SO, WHAT DOES THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAVE TO OFFER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DENOMINATIONS?

• We always lead with the message of God’s love in our worship and in our daily lives.
• The message of love logically leads to a message of God’s forgiveness and pardon.
• All people are welcome – especially those who have been turned away from their church, or have been turned off by the judgment that pervades their church’s message.
• We are a sacramental church and we believe that God’s presence comes to us through outward and visible signs, such as bread and wine, water, and the human touch.
• The Holy Eucharist (Communion) is a sacrament and the principal service every Sunday.
• The sacrament of Holy Baptism offers full initiation into the Body of Christ, the Church, and all baptized Christians are invited to receive Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church.
• We are a liturgical church and observe the seasons and holy days of the Church Year – and the emphasis of each day or season influences the theme of each day’s worship. Each Sunday and Feast Day always offers something refreshing and different.
• "Liturgy" means "the work of the people." Our services are participatory in nature and are not dominated by the clergy.
• We don’t call our Sunday worship "preaching." Although the sermon is only one aspect of the worship experience the primary emphasis is on Holy Communion.
• Although we are a biblical church, we are not biblical literalists or fundamentalists. The scriptures must be interpreted. Each reader has a differing interpretation of any given passage. Literal interpretation is an oxymoron or contradiction in terms. No one person’s interpretation is viewed as authoritative.
• "We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God and to contain all things necessary to salvation" (the Rite of Ordination, BCP, p. 513).
• We use the Bible extensively in our worship: an Old Testament and a New Testament Epistle reading; the recitation of a Psalm; and a reading from a Gospel.
• We are a community of believers. To be a part of a church community does not allow one to be a "Lone Ranger." We seek to understand the will of God through the witness of all members of the community of faith as each is led by the Holy Spirit – whether that community is the congregation’s elected leadership (the vestry), the parishioners in each congregation, the diocese, or the national convention of the Episcopal Church.
• We are a church that encourages each person to use his or her God-given mind. We do not see doubt or questioning as a bad thing or as the opposite of faith; rather certitude (or being absolutely sure) is the opposite of faith. Doubt and faith are part of the same spectrum. Questions are invited in the Episcopal Church.
• Episcopalians are recipients of the gifts of the Early Church, dating from the First Century A.D. Some of those gifts include the Creeds, the authorized canon or final form of the New Testament as we have it today, our understanding and use of Sacraments, and our liturgies (rites), as well as many of the orthodox doctrines of the Church.
• We also affirm a belief in the mystery of the Incarnation, that is, the nature of Jesus as being both human and divine. We also proclaim the Resurrection - that Jesus died for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead, and salvation is available through belief in the Risen Lord.
• We are Trinitarians and profess a faith in the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• We are Christians. We believe, based on the witness of the Holy Scriptures, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world. Therefore we ask, if all Christians can affirm this statement, then shouldn’t we – at least – be tolerate of each other’s views?