine. Those who do not wish to receive bread and wine are welcome to come forward during Communion to receive a blessing, with arms crossed across the chest to signal that intention.
A Lectionary and the Church Year
St. Michael's trusts that the congregation meets God in Holy Scripture and so listens for and responds to the Scripture each week. The church follows a Lectionary that walks through the stories of the Old and New Testaments week by week, reading the same texts as Christians around the world. Season by season, the community lives the ancient tradition of the church year, taking in the mystery of Christ's redeeming work as it unfolds through the Gospel story and in the lives of the people in the pews.
Singing Across the Traditions
Music is a defining feature of the worship at St. Michael's. A team of singers and musicians leads the congregation in a wide range of music, from modern worship songs to the Anglican hymnal, from African-American Spirituals to the chants of Taize and original compositions. Keyboards, drums, guitars and bass fill the sanctuary, and when the service processes out, the youngest members take up tambourines and kazoos.
Wednesday Nights in the Fellowship Hall
On Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m., the community gathers in the Fellowship Hall for a potluck and Compline, the traditional night prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. The shared meal and evening prayer together are a way to keep the week's worship rooted in the life of the church beyond Sunday morning.
Online Worship and Sermon Archive
For those at a distance or unable to attend in person, the livestream is broadcast on Facebook and YouTube at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and recordings remain available afterward. A sermon archive stretches back through the seasons of the church year, with each Sunday's entry linking to the video on YouTube and Facebook, the Morning Prayer bulletin, and the seasonal bulletin. Anyone interested in following the readings at home can download the matching bulletin and follow along.
Beliefs in Brief
The parish's stated convictions are simple and direct. Its members come seeking to become, more and more, followers of Jesus, and to be changed by their encounter with Jesus in Word and Sacrament, hearing and responding to Scripture and gathering around the Lord's Table. They trust that God loves all creation, that it was love that motivated the Father to send the Son to live and die as one of us, and that it is love that motivates their worship and sends them out into their city and their world as witnesses and workers.
Meet the Team
Jeff Richardson serves as the church's Music Minister. With a degree in Religion and Greek from Baylor University, he originally planned to be a Baptist minister but has now spent more than 25 years leading worship music and doing parish administration for Episcopal churches. On Sundays he leads the music at St. Michael and All Angels'. He and his wife Donna were married at Trinity by the Sea in Port Aransas, Texas, and return each year to celebrate.
Staying Connected and Giving
Anyone can sign up to receive the SMAA Newsletter by sharing a name and email. Prayer requests and general questions are welcome through the church's contact form, and giving is available online through the church's Realm account. The address for mail and visits is 909 Reel Road, Longview, TX 75604. The church can be reached by phone at 903-759-2051 and by email at smaa@smaalongview.org. Facebook updates are posted at facebook.com/SMAALongview, and the YouTube channel hosts the livestream and the sermon archive.