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 The
way we worship and believe
.
Liturgy
.
When
we worship together, we are guided by what is called a liturgy. Our liturgy will be familiar to anyone
who has been raised in an Anglican or Catholic Church as well
as for many Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians. Even if
the liturgy is not yet familiar to you, or you've never been
to a worship service, you will find the words, music, and
prayers to be filled with great meaning, beauty, and power.
For
new believers and visitors unfamiliar with the Anglican
liturgy, the service is easily
followed in our worship handbook which you will receive at the
door when you visit. Although the liturgy, or order of
worship, is a long tradition in the Anglican Church, you'll
find our services are also filled with testimony, Biblical
preaching, beautiful music, and a joy that fills
every person who worships with us. We celebrate Holy
Communion, sometimes known as the Eucharist each week,
and recognize the calendar of the church and its celebrations.
We also seek to reveal God in continuing and full ways through
the Spirit-led use of Bible study. Our worship is a response
to God's loving-kindness shown to us in so many ways including
His incarnation and death for us, and his resurrection. We are
told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our
soul, all our strength and with all our mind. This we do with
open and repentant hearts.
 What
is Anglican Exactly?
The
Anglican way is known as a broad way. The Anglican
Communion dates back to the 16th century and is made up of
over 77 million believers; the world's largest Protestant body
Our
faith centers on the good news of the Christian faith in that
even though we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God, Jesus’ death and resurrection have made it possible
for us to be forgiven, saved, and restored to his family, and
be part of His Kingdom here and now as well as after death. We
who were separated from God can know him personally by
receiving his free gift of salvation and trusting in his love
and mercy. We can be sure of eternal life by putting our trust
in Jesus Christ.
The
authority for that faith is the Bible,
both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament looks to
the coming of Jesus, and the New Testament recounts his Life,
Death and Resurrection and how he fulfills the Old Testament.
We
believe that Jesus will, at the right time, return in glory to
establish his Kingdom forever. We believe that the Holy
Scriptures contain all things necessary for life and
salvation.
The
Holy Spirit seeks to change us and make us more like Christ in
every way. He develops in us godly characteristics like love,
joy, patience, peace, and humility. We are given gifts and
abilities for ministry. We believe that the ministries of the
Holy Spirit seen in the New Testament are good gifts that God
still gives to Christians today. We believe that God still
desires to pour out his life into us.
In
essence, our beliefs are stated clearly in the Nicene
and Apostles
creeds, both of which are used by the Anglican Communion in
its worship day by day and week by week. They are ancient and
universal statements of Christian faith.
Anglican
Links
 The
Lord brings many new people to St. John's Anglican Church from
various places for various reasons. Regardless of why you
came, we welcome you to our parish.
Being
Part of the Body
When
we talk about joining the church, we are using ancient,
Biblical language. Scripture describes the church as the
"Body of Christ". So to "join" is to be
connected like an arm or a leg. For centuries words like
"member" and "join" applied only to the
church, long before there were clubs and corporations. There
are no solitary Christians, and we really do need each other.
Joining a church gives God the opportunity to mature you
through relationships.
How
do I become a member?
We
encourage you to attend a Newcomers Class. We discuss
who we are at St. John's, and explain our beliefs and vision.
We give you an introduction to the history of the church, and
how we fit in as members of the Anglican Communion. We also go
over the history of this parish and the working of the Holy
Spirit in our midst. These classes will help you discover more
about us and ask any questions that you want.
Baptism,
Confirmation, and Reception
We
receive new members into our body in various ways, depending
on an individual’s circumstances. Baptism is for those who
are making a first-time commitment to Christ and have never
been baptized before. For more information regarding baptism,
talk to Fr. Christopher. Confirmation classes are also
available for those who have been baptized and who want to
“confirm” the commitment made on their behalf while they
were still young. If you have already been baptized as an
adult, then we can “receive” you into our Church, if that
is your wish. If you are still at the questioning stage with
regard to the Christian faith, we'd love to meet you and
answer your questions. We offer a newcomer’s class where the
various aspects of our faith can be openly and honestly
discussed and considered.
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