Plan Your Visit
Whether you grew up in a liturgical church or have never attended one, this page explains what happens on Sunday morning and how to find us.
Before You Arrive
Getting the address
We meet in a private home in Singapore. The address is not listed on this website. To receive directions, contact Pastor Jonathan Teo via Telegram. He will respond promptly with the address and any other information you need. There is no application or commitment involved in asking.
A Bible if you have one — the readings are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV), and following along is worthwhile. Hymnals are provided, and a printed bulletin is available each Sunday.
There is no dress code. Members dress modestly; most wear what they would wear to a formal or semi-formal occasion. Come as you are.
The service begins at 11:00am. Arriving a few minutes early gives you time to collect a bulletin and be seated before the opening.
Children are welcome in the service. There is no separate programme; the liturgy is for the whole household, learned by being present in it.
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122:1
The Service
Annunciation observes the Divine Service as set out in the CASEA Missal — the historic order of service in the Western church as received by the Lutheran Reformation. The service runs approximately one hour.
Preparation — Confession and Absolution
The service opens not with music or announcements but with an act of repentance. The congregation stands together, confesses its sins before God, and the pastor — in the name and by the authority of Christ — announces absolution: your sins are forgiven. This is not a formality. It is the first word of grace spoken on Sunday morning, and everything else follows from it.
The Service of the Word
Introit — Verses from a psalm, appointed to the season of the church year or to the particular Sunday, are chanted or read.
Kyrie — The congregation sings Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy — one of the oldest elements of Christian worship.
Gloria in Excelsis — The hymn of the angels at the birth of Christ (Luke 2:14), sung through most of the year and omitted in Advent and Lent.
Collect — A brief prayer appointed for the Sunday, gathering the congregation’s petitions before the readings.
The Readings — The Epistle and the Holy Gospel, with the Gradual sung between them. The congregation stands for the Gospel.
The Nicene Creed — The congregation confesses the common profession of the Christian faith (AD 325/381).
Hymn of the Day — A hymn appointed to the Sunday, drawn from The Lutheran Hymnal (1941). All stanzas are sung.
The Sermon — Lutheran preaching distinguishes Law and Gospel: the Law shows what God requires and where we have failed; the Gospel proclaims what God has done for us in Christ. Typically twenty to thirty minutes.
Offertory & Prayer of the Church — A verse is sung as the offering is received; the congregation then prays for the church, the authorities, those in need, and the faithful departed.
The Service of the Sacrament
The second half of the service is the Lord’s Supper. See the note on closed communion below.
Preface — A sung dialogue: Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Sanctus — The song of the seraphim in Isaiah 6: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth.
The Lord’s Prayer — Prayed in common by the whole congregation.
The Words of Institution — The words of Jesus: This is my body… This is my blood. Through these words, the true body and blood of Christ are present in the sacrament.
Pax Domini — “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”
Agnus Dei — O Christ, thou Lamb of God… grant us thy peace, sung during the distribution.
Distribution — Communicant members receive the Lord’s Supper.
Nunc Dimittis — The Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32), one of the most ancient post-communion canticles.
Benediction — The Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6: The Lord bless you and keep you…
A Note on Closed Communion
Annunciation practices closed communion. The Lord’s Supper is received only by communicant members of congregations in fellowship with CASEA, or by members of other confessional Lutheran congregations who share our confession of the Lord’s Supper.
This has nothing to do with whether visitors are Christians, whether they are welcome, or whether their faith is doubted. All baptised Christians are warmly invited to attend the entire service, to receive the benediction, and to participate in everything except the reception of the Sacrament.
To commune at the same altar is to publicly confess a shared understanding of what the Lord’s Supper is. Where that confession is not shared, receiving together would be a false statement of agreement. The practice is therefore an act of doctrinal integrity, not exclusion.
If you would like to receive the Lord’s Supper and are not currently a member of a confessional Lutheran congregation, speak with Pastor Jonathan. Catechesis is available, and communicant membership is open to those who come to share our confession.
After the Service
The congregation typically lingers after the benediction, and Pastor Jonathan is available for conversation. If you have theological questions, want to discuss the sermon, or want to know more about catechism instruction, the time after the service is the right moment.