St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
A community of seekers
Celebrating, serving, sharing
Come and see
The vestry has adopted this as a statement of our vision and mission. It speaks of who we are, and what we do. It invites others to join us.
Our hope is that this statement will keep us focused on the tradition we value, and our hopes for the future. It speaks to us of our love of questions, our joy in worship, our commitment to service, and our longing to reach out to others. And it takes this message to those who do not yet know us, those who like us are seeking, and who among us may find what they seek.
Much thought and conversation led to the adoption of this statement. We worked with what you told us a year ago in the parish survey, distilling from what you said the words and phrases, like “worship, service, acceptance, community” that to us “felt most like St. Andrew’s.” We also spent time in prayer and reflection with the story of Jesus’ call to Andrew, our patron (John 1:35-41). Two things were particularly compelling to us in this story, the invitation of Jesus to “Come and see” and the bold statement of Andrew, “We have found the Christ.”
You won’t find any openly religious language in this statement, because we want to speak not only to ourselves but to those who may not use our words for what they are seeking. But the language of our faith is implicit in every word and phrase. For those who long for the words we use in worship, prayer, and formation, I invite you to expand this statement when you hear it, using these or similar words:
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
A community of seekers
Celebrating God’s love in worship
Serving Christ in our neighbors and the world
Sharing the power and joy of the Spirit
Come and See
As you’ll see, the statement can expand in many directions, so that it includes more and more of the gifts we receive, what we value in our life together, and what we hope for the future. I invite you to join me in reflecting on this statement, and using it as you speak of this community and what it means to you, and the potential you see here for sharing the message of love and acceptance with a world that is hungry for good news.
As always, I invite you to contact me with any comments or questions. — Elizabeth