Affirmation of Faith

We Affirm…

• The Bible to be the inspired Word of God which contains all things necessary for salvation.
• The Nicene & Apostolic Creeds contain the tenets of our faith.
• The sacraments to be an effective means of grace.
• That we are an orthodox Christian Church.
• We look to Jesus for direction individually and collectively, and seek to move in unity as the Holy Spirit directs.
• We accept the authority of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church of the United States and the Diocese of Massachusetts.

 
Vision Statement

All Saints’ Parish is a welcoming Christian community whose fellowship reflects Jesus in the caring we have for every member. All Saints’ has a desire to reach out to others through evangelism and service, while inviting spiritual growth in all our members by clear teaching about Jesus.

 
Core Beliefs

We believe in…

1. Prayer as the foundation for all actions done in the name of the Church.

• Worship and teaching which is centered in Christ and informed by the Baptismal Covenant and Catechism.
• We believe we are part of God’s creation, made in the image of God and free to make choices. We believe God gave us the Ten Commandments to help us make good choices. The Ten Commandments define our relationship to God and to our neighbor.

2. The sacraments as a sign of God’s grace given to us to forgive our sins,  enlighten our minds, stir our hearts, and strengthen our wills.

3. Using our ministries to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, to seek and serve Christ in all persons loving our neighbor as ourselves and to strive for justice and peace among all people while respecting the dignity of every human being.

4. Accepting, and nurturing individuals and inviting spiritual growth.

5. Providing a breadth of opportunities to minister in Christ’s Name.

6. Demonstrating concern for all members; those able to attend and those shut in.

7. Fostering growth by providing a variety of learning and serving opportunities.

8. Showing respect and acceptance of spiritual diversity by considering individuals more important than issues. (traditional - evangelical,  liberal - conservative)

9. Seeking the mind of Christ in order to find unity and harmony in decision making.

10.  A desire to maintain a variety of worship styles to meet individual needs.

 
Core Values

We value . . .

A healthy Church. We believe a healthy church is prayerful in all of the following aspects of church life and ministry, and values:

1. God’s Empowering Presence

2. God-Exalting Worship

3. Spiritual Disciplines

4. Learning and Growing in Community

5. A Commitment to Loving, Caring Relationships

• a value to spend time together in community and to know each other.
• to do everything possible to support one another in our faith journey.
• to provide as well as possible for those among us who are in need.

6. Servant/Leadership Development

7. An Outward Focus: evangelism, social concern, and international missions

8. Wise Administration and Accountability

9. Networking with the Body of Christ

10. Stewardship and Generosity

 
Mission

Our mission as a parish is to:

• grow a church
• provide for shut ins through lay eucharistic ministers
• love and serve all members of the church.
• teach and raise our children in the Christian faith.
• provide, maintain and improve a physical place for people to come to worship, learn and grow as Christians.
• help others to know Christ.
• reach out to the poor and needy around us.
• maintain a relationship with other Christian communities.
• be evangelists in word and deed.
• have Christ centered in our worship.
• create and maintain accessibility to church and worship that all people would be able to attend church. To allow anyone to be here that wants to be here.

 
Strategy

Our strategy is to invest our personnel and ministries in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in a loving and caring manner, within our congregation, among our neighbors and others outside the church, and as possible throughout the world.

While we continue in developing the characteristics of a healthy church, our current focus is on three primary areas:

• Fellowship reflecting Jesus in the caring we have for all our members
• Reaching out to others through evangelism and service
• Inviting and encouraging spiritual growth in all our members by clear teaching about Jesus.

 
Ministries

• Alpha
• Serving the homeless (Ecclesia Ministry, Wood Mullen, etc.)
• Supporting Food for the Poor
• School Tuition for Two Boys in Haiti
• Support for AA & Alanon

• Nursery & Sunday School  
• Adult Education
• Cursillo
• Christ Centered Worship
• Singspiration
• Women of Faith Conferences
• Alpha Ministry
• Altar Guild
• Choir
• Lay Readers

• Breakfasts
• Parish activities (cookouts, dinners)
• Coffee Hour
• Lay Eucharistic Ministers
• Personal Ministry to one another
• Creating and Maintaining the Parish Family