Who are we?
Dress up or dress down. You can be yourself here. Whoever you are and wherever you are in your life journey, you are welcome. There are no litmus tests. We don’t want to change you. We want to support you as you grow into the person you were born to be. We follow Jesus. We don’t all understand Jesus the same way. But Jesus is the personal face of our faith. We don’t have a long list of doctrines and rules. We have a person who leads us through the tangle of life. We don’t claim to know Jesus nearly well enough. In the Episcopal Church, people get to know Jesus better over time. We build bridges. People call us “the bridge church” because we look for common ground with other churches. We do not claim to be the only right church, but we might be right for you. We pray together. At home, we each pray in our own special way. Some speak with God spontaneously. Some meditate, practice yoga, or recite prayers of the saints. At Church, we worship and pray together in ways that are thousands of years old and shared around the world. It is ritual, but it isn’t rote. It touches, shapes, and strengthens our souls. We are hard to label. We are a liberal, progressive church because we are inclusive, we value diversity, we stand for social justice and protecting the environment. We ordain women and welcome the LGBT Community. We are a conservative church because we value old remembered ways and teach the orthodox faith even if we don’t insist that everyone agree. We are a Catholic Church because we have sacraments, saints, and traditional Catholic worship. We are a Protestant Church because we start with the Bible and respect the right of each person to read the Bible his or her own way. We are an Anglican Church, the only American church which belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion, but we are decidedly a Nevada Church with a Southwestern pioneer spirit. We hope you will worship with us soon. We don’t want to sell you anything. We won’t pressure you to join us. But we offer a place for you to explore your beliefs in conversation with others. We welcome families and singles, seniors and young adults, people of different races, sexual orientations, and political convictions. We offer children’s programs, youth programs, adult programs, and intergenerational programs. We are a welcoming church. If you worship with us, you will probably find some people like yourself and you are sure to find some people who are different. We discover ourselves in the Episcopal Church while we are discovering each other. Spiritual seekers find home here. Strangers and wayfarers become friends. What do we believe?
Creeds are statements of our basic beliefs about God. The term comes from the Latin credo, meaning I believe. While we will always have questions about God, the Church, and our own faith, we have two foundational creeds that we use during worship: the Apostles’ Creed used at baptism and daily worship, and the Nicene Creed used at communion. In reciting and affirming these creeds, we join Christians across the world and throughout the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.
What is the Apostles' Creed? What is the Nicene Creed?
The Apostles' Creed is the ancient creed of Baptism; it is The Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church used in the Church's daily worship to recall our and is used at the Eucharist. Baptismal Covenant. The Nicene Creed The Apostles' Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker I believe in God, the Father almighty, of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. creator of heaven and earth; We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not and born of the Virgin Mary. made, of one Being with the Father. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, Through him all things were made. was crucified, died, and was buried. For us and for our salvation he came down from He descended to the dead. heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became On the third day he rose again. incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. He ascended into heaven, For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he and is seated at the right hand of the Father. suffered death and was buried. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. On the third day he rose again in accordance with I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated the holy catholic Church, at the right hand of the Father. the communion of saints, He will come again in glory to judge the living and the the forgiveness of sins dead, and his kingdom will have no end. the resurrection of the body, We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of and the life everlasting. Amen. life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. How to speak “Episcopalian”
NARTHEX a. A character in a Dr. Seuss book b. Foyer, or front hallway, of the church building c. A small nocturnal animal that feeds at night SACRISTY a. Room where liturgical vestments and altar linens are kept b. A dormitory used for sleeping c. Last name of Oscar winning actress in a live action short NAVE a. A medieval bad guy b. The room where worship takes place c. Latest hair care product from Paul Mitchell VESTRY a. A rack in a men’s clothing store where vests are displayed b. Device used to inflict pain in dungeons c. The elected leadership body of the parish ALB a. Long white robe worn when serving at the altar b. Nickname for a man named Albert from Long Island c. Side dish served with kale at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant CHANCEL a. New casino game at the South Point b. Part of church containing altar and seats for choir c. Formal name for the Duke of Edinburgh RECTOR a. A movie director who has been defrocked b. The y-coordinate of the lower-right corner of the rectangle c. The Priest who leads a financially self-supporting parish What does it mean to be part of Epiphany? No matter where you come from, you are welcome at Epiphany. We are made up of people from many different faith traditions or even no tradition at all. You do not need to be a member in order to worship here or be part of a ministry. If you are curious about membership, please see one of the clergy or our new member minister. 1. People of Epiphany welcome everyone who comes through our doors. We greet visitors, welcome them, answer questions and assist them with any special needs.
2. People of Epiphany care for each other, displaying respect for all and working towards mutual understanding on common ground. We listen, even though we may disagree.
3. People of Epiphany pray regularly, in whatever form or forms fit our spiritual needs, seeking a sustaining relationship with God.
4. People of Epiphany work for a better world, whether through a ministry of the church, a broader mission to the community, or individual acts.
5. People of Epiphany worship with others on a regular basis. We honor the worship service as part of our membership in the Kingdom of God.
6. People of Epiphany are evangelists, talking about our church’s ministries and people and seeking ways that the church may serve the community at large.
7. People of Epiphany give their time, talent and treasure to further the work of the church. We discern which ministries need our gifts and offer them freely. We pledge what we can to help the church spread its’ ministry.
8. People of Epiphany study and learn about the Christian faith, whether individually or in groups, seeking to explore and deepen our faith.
At Epiphany, our mission is to create and nurture disciples to share our journey to know and to love Jesus Christ. We come from different places, have different life experiences, and are at different points in our spiritual journeys. Yet we are brought together by our faith in Jesus Christ and the call to love God and love our neighbor. These components of our commitment to Christ, and to one another, help us to live more fully into our call to discipleship.