Baptism
Baptism is the ancient sacrament by which one becomes a Christian and a member of the larger, universal Church. All ministry is an expression which traces our identity and mission to baptism, as we are marked as God’s children. Baptism is an event of significance for the church, as well as the individual and family.
All parents desiring baptism for a child must meet with one of the clergy before baptism can be scheduled. We look forward to sharing this important time in your life with you and trust that it will be an occasion of deepening faith and joy.
Baptism is offered throughout the year on some specific Sundays, as arranged by the clergy. All parents desiring baptism for a child must meet with our priest before baptism can be scheduled. Please fill out this form and call the church office at (443) 255-1070 to arrange an appointment to speak with Father Poling. We look forward to sharing this important time in your life with you and trust that it will be an occasion of deepening faith and joy.
Confirmation and Reception
In Confirmation, after a time of reflection and instruction, an adolescent or an adult makes a public affirmation of his or her responsibilities as a member of the Body of Christ. The Bishop lays hands upon those being Confirmed as the sacramental sign of the power of the Holy Spirit. Persons who have been baptized in other Christian communions but have not received a sacramental laying-on-of-hands of a Bishop, and who now wish to live the Christian life in the Episcopal Church, should go through the process to be Confirmed. One of the clergy can answer any questions.
In Reception, any person who has been Confirmed by a Bishop in another communion may be received by the Bishop of Virginia as a sign of welcome into the Episcopal fold.
It is not necessary to be Confirmed to be an adult member in good standing at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
Transfer: Members of another Episcopal parish may transfer his or her membership to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at any time. Please contact the church office at (443) 255-1070 and we will begin the process.
Please call the church office at (443) 255-1070 to arrange an appointment to speak with one of the clergy if you have questions about joining St. Andrew’s.
Weddings
The marriage of two people is a holy union. It begins with your desire to form a lasting partnership with another person in God’s love. A wedding is a sacred ritual that celebrates your desire to enter a lifelong relationship. By uniting within the context of a faith community, you recognize that God is active in the love you feel for one another. You make your vows before God and the gathered community of family, friends, and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help you fulfill your vows. Your marriage is a sacrament. It is an outward and visible sign of God’s grace bringing you together and nurturing the love you feel for each other.
The wedding service follows the Book of Common Prayer.
Please call the church office at (443) 255-1070 to arrange an appointment to speak with one of the clergy if you have questions about weddings at St. Andrew’s.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation, or Confession, as it is often called, is a recognition of the fact that all sins that have ever been or ever will be committed have already been forgiven by God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the sin of the world. Reconciliation is the sacrament in which forgiveness is personalized for a parishioner who acknowledges his or her own sinfulness, is penitent, and seeks the specific absolution of God as mediated through the Church, and spoken aloud by the priest.
Please contact a member of the clergy through the church office at (443) 255-1070 if you need assistance.
Funerals and Memorial Services
The funeral or service for the dead is an Easter liturgy. That means we as Christians discover meaning about life and death through the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. The liturgy is characterized by joy, in the certainty that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans, 8).
While we should be saddened at the death of a love one, and experience grief, we understand a funeral to be a celebration of a loved ones life. So, while we rejoice that the one we love has entered into the nearer presence of God, we join in sorrow and sympathy for those who mourn. There are three types of services for the departed:
- A funeral is the liturgy for the Burial of the Dead with the body present, either in a coffin or as ashes in an urn. It is usually held within a few days of the person’s death.
- A graveside service is a brief liturgy that usually follows the funeral directly, but can take place sometime after if the circumstances require it. The same liturgy is used for the casting of ashes or for a burial at sea.
- A memorial service is a liturgy without the mortal remains present. It follows closely the form of Burial of the Dead.
All services are based on the funeral service in The Book of Common Prayer and are planned with one of the clergy. St. Andrews provides a Funeral Planning Guide to help you in this sad time. Call the church office at (443) 255-1070 to speak with the clergy.
