HOW DO YOU SAY EPISCOPAL

HOW DO YOU SAY
"EPISCOPAL"
IN
PLAIN ENGLISH?

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Corner of College and Lamar
In the Heart of the Historical District
McKinney, Texas 75069
Metro 972-562-1166, Local 972-548-0857
www.stpetersmckinney.com

HOW DO YOU SAY
"EPISCOPAL"
IN PLAIN ENGLISH?

Even though the word "EPISCOPAL" can be scrambled so that you come up with PEPSI COLA without adding or subtracting letters it actually comes from a Greek word meaning "Bishops."
That tells us an important fact about Episcopalians. We have Bishops. We also have Priests, Deacons, and the Lay People. From our viewpoint each of the above, including Lay People, are called to the ministry of the Church. As one Bishop put it, "Bishops are the servants of the servants of the servants of God." That points to the fact that we are not authoritarian in our structure and attitudes but are called to serve God in mutual love and respect for each other’s gifts and ministries.

EPISCOPALIANS
BALANCE
SACRAMENTS AND PROCLAMATION

Our sacraments, including Baptism, and Eucharist (which is sometimes called Holy Communion), keep us rooted in the history and tradition of the Church. Our sacramental outlook on life adds drama to our worship and helps us affirm the validity of the good things of creation.
Because of the sacramental side of our outlook we love beauty in our worship and music. How can we not strive to worship the Lord our God with the very best that we have to offer? Our best is determined by the gifts and combination of people in each gathered congregation. Now that’s where you might come in.
Our equal valuing of Proclamation is rooted in Holy Scripture and in our call to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God. What we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND

As Episcopalians we are members of the world wide Anglican Communion. The word "Anglican" points to our historical roots that can be traced all the way back to the Apostles through the Church of England.
That Anglican heritage has colored our theology with an emphasis on the Incarnation. It also calls us to the acceptance and tolerance of a wide variety of styles of worship within our denomination. Just because you have been to one Episcopal Church really doesn’t mean that you have been to them all.
The one thing all the Churches of the Anglican Communion have in common is the Book of Common Prayer. All over the world it is translated into a variety of languages and adapted to the needs of each branch of our communion. The Book of Common Prayer provides a way of praying together in harmony and agreement. It never was meant to restrict the development of personal spontaneous prayer. Instead it provides structure for the development of personal prayers at home as well as in Church. In a sense it’s a dangerous book. If you honestly try it, you’ll like it!

EPISCOPALIANS
DIFFER!

That doesn’t mean that we are cantankerous. It simply means that we allow differences. That’s often frustrating for people who want everybody to agree with them. We value intellectual integrity and as a result we think it is better for a person to wrestle through to a clear understanding of a faith based on Scripture, than to mindlessly take things on faith that they don’t really understand. As a result we view faith life as a shared journey rather than as an arrived at destination. We place a higher value on love and unity than we do on conformity

EPISCOPALIANS
ARE NOT REALLY STRANGE,
AND
WE AREN’T NEW
TO McKinney

Episcopalian’s are your friends and neighbors. St. Peter’s has been in the center of the historical district of McKinney for years, yet its congregation spans the ages from young to old, providing a place to worship, a place of solace in time of need, and a center for the celebration of the many passages of life.
As your friends and neighbors we have noticed that if all the Churches in our community were full every Sunday, around eighty percent of our neighbors still would have no place to worship. We are inviting you to join us as we continue to grow a church in our area. Yes, an Episcopal Church, but now you have an idea what Episcopal means, and now you have an opportunity to get in on an exciting adventure in community.
Episcopalians look at parish churches as family structures where you can be known and accepted and personally get to know and accept others. Episcopalians look at Sunday morning worship as a place where we can encounter the living God who delights to make himself known in our midst. A church like St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is large enough to provide a number of resources for the community and congregation as well as a place of belonging where the joy and grace of life can be renewed in the presence of a loving God. There is a place for you here; a home for you at St. Peter’s. You are welcome in our midst.

The Rev’d. Canon Rob Smith Dmin. Obl. OSB