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Our Beliefs

As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, and both our worship and our mission are in Christ’s name. In Jesus, we find that the nature of God is love, and through baptism, we share in his victory over sin and death.

We believe in being Christ focused

“In him you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life”

Book of Common Prayer, p. 368

We believe in…

The Marks of Mission

The Mission of the Church Is the Mission of Christ. We recognize with gratitude that the Five Marks of Mission, developed by the Anglican Consultative Council between 1984 and 1990, have won wide acceptance among Anglicans, and have given parishes and dioceses around the world a practical and memorable “checklist” for mission activities.

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

2. To teach, baptize and nurture new believers.

3. To respond to human need by loving service.

4. To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.

5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

We believe in…

Holy Baptism

“Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the Church” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298).

In the waters of baptism we are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family, which we call the Church, and given God’s own life to share and reminded that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ.

We believe in…

Holy Communion

“We thank you … for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 366).

It goes by several names: Holy Communion, the Eucharist (which literally means “thanksgiving”), mass. But whatever it’s called, this is the family meal for Christians and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. As such, all persons who have been baptized, and are therefore part of the extended family that is the Church, are welcome to receive the bread and wine, and be in communion with God and each other.

We believe in…

Sacraments

“Sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 857).

Besides baptism and the Eucharist (Holy Communion), the church recognizes other spiritual markers in our journey of faith. These help us to be a sacramental people, seeing God always at work around us. These markers include:

  • Confirmation (the adult affirmation of our baptismal vows), pp. 413-419, Book of Common Prayer
  • Reconciliation of a Penitent (private confession), pp. 447-452, Book of Common Prayer
  • Matrimony (Christian marriage),  pp. 422-438, Book of Common Prayer
  • Orders (ordination to deacon, priest, or bishop), pp. 510-555, Book of Common Prayer
  • Unction (anointing with oil those who are sick or dying) pp. 453-467, Book of Common Prayer

Want to Learn More?

Want to know more about St. Peter & All Saints? Come worship with us at one of our services or email the clergy (rector@stpaas.org) for more information.