About St Mary's Episcopal Church
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OUR WORSHIP
The proper name for our Sunday worship is The Holy Eucharist. Eucharist comes from the Greek, and means thanksgiving. Thus, our gathering as a worshipping community is first and foremost a sacred opportunity to give thanks to God for the many blessings we have received, especially life itself.
In this service we hear the Word of God read and preached; we offer prayer for ourselves, for our neighbors, and for the world; and, we gather around the Lord’s Table for the meal that Jesus commanded all of his followers to share. We are then sent out into the world “to love and serve the Lord,” by acts of compassion and by sharing the Good News of Jesus’ ongoing life among us.
OUR BELIEFS
We follow the commandments of Jesus:
Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
In particular, St. Mary's Church is guided by four core values:
ACCEPTANCE
We are accepting of others, by honoring differences of opinion, and especially in accepting one another regardless of who we are or where we come from.
SANCTUARY
St. Mary's Church is a sanctuary for those who are searching, grieving, hurting, lonely, or in recovery. We are a place where people can heal and be equipped to live as God intended, in peace and love.
CARING
St. Mary's Church is concerned about the communities in which we live, and we seek, as individuals and as a congregation, to reach out to others carrying with us the good news of Jesus’ love for us.
ROOTS
We are rooted in historical Christianity, particularly as it is expressed in the Anglican tradition of scripture, tradition, and reason. Our faith is grounded in the historical creeds and our behavior is guided by the baptismal covenant we make with one another and with God.
