Our Beliefs
What do we believe? How do we excercise our faith? Read below to learn more!
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about worshiping at St. Andrew's.
Christ Focused
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As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, and both our worship and our mission are in Christ’s name.
In Jesus, we find that the nature of God is love, and through baptism, we share in his victory over sin and death.
The Bible
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It is our foundation, understood through tradition and reason, containing all things necessary for salvation. Our worship is filled with Scripture from beginning to end. Approximately 70% of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Bible, and Episcopalians read more Holy Scripture in Sunday worship than almost any other denomination in Christianity
The Sacraments
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“Sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace”
Besides baptism and the Eucharist (Holy Communion), the church recognizes other spiritual markers in our journey of faith. These include:
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Confirmation (adult affirmation of baptismal vows)
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Reconciliation of a Penitent (private confession)
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Matrimony (Christian marriage)
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Orders (ordination to deacon, priest, or bishop)
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Unction (anointing with oil those who are sick or dying)
These help us to be a sacramental people, seeing God always at work around us.
Book of Common Prayer
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The Book of Common Prayer is a treasure chest full of devotional and teaching resources for individuals and congregations, but it is also the primary symbol of our unity. We, who are many and diverse, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayer.
Spiritual Growth
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"Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love"
The promises we make in our Baptismal Covenant are reminders that we are not yet perfect, that we are called to move deeper in our faith and make a difference in our world. We do so together as the church, always professing that we will indeed live into our baptismal vows as followers of Christ, but always “with God’s help."
The Creeds
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We will always have questions, but in the two foundational statements of faith – the Apostles’ Creed used at baptism, and the Nicene Creed used at communion – we join Christians throughout the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.