What We Believe
We profess the ancient Christian faith as articulated by the Nicaean Creed — we worship the Holy Trinity, one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and we honor Holy Scripture (the Bible) as the Word of God. In the interpretation of Scripture, we value both the tradition of the church and the working of human intellect: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason are the bases on which we come to know God and God’s will for humankind.
Our Values
Our parish is an open and affirming church, meaning that all rites, sacraments, ministries, and offices are fully available to all Christians, without regard to sex, gender, or sexual orientation. Both ordained and lay leadership is open to men, women, and nonbinary people, and the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is available to both same-sex and mixed-sex couples who wish to make the lifelong commitment of marriage.
We believe that the church is called to seek and serve all persons. In our charitable giving, we support a variety of charitable causes in Perry and Juniata counties, both secular and religious. We are proud of the support that we can offer to the broader community.
How We Worship
At Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, our worship follows a traditional liturgical order of service. Every Sunday service includes hymn singing, scripture reading, a thoughtful sermon, prayers, and the celebration of Holy Eucharist (Communion).
Our services follow the order provided in The Book of Common Prayer. In the first half of the service, we praise God by the singing of congregational hymns, sharing readings from the Bible, and hearing a sermon that connects the biblical text to modern life. We also engage in prayer and confession of sin as we prepare to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
In the second half of the service, the priest and people offer their thanksgiving to God, and consecrate Bread and Wine to be the Body and Blood of Christ. All baptized Christians, regardless of church affiliation, are invited to share with us in receiving Holy Communion.
Living as the Beloved Community
Our life as a community extends beyond Sunday worship. We engage in prayer, fellowship, and study throughout the week. Our parish maintains a regular schedule of mid-week fellowship, Sunday study on the Bible and other aspects of Christian life, and periodic meetings for prayer, meditation, and the deepening of our spiritual life.
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen is part of the Episcopal Church, and belongs to the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which carries forth Anglican Christianity in the United States, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Taiwan, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Virgin Islands.
