Our Core Beliefs

Christ Episcopal Church is affiliated with the Worldwide Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church USA, and the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut.  As Christians, we believe the following basic principles:

We believe in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God made everything on earth and it is good.

We are God's chosen people; he has committed to loving us forever.

We turn away from God.  Because we are human, and sinful in nature, we make choices that are not in line with God's will.  We choose to return to God by asking forgiveness for our sins and making a complete attempt to change the direction of our lives to follow God's word.

God sent his only son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.  God sent Jesus to us in human form so that he may live with us, share with us, suffer as we suffer, and show us how God wants us to live with one another.

Jesus was raised from the dead.  God chose to show us his victory over death through the life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.

In Jesus, we see God.  God sent Jesus to us so that we might see complete revelation of God.  Through Jesus, we are adopted children of God.

We are the body of Christ.  As Christians, we believe that together we are the body of Christ and responsible for carrying out His mission: to spread the news of God's victory over death. 

Christ will come again.  Christians await the next, and final, coming of Christ at which time he will place final judgment over the world and all his people.  That reign of Jesus will never end.

What else are we committed to?

The word of God, the Bible, is the final authority for our lives.  While Christians universally acknowledge the Bible (or the Holy Scriptures) as the Word of God and completely sufficient for our reconciliation to God, what the Bible says must always speak to us in our own time and place.  Episcopalians, consistent with the Anglican Communion, maintain a balance of scripture, tradition, and reason for guidance in the decisions of our lives.

We are a church that is committed to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  The Great Commandment:  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (The Bible, NRSV, Matthew: 22:37-30)  The Great Commission:  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. (The Bible, NRSV, Matthew: 28:19-20)

We use the Book of Common Prayer as a guide for common worship whether in private or in public.  The original purpose of the Book of Common Prayer is to provide in one place the core of the instructions and rites for Anglican Christians to worship together.  This book uses both traditional and contemporary language and is a wonderful guide for our daily devotions and public worship.

The above excerpts are taken from www.episcopalchurch.org, Seekers & Visitors section, followed by The Seeker's Center.  To see a complete description  click on the link above for the Episcopal Church, USA website.