Parish Life
Welcome
Our Purpose To facilitate God's purpose for our lives. What is that purpose? We remind ourselves of it every Sunday at the beginning of the service of Holy Eucharist, saying and hearing Jesus' summary of the Law: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all of your mind and all your soul. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And with God's love as the thread that binds us, we are to come together as a community to worship the Most High in celebrating the life that He has given us through his Son Jesus Christ. As a church, it is our mission to help one another, and the person who isn't here yet, to know the love of God together with all the saints. Here's the church, here's the steeple . . . Opening the doors, the five key elements of ministry at Saint Francis Episcopal Church. 1) Worship Our worship services are designed to build up those who believe and to challenge those who doubt or seek. Through confession, music, dramaturgy (the drama of the liturgy) and preaching that exalts Jesus Christ, we present the whole of our lives, souls and bodies, to the Most High, and we receive the grace to glorify him in our own day. 2) Education Saint Francis exists to ignite a movement that changes the people and community in which we live in every dimension; spiritual, social and cultural. We encourage an open dialogue about the questions and issues that people face and grow together through that process. 3) Personal Growth Personal growth occurs from an expanding relationship with the Living God. God has made himself clearly known to us through the Bible. Through the study of scripture we deepen our relationship with God and through prayer we bring his presence into our lives. 4) Fellowship Meaningful friendships are built by spending time together. We do that in myriad ways at Saint Francis, chiefly in worship, but also through acts of service together, and in smaller groups meeting for Bible Study and other learning opportunities, and by taking the time to enjoy things together, things like meals, movies, and, once a year, golfing! 5) Outreach We believe that we can do the most for God by dispersing authority to motivated, talented individuals and groups in each area of service; servant-leaders. We make a special effort to help each person identify their unique abilities so that they can know how to serve the Lord most effectively. . |
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