About St. Andrew’s
Andrew was a simple fisherman, called by God to do a great thing…to follow Jesus and tell others about him.
Here at St. Andrew’s, we embrace Andrew’s calling as our own, and believe our name reflects our mission of “transforming the world through Christ — one heart at a time.”
We are excited to offer our community a new Anglicanism for the 21st century — an Anglicanism that embraces Biblical truth, and proclaims the uniqueness of Jesus the Messiah, the only Son of God who has come to redeem the whole world through the power of his transforming love.
“We have found the Messiah! Come and see!”
A different kind of Anglican Church
What do we mean by different?
We mean that we’re a “both/and” kind of church. Truly the “via media” — or middle way — between Catholicism and Protestantism, we are both catholic and evangelical.
Centered in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, we celebrate our Anglican heritage, with worship rooted in the common prayer and rich tradition and liturgy of the Church.
We are a church that lifts our voices as one to praise God in both the beautiful music of the timeless hymns, accompanied by our excellent organist and choir, and in the contemporary sounds of today’s top Christian rock groups, led by our contemporary worship band.
Three weekend services, each with a distinct worship style, allow you to worship in a way that draws you closest to our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet each of these service holds these things in common:
- Excellence in liturgy
- A relaxed atmosphere
- Bible-based preaching from the heart
- Aand what may be the friendliest passing of The Peace you’ll ever encounter!
A Purpose-Driven Church
What is a Purpose-Driven Church? Very simply, a Purpose-Driven Church is one that is driven by the Biblical purposes for which God established his Church:
• Worship
• Stewardship
• Ministry
• Evangelism
• Fellowship
• Discipleship
These purposes, rooted in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, are the foundation of our purpose and mission statements.
And because these purposes are also the purposes for our lives — the purposes for which God created us — our M.A.D.E. in Christ process for personal spiritual growth is based on them.
An Historical Church
As a member of the Anglican Church in North America, St. Andrew’s traces our roots back to the first apostles of Jesus, the Foundation upon whom we build our faith.
A Sacramental Church
The primary expression of worship is in the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, or in the Catholic faith, the Mass. Communion is offered at every Sunday service, and because we believe that Communion is the spiritual food that nourishes the Holy Spirit that God implants in us at Baptism, we welcome all baptized Christians — including infants and children — to join us in partaking of this sacrament.
Baptism
The other great sacrament of the Church is Baptism, in which we are reborn into a new family — the Church. We believe that in Baptism, God plants his Holy Spirit in the human heart and adopts us as his children. We baptize infants, as did the early Church, and charge parents, Godparents and other family members with responsibility for their spiritual development until they are old enough to accept that responsibility themselves. We recognize any Baptism with water in the name of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), so if you’re transferring from another Christian church, as so many of our members have, you won’t need to be re-baptized.
Other Sacraments
Confirmation
Some churches wait until children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of Baptism before offering them the sacrament of Baptism. At St. Andrew’s, we also expect and encourage believers to make a mature confession of faith. This is done in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is our practice at St. Andrew’s to offer the sacrament of Confirmation to young people 16 years of age and older and adults. At age 16 you are eligible to vote in elections in the parish. And you are beginning to take on more of the responsibilities of adulthood, such as driving a car, getting a job, etc. It seems a reasonable time to make a mature profession of faith in Jesus Christ before our chief pastor, the bishop. Confirmation is also encouraged for people who were baptized in another church who wish to join an Anglican church.
Reception & Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows
From time to time in our spiritual journey, we find it meaningful and helpful to renew our commitment to Christ before a bishop of the Church. Our Book of Common Prayer provides two opportunities to renew your faith in our Lord Jesus. Those who have previously made a mature public commitment to Christ in another Church may be received into the Anglican Church by the laying on of hands by a Bishop of this Church, rather than confirmed. If you have been confirmed or received by a Bishop of this Church, and would like to renew your commitment to Christ before a Bishop, you may renew your baptismal vows when the bishop visits for Confirmation.
Holy Matrimony
Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which a man and woman enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.
Holy Unction
Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, with prayer for spiritual, emotional or physical health. At St. Andrew’s, we offer this sacrament at the 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sunday worship services. Unction is also offered to people who are are ill in the hospital, at home or in a nursing home. Please call the parish office at 740-548-5112 to request a hospital or home visit.
Penance
Also known as Reconciliation of a Penitent, Penance is the repentance and confession of sin, made to God in the presence of a priest who proclaims the grace of absolution. Confession is not required in the Anglican Church, but is often meaningful for those who desire it.
Ordination
Ordination is the rite in which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit to bishops, priests, and deacons.