Our Church

The Creeds Common Prayer The Sacraments Scripture, Tradition, and Reason

The Episcopal Church is a member of the world-wide Anglican Communion, with over 70 million members in 163 countries. We are a community of Christians bound together by our belief that Holy Scripture contains the very core of all Christian faith and thought. The many ancient stories of scripture and the modern stories of our lives connect us to Jesus and his teachings. Daily we discover God's hope and call to us through our life together.

We live out these core beliefs through:

worship and parish programs
reaching out to the community
sharing our story with others
seeking God's love together in study and prayer
giving of our means and talents to the greater purpose of God's work

Our Worship

In worship, we are united to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate God's presence among us. All are welcome to participate in our worship; through worship we live out our life as a Christian community together. Scripture is the foundation of our worship. The service follows an order found in our worship book, called the Book of Common Prayer, which is based upon and filled with Holy Scripture. Every worship service includes the reading of Holy Scripture from the Old and New Testaments. Our prayers and hymns are filled with Scripture. The Book of Common Prayer includes a variety of ancient and modern prayers as well as worship forms for the gathered community and for individual use. The Book of Common Prayer allows everyone to participate, reminding us that each person is an important part of the worship experience, whether the service is a celebration or a solemn occasion. It is a guide book for daily Christian living. Music, both traditional and contemporary, is an integral part of uniting our prayers and scripture.

Celebrating God's Presence

In our worship service, we celebrate God's presence through water, bread, and wine. Through the waters of baptism we are united with God, and we become brothers and sisters in God's family. Jesus shared bread and wine with his first followers, and his presence is with us today in this family meal we call Holy Eucharist. Through it we receive a strengthening of our union with God and one another as we remember Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Any baptized person is welcome and encouraged to share in this meal.

Our Beliefs

We believe there is one God who creates all things, redeems us from sin and death, and renews us as the children of God. As Episcopalians we promise to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We believe the mission of our church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.