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OUR MISSION:
To follow Christ in restoring all persons to unity with God and each other through communal worship, prayer, study, proclamation of the Gospel, and work toward justice, peace and love
OUR PLEDGE:
To make St. Paul’s Episcopal Church a community where no one sits or stands alone.
OUR WELCOME:
In the light of God’s unconditional love, we respect the dignity of every human being by welcoming and supporting all persons whatever their race, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, health status, marital status or stage of spiritual journeying. We invite you to explore, investigate, and grow in your faith and become a part of our shared journey with God.
OUR CHURCH:
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is a community of Christians drawn from the greater Lansing area who worship together in a downtown church, located just across the street from the Capitol. St. Paul’s parishioners come from many faith traditions – whether Protestant or Roman Catholic, non-denominational or non-Christian. We are a mix of diverse people from all walks and conditions of life. Through all our activities, we seek to provide an environment in which people can grow in a fuller understanding and engage in a wider demonstration of what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We believe that the nurturing and strengthening of our relationship with God, with neighbor, and with self, especially through the actions we pledge to fulfill in the Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church, are vital to realizing our full potential as God’s children.
OUR WORSHIP:
Because we believe that our relationship with God the Father, Jesus His son, and the Holy Spirit underlies all other relationships, we hold worship to be the single most important activity in the church’s life. Every Sunday we break bread together in Holy Communion, we listen to the teachings of the Apostles in a biblically based service, we pray together for the needs and wholeness of the church and of the world outside the church, and we share in fellowship after worship. Although clergy lead worship, lay people - as readers of scripture, servers of communion, leaders of prayer, ushers, acolytes, and choristers - participate extensively in the church service, as we believe that all are ministers in God’s sight. Singing, both congregational and choral, is an integral and highly valued part of worship.
OUR SERVICE TO OTHERS:
We believe that worship is the single most important activity in the church’s life. We also believe that when worship ends, our call to Christian service really begins. When we go into the world, we believe we are called to "seek and serve Christ in all persons," in the words of The Book of Common Prayer.
St. Paul’s parishioners are committed to service to others and:
- actively engage in outreach ministries, both as individuals and as a church
- support the needs of communities beyond the Lansing area through contributions to national and diocesan programs
- support many local programs, such as Habitat for Humanity, Christian Services, Eve’s House, The Greater Lansing Food Bank
- support our bi-annual blood drive
- host a vibrant Vacation Bible School program, open to all.
OUR EXPECTATIONS
Central to our existence is our desire to be God's active presence in the world. We are the Church. To that end, we:
- Worship together,
- Pray with and for one another
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- Nurture one another,
- Study and debate with one another,
- Reach out to those in need,
- Seek justice and peace for all God's people,
- Support this community and its ministry with time, talent and treasure,
- Continue to grow in our Vision and Mission
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