St John’s is an Episcopal Church, which is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion
Our Core Beliefs can be summarized by the words of the Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
What is an Episcopalian?
The Episcopal Church teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ, That we all have fallen short of the glory of God and are in need of a Savior who frees us from the bondage of sin. The Episcopal church is a protestant church that considers itself apart of the catholic (universal) tradition of the church, our worship and order strives to be faithful to the ways the church has historically worshipped and ordered itself. Our worship is sacramental (we believe that Christ’s grace is present in these rites, and we celebrate them frequently) and while we firmly uphold the faith once delivered as expressed in the creeds and ecumenical councils, we have healthy theological disagreement and debate present within our congregations.
Exploring the National Episcopal Church website may answer some of your questions - or raise additional ones! Visit our church to find out more. The best way to learn about the Episcopal Church is to become a part of it. Come and Grow!
Other places to check out include Iowa Connections and Episcopal Life Online.
Inclusion
The Episcopal church welcomes everyone to the church. The Episcopal church is proud to welcome women into all orders of ministry, as well as members of the lgbtq+ community. Additionally, the church is proud to be able to host same sex weddings. All are welcome here, and no matter your background, we welcome you to our church to experience the life-giving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
History
The Episcopal Church traces it’s origins to the early church in the English isles. The Church in England was dramatically reformed in the 1500s with Henry VIII and the English Reformation. The Episcopal church itself came to be as a result of the Revolutionary War in America. The Church in England refused to send Bishops to the Americas, so our first presiding bishop sought ordination from Scottish Bishops that were not apart of the “Established Church.” Since then Episcopalians have had a large impact on American society, counting 11 presidents and 33 supreme court justices amongst our ranks.
Worship
A common saying in the Episcopal Church is Lex Orendi, Lex Credendi, which is roughly translated to: what we pray is what we believe. In the Episcopal tradition we use something called the Book of Common Prayer. This book is steeped in scripture and is the guidebook for how we structure our services. This lends itself to a more “formal” style of worship. Our services are structured, and contain multiple passages and prayers derived from scripture. Much of our actions during the service have deep meaning, and our liturgy and music strike a beautiful rhythm in how we worship.
Church Order
The Episcopal church believes in a 3-fold order of ministry, which makes us distinct from many other protestant denominations. We have Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. This traditional way of ordering the church provides us a connection with the global church and accountability in the way we worship and govern.
Our Theology
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Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.t goes here
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Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty when our relationship with God is distorted.
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Redemption is the act of God which sets us free from the power of evil, sin, and death.
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The Messiah is one sent by God to free us from the
power of sin, so that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation. -
The Messiah, or Christ, is Jesus of Nazareth, the only
Son of God. -
By his obedience, even to suffering and death, Jesus
made the offering which we could not make; in him we are freed from the power of sin and reconciled to God.
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By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life.
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We share in his victory when we are baptized into the New Covenant and become living members of Christ.
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The mission of the Church is to restore all people to
unity with God and each other in Christ. -
The Church pursues its mission as it prays and
worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love. -
Grace is God's favor towards us, unearned and
undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills. -
The Christian hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of God's purpose for the world.
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The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.
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The two great sacraments given by Christ to his Church are Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.
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Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.
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The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament commanded by
Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. -
Other sacramental rites which evolved in the Church
include confirmation, ordination, holy matrimony,
reconciliation of a penitent, and unction.