What we believe

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.

These words come from the Nicene Creed, an ancient statement of faith that the Church of God has confessed for almost 1700 years. They are not exhaustive statements by any means, but they are the essential to the Christian faith because any belief in God originates with who the triune God is as revealed to us in scripture: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe God continues to speak to the Church, continues to call the Church to the mission of God, and is continually being revealed in scripture and in the sacraments of the Church.

Each Sunday, we gather as a community to worship God. And truly, the best way to know what Episcopalians, and therefore we at St. Alban's, believe is to experience that worship. How we pray shapes what we believe, and each Sunday our liturgy consists of listening to the written word of God from holy scripture, praying together using the Book of Common Prayer, and then coming together at Christ's altar to share in his body and blood. We believe that in our worship we come to meet God and be formed by God so that we might love God more deeply and go into the world to love and serve our neighbors, too.

And we're glad when those neighbors come to join us! We believe that all of our neighbors, all of God's children, are welcome here. You are welcome here no matter your age, race, gender identity, and sexuality.

We are an Episcopal parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, which is a member of the Anglican Communion.

If you'd like more information about some of the beliefs of the Episcopal Church, our Catechism is a good starting place. Sometimes it's easier to have a conversation about what we believe - you're always welcome to talk to Rev. Michelle if you'd to get a better sense of St. Alban's, the Episcopal Church, and what we believe.