Belonging

Belonging to St. John's is pretty straightforward. We expect each other to worship at St. John's on a regular basis and to contribute our time, talent, and/or money to build up the church, the Body of Christ. Contributing our gifts of time, talent, and/or money acknowledges that everything is a gift from God and that, as Christians, we are called to share our gifts with others, in order to glorify God and to make Jesus Christ known in the world.

Truly belonging to any Christian community, including St. John's, requires baptism. Baptism is a sacrament that was instituted by Jesus Christ. A sacrament is "an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace" (from the Catechism, or Outline of Faith). Becoming a baptized Christian is an act of faith, commitment, and courage.

Baptized Christians promise to have faith in God, as revealed in Jesus Christ and to strive to live as Jesus Christ lived. Specifically, we promise to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers; to persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord; to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to love our neighbors as ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. We promise to do these things with God's help. (Book of Common Prayer, 304).

Chaplain Jeffrey Deutsch, with Pastor Teresa Danieley, will lead a 10 week course called To Travel Together this Fall, on Sunday mornings from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. This course is for people interested in confirmation, baptism, or reception into the Episcopal Church, or reaffirmation of baptismal vows. The dates of To Travel Together for this fall will be October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21, 28, and December 5.

Jeffrey Deutsch holds a Master's of Divinity from Yale and an Anglican Certificate of study from Berkeley Divinity School. As well, Jeffrey trained as a chaplain at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York and at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield. Jeffrey served as a hospice chaplain for Samaritan Care Hospice and developed a training program for volunteer caregivers for Deaconess Hospital. This is the fifth year that Chaplain Deutsch presents his curriculum for catechumens called " To Travel Together." The goal of this course is not to answer questions about the Episcopal Church. Rather, it allows participants to form their personal questions for own their formation as committed Christians.

Dispelling some Myths about Confirmation, Membership, and Baptism:

Confirmation is not required to belong to the Episcopal Church. Neither confirmation nor formal transfer of membership from another Episcopal parish is required to serve on the vestry of St. John's, or most Episcopal vestries. Confirmation and formal membership is still required to run for some diocesan and national offices, as well as for those seeking ordination as a deacon or priest.

These changes reflect our renewed focus on baptism as "full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body the Church" and our belief that "the bond that God establishes in baptism is indissoluble." (BCP, 298) Confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation of baptismal vows are all formal ways to make a renewed, mature commitment to living a Christian life, as an Episcopalian. However, they are not necessary to belong to an Episcopal Church. Once you are baptized, you are God's own forever. Period.

Infants, Baptism, & Communion

In the Episcopal Church, we baptize infants and small children so that they may "share citizenship in the Covenant, membership in Christ, and redemption by God." The baptismal promises "are made for them by their parents and sponsors, who guarantee that the infants will be brought up within the Church, to know Christ and be able to follow him." (Catechism)

Once an infant or small child is baptized, she or he should receive the Holy Eucharist, or communion. Even the youngest infant can receive a modified form of communion (a drop of wine on a finger, a tiny bit of bread). Baptized infants and children are equal citizens in the Covenant and equal members in Christ. They should never remember a time when they were not able to participate fully in the life of the Christian community, including receiving communion.