Dear Friends in Christ at St. John,
I hope you are enjoying these beautiful last days of summer. If you are new to St. John in the Wilderness, I would like to invite you to deepen your relationship with Christ and his Church this September and October.
Starting on Sunday, September 8, I will begin teaching a class designed to dive deeply into the spirituality and history of the Episcopal Church. This class will serve as an introduction to our liturgical and sacramental life, as well as to help you grow in your relationship with God and the grace we receive so abundantly in our life together as the Body of Christ.
The class will be held on Sundays at 12:30pm in the Wilderness Room: September 8, 15, 22, 29, and October 6. Lunch will be provided. We will not be reading a book this year but we will let you know about resources to learn more about the Episcopal Church and to deepen your faith. We will provide space to answer questions you have, also.
Please RSVP for this class at this link by Tuesday, September 3 so that we have a headcount for food.
We would also like to recognize all new members on All Saints’ Sunday, November 3, with a special service and gift at worship that morning, so whether you intend to take the class or not, if you are officially joining the church, please mark your calendars for that date and fill out the form at this link (same link as above).
Below you will find an explanation that I wrote to help you better understand how it works when one is joining St. John in the Wilderness and the broader Episcopal Church. Our diocesan bishop, The Rt. Rev. Jose McLoughlin is scheduled to come to St. John in 2025. This class will serve as the requirement if you would like to be Baptized, Confirmed, Received, or Reaffirmed.
I hope you can join us for this time together and I look forward to getting to know you better in the weeks ahead.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Josh Stephens
Rector
How to Join an Episcopal Church
Life in Christian Community
One of the first things that Jesus did was call disciples to follow him. He formed a community of people around him whose very existence testified to the reality of God’s Kingdom in the world and Christ as the Messiah. Today we call that community the Church and we invite you to be a part of it. We cannot follow Jesus alone! Having the fellowship and support of the Christian community makes all of the difference as we go through life.
How do I join the Church?
You join the Body of Christ through baptism. It is the ritual by which God adopts us as God’s children and makes us members of Christ’s body, the Church, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God. If you have been baptized as a child or an adult, then we acknowledge you as our sibling in Christ even if that happened in a different tradition.
If you are baptized, you join this parish by beginning to share life with us in worship, fellowship, and service. When you’re ready, contact the office to request that your membership be transferred in. You will need to provide some basic details, such as your contact information, dates of birth and baptism, and the last church you joined. Please schedule a time to meet with a member of the clergy, also, so we can get to know you better.
What if I am baptized but I am new to the Episcopal Church?
The best thing to do is to start worshiping with us since our liturgy is at the very center of who we are. Fill out a visitor card at church or contact the office so we have your information and we will welcome you to the community.
You can join the church as described above when you’re ready. Again, meeting with the clergy is a good idea so we can learn more about you.
We will offer a Newcomers’ Class once a year (usually in the fall) to explain the Episcopal tradition, the sacraments, and more about our spirituality. We will invite you to this class well ahead of time.
The class is not required to become a member of the parish of St. John in the Wilderness, but it is required if you would like to officially become Episcopalian when our Bishop visits.
In other words, once you join St. John in the Wilderness, you might discern becoming an official Episcopalian by being Received into the Episcopal Church when the Bishop visits us. This is also when Confirmations and Reaffirmations happen.
What does it mean to be Received, Confirmed, or Reaffirmed?
The Newcomers' Class is required for the following. These are special blessings that the Bishop provides when he or she visits.
Reception: Being Received is as described above. It’s when you have joined a parish as a baptized member of that church but would also like to officially claim the Episcopal Church as your broader tradition. The Bishop lays hands on your head and receives you into Christ’s holy catholic and apostolic church and into the fellowship of this Communion.
Confirmation: This is the Sacrament of Christian maturity. When one is baptized as an infant, at Confirmation the person makes the Baptismal promises as an adult or young adult and the Bishop blesses them with the laying on of hands. If you were already confirmed as a young person in another tradition, then you are Received into the Episcopal Church.
Reaffirmation: This is when the Bishop lays hands on you and blesses you as you make a renewed commitment to Christ and his Church. Perhaps you have fallen away from the faith or you have been through a difficult time. By taking the class and meeting with the clergy, you can experience a ritual of grace by Reaffirming who you are and who God is in your life.
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