St. Mary's and the Episcopal Church
Our core values:
Commitment—We are committed to God in Jesus Christ, to one another, and to Jesus' mission to the world.
Care—We enjoy and care for one another at St. Mary's.
Compassion—We reach out in God's compassion to the world around us, including people from all backgrounds and cultures.
Celebration—We rejoice in God's love through worship, fellowship, and special events.
We reach out in God's compassion to the world around us, including people from all backgrounds and cultures.Our Purpose:
The purpose of St. Mary's Episcopal Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Our Vision:
By 2014, St. Mary's Church will be a program sized congregation (Sunday attendance of 250+) with a new church facility which will be a center for outreach ministry to people of all ages and cultures in our community.
(For more information see our ReVision Plan!)
St. Mary's is a member of the Episcopal Church of America and is a parish congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, consisting of over 70 churches.
The word Episcopal means "pertaining to Bishops". We are part of a world wide association, or communion, known as the "Anglican Communion". Together we join with our brothers and sisters all over the world in worshiping Jesus Christ in common prayer.
What do we Believe?
Essential to our common faith is the belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, who died upon the cross to forgive our sins and rose again from the dead on Easter Sunday to give us new life. Our faith is "Trinitarian", that is, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit, are one God. Through the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God's will for us has been revealed in Holy Scripture - The Bible.
We hold a firm belief in the essentials of faith contained in the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, so the Episcopal Church is part of a "Universal" or "Catholic" faith shared with other Christian churches.
We say the Church is One because there is one Lord: Jesus Christ. We say the Church is Holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it and guides its members. We say the Church is catholic because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people to the end of time. We say the Church is Apostolic because it continues in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, and is sent to carry our Christ's mission to all people.
How Do I Become a Part of St. Mary's Church?
The first thing to do is to come! Come to worship and try any of our parish events. We have special ministries for newcomers:
Newcomer Desserts - Every other month, we have a Newcomer Dessert, a social gathering where newcomers can meet our clergy and some other lay leaders.
Newcomer Class - We have classes for newcomers to find out more about our parish and ministries. The next class will be on Saturday, July 24th from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the church. Watch for times for other newcomer class offerings in the future.
Episcopal Foundations Class - Once a year in the winter or spring we have a 5-7 week class about the Episcopal Church where newcomers can find out about the history, worship, and theology of the Episcopal Church.
At St. Mary's, we want people to feel welcome without feeling pressured. Our style is to let people become involved at their own pace. We are happy to have you as part of our parish family.