What We Believe
SCRIPTURE - The Bible
We call the "Holy Scripture the Word of God because we understand God inspired its human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible" with the "help of the Holy Spirit."
(Book of Common Prayer page 853-854)
The Bible is our foundation, understood through tradition and reason, and contains all things necessary to salvation. A consistent theme throughout Holy Scripture is God's pattern of seeing goodness, even in the midst of mistakes. As Christians we see the ultimate expression of hope and goodness with Jesus' empty tomb, allowing us to live in the ultimate promise that we are already bound for heaven.
TRADITION - The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is a reservoir filled with individual devotions, communal worship, and sacramental rites. For nearly 500 years it has been the symbol of our diverse global unity through prayer, "that in His (Christ's) worship different forms and usages may without offense be allowed, provided the substance of the Faith be kept entire."(Book of Common Prayer page 9).
Approximately 70% of The Book of Common Prayer comes from the Bible,
filling our worship with Sacred Scripture.
St Andrew's
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REASON
A familiar and comforting phrase to many Episcopalians is "we don't check our mind at the door" when we enter to worship. Questions - be they about a particular passage of Scripture or faith and science could come together to deepen one's faith are not only welcomed, they are encouraged.
Bringing reason to Scriptural interpretation and our tradition, we can often reach logical answers to our questions about faith and yet, there eventually seems to be an element of mystery beyond reasoned explanation and felt experience.
We understand this as faith.
Saint Andrew’s Values & Safe Church
At Saint Andrew’s and throughout the Episcopal Church, Safe Church is the educational standard for protecting the most vulnerable among us, maintaining healthy boundaries, holding each other accountable, and giving standardized language about how we live with each other in community. Clergy, Ministry Leaders, volunteers, and anyone with a key/door code must complete Safe Church Training and uphold the standards set forth by this training.
The Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons state this: “By virtue of Baptism, all members of the Church are called to the holiness of life and accountability to one another. The Church and each Diocese shall support their members in their life in Christ and seek to resolve conflicts by promoting healing, repentance, forgiveness, restitution, justice, amendment of life, and reconciliation among all involved or affected. Beyond Safe Church, the Constitution and Canons provide additional standards of conduct and, if required, discipline for all members of clergy, deacons, priests, and bishops should those standards of conduct be violated.
Sometimes, conflict resolution can be a simple apology; a one-on-one conversation to seek clarity and reconciliation. Other times, we may need to escalate the matter and seek support from others who are particularly equipped to help. At Saint Andrew’s, your clergy and vestry are open and available to support, advise, and even help mediate conflicts in the community to help us return to right relationships as a a community.
In any instance where Safe Church standards are violated, clergy and lay leadership will be swift in protecting the vulnerable and harmed, the community, and following Diocesan and Episcopal Church protocols and procedures. Should you be the recipient or observer of behavior or language that you feel may violate Safe Church standards, be swift in sharing with your clergy or lay leaders who are versant in proper steps to take action, if needed.
Let us continue to commit to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.