Episcopalians
Episcopalians are first and foremost Christians. We proclaim and follow Jesus as Lord. We believe God is alive and well and active in our day to day lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Episcopalians are also part of The Episcopal Church, U.S.A. under the pastoral leadership of our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Frank Griswald. Every local parish or mission is part of a Diocese, and there are approximately 100 dioceses in the Episcopal Church. St. Andrew's, Mountain Home, is part of The Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas and serves Christ under the authority of our bishop, The Right Reverend Larry E. Maze.
The Episcopal Church is but one of the autonomous sister Churches of the Anglican Communion -- a fellowship of Churches all in communion with The Church of England . The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, is our spiritual leader and symbol of our unity.
All Anglican Churches are drawn together by a common loyalty to
scripture as the revealed Word of God
the historical Creeds of the Church as sufficient statements of Christian belief
the celebration of the seven sacraments of the Church with special emphasis on Baptism and Eucharist
the apostolic ministry of bishops, priests , and deacons in the life of teaching and service in the Church
the use of scripture, Church tradition, and reason in matters of belief and practice
As Episcopalians, we say of ourselves that the best way to know who we are and what we believe is to worship with us. Through our worship we find a power for the future as we experience the wisdom and beauty of the ages.
Episcopalians honor diversity and embrace a variety of postures during our worship. We sit, kneel, stand, and sing. Sometimes we pray aloud. Sometimes we pray silently. Some of us bow and make the sign of the cross; others of us don't. These diverse expressions engage us in body, mind, and soul, and help to make our worship experience as full and meaningful as possible.
Episcopal worship calls for the full participation of all the people, and the Prayer Book will usually guide you in what comes next, what to do, and what to say or sing. Our people are genuinely thoughtful and friendly, and are always eager to assist worshippers who are unfamiliar with our services.
The main form of worship in the Episcopal Church is the Holy Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Mass. If you have been baptized in any Christian tradition with water in the name of the Trinity (no matter your age), then we invite and encourage you to join us at the Altar rail for communion. When the time comes, just go to the communion rail with the others around you, kneel or stand as you prefer, and place your right hand over your left to receive the consecrated bread. People are also invited to receive the wine in our services and may always receive from a common cup called a chalice. Some prefer to dip the bread into the wine.
Our Prayer Book defines Holy Baptism as full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body, the Church. If you have not been baptized and you desire the sacrament of baptism for yourself or for your child , please make your desire known to the priest.
We hope and pray your encounter with Christ in our worship will send you out into the world refreshed, encouraged, challenged, accepted and filled with the peace of God which passes all understanding.
