We are a global family living out our faith in local communities. Distinctive features of Anglican beliefs can also be found in our worship book, the Book of Common Prayer, which includes the Thirty-Nine Articles. These articles are extensive statements of our doctrine. Above all though, doctrine is not an end to itself. We seek to embody our doctrine and live as genuine Christians. And so, Anglicans believe that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the gospel that sets people free, renews our broken world, and thus is central to every aspect of life and ministry. Our relationship with Christ grows as we encounter him in the following ways:
We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are our ultimate authority for faith and practice and contain all things necessary for salvation. All of Scripture is the Word of God and reveals Jesus Christ to us.
We embrace the two sacraments ordained by Christ himself, Baptism and Holy Communion, and consider them to be essential for Christian discipleship. In baptism we are initiated into Christ's body (the Church) and in Holy Communion (Lord's Supper, Eucharist), we are nourished by Christ as we receive the bread and wine in faith each week.
We depend on the Holy Spirit to empower, gift and lead the church in all aspects of its worship, discipleship, and mission. In worship, the Spirit brings Christ to us in Word and in Sacrament and moves through our worship and prayers. Anglicans enjoy the form of The Book of Common Prayer and its liturgy (commonly called 'worship service'), but the freedom of the Holy Spirit's activity enflames our worship of Jesus as Lord!
We believe that God's rescue plan is extravagant. Jesus' life, death and resurrection saved us from our sins and allows us to be in relationship with the Triune God. Salvation brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, uniting us to Jesus Christ and sealing us as sons and daughters of the Father. We gather on Sundays to corporately praise Father, Son and Spirit, lifting up our voices and hearts in celebration. But we also gather to prepare us participate in God's Mission. Basking in the love that is the Trinity, growing in relationship who God and Church, prepares us, fills us, gifts us with the stamina, the desire, the clarity on how to rightly engage the larger community, taking the light into the darkness, showing the world God's extravagant love.
We invite ALL people to experience God's presence by receiving the LOVE of the Father, living in the GRACE of Jesus, and surrendering to the POWER of the Spirit. The Lord will accomplish this is by the Holy Spirit working through our:
Passionately creating a genuine culture of God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, biblical worship and mission (not forgetting the poor and marginalized). Scripture references: Matt. 22:37, John 4:23-24, Psalm 63:1-8, 95-96, 100, Rev. 7:9-12, Isaiah 1:1-20, Micah 6:8, Romans 12:1-2.
Intentionally building an authentic community of hospitality and grace where all people are made to feel welcome so that they may hear, experience, and respond to Jesus Christ. Scripture references: Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 5, Ephesians 4:1-6, John 3:3-17, Galatians 3:28, 1 Peter 4:7-9, Luke 14:12-14, Hebrews 13:1-2, 1 John 4:19-21
Joyfully giving our time, our talents, and our treasures in a way that honors and celebrates the goodness of God, serves others, and inspires people to want to know God more. Scripture references: Exodus 36:1-7, Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Matt. 5:14-16, 1 Cor. 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, Rev. 4:9-11