Should you want to become a member, the information below will help you formalize your relationship with St. Andrew’s.
Membership Means Ministry
All members of the Church are called to share in the ministry of the Church, according to their gifts. The ministry of lay persons (i.e. those who are not ordained as deacon, priest, or bishop) is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
There are four ways to become a member of St. Andrew’s:
Registration – The Yellow Welcoming Card
All visitors are encouraged to fill out a Yellow Welcoming Card and give it to one of the ushers. If you indicate on the card that you’d like to be contacted, we’ll do that so we can get to know you better and answer any questions you may have.
Any person who has received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in the Episcopal Church or in any other Christian Church may become a member of St. Andrew’s. If you express interest in membership in our parish on our welcoming card, we will contact you to begin a discussion. Classes for those interested in learning more about the Episcopal Church and what being a member means are held from time to time. Completing a Welcoming Card and returning it to the Parish Office or a church leader, like an usher, is the first step.
Letter of Transfer
Any person who has been a member of another Episcopal church may request a letter of transfer from their former church (or provide our church office with the needed information so we can request one for you/your family) in order to become a member of this parish.
Confirmation or Reception
In the Episcopal Church it is expected that all adult members will, after appropriate instruction, make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and will be Confirmed or Received by a Bishop of the Church.
Baptized persons who have been confirmed by a Bishop in a Christian Church with the historic episcopate (such as the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Church) or by a Bishop of a Church in full communion with the Episcopal Church (currently the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church—Northern or Southern Provinces, Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India, Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, Philippine Independent Church, and Church of Sweden) are, after appropriate instruction, received by a Bishop into this Church.
Holy Baptism
Holy Baptism is administered to adults and to the children of parents who are members in good standing of St. Andrew’s, or another Episcopal church. Baptisms, except in situations of emergency, take place during a public service of worship, normally on a Sunday morning. The entire congregation takes vows to support the newly baptized in the life of faith. For this reason, we expect that parents seeking baptism for their children spend some time getting to know us in order to discern if we are the church in which they wish their child to be raised and supported in the journey of faith and which can provide the support for them to honor the promises they make on behalf of their children at baptism. We celebrate Holy Baptism at the Easter Vigil, on Pentecost, on All Saints Sunday, on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, and on other Sundays as scheduled by the Rector. For more information on baptism, which conveys membership in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, please contact the Parish office.