How Are We Different? Good question!
How is St Paul’s different than other churches? One answer is our history, our particular challenges, our location, our dreams and our vision have led us in some distinctive directions.
The other simple honest answer is that we aren’t very different from any other worshiping congregation. We seek to worship of God and serve others in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are Episcopalians who are members of the worldwide Anglican communion of Christians whose customs and understandings of the Christian way developed from the Church of England. Anglicans have always been an interesting blend of the necessity that emerged in England in the 1500s of providing a church roomy enough for Christians with conscientious differences in practice and belief to be able to live together in love.
We are welcoming to people of all backgrounds. In the summer, we find people from almost every faith tradition worshiping at St. Paul’s. We have a long history of being the place where everyone on the island feels welcome.
At the heart of things, our life centers on the worship of God. At the Eucharist (also called the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or Mass), we invite all who are baptized and desire the relationship that comes through sharing the sacrament as a community to join us for communion.
Come, regardless of your denomination and no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, to worship with us and to receive the bread and wine with us. We see the gifts on the altar as God’s gifts to everyone. Ancient tradition teaches that the Eucharist is the meal for baptized church members. Please ask us if you have any questions. There is a yellow card in our pews with more information for our visitors because we want everyone to feel welcome.
As a parish, we care for this church which is one of Put-In-Bay’s most treasured buildings. As described in our parish history, we’ve been on a faith journey journey since 1864, over 150 years.
Our faith journey continues to the present. We look for ways to incorporate music and the gifts of our members in our worship.
Our mission is to welcome all people, encourage Christian growth, and proclaim the Gospel by word and deed.