Where do I Go from Here?
Newcomers are always welcome at any Anglican church. There are no membership fees and you don't have to fill in any forms. Anyone can attend any Anglican service and see what happens.
Where and when?
There is a link to the Diocese of Grafton’s website in the related links page. It contains a lot of background information and contact details for local parishes. There is also a long list of contact telephone numbers under ‘Anglican Church’ in the White Pages of the phone book.
Most churches have a noticeboard outside listing service times and contact numbers.
What if I like what I see?
There are two ceremonies relevant to becoming a fully functional Anglican. The first is Baptism, and the second is Confirmation.
Baptism is a ceremony representative of spiritual cleansing, ‘renewing’ a person upon entry into the Church. Originally the recipient was fully immersed in water; a modern baptism in the Anglican Church involves a ceremonial sprinkling of water on the head, and special prayers.
Some people are baptised as babies. This is an indication that the parents have decided to bring up their child as a Christian. In this case, people can be Confirmed when they are old enough to make their own decision to be part of the Church.
You can take part in most of the activities of the Church without going through either of these procedures, and there are no rules about how soon, or how late, you should make a formal commitment. Talk to your friendly parish priest about it some time.
What can the Church do for you?
The Church can bring you closer to God. We believe this is more important than anything in ‘ordinary’ physical existence. It can also help teach you to become a better person by living in a more ‘God-like’ way. The Church answers the human need for something greater than themselves in which to believe, and gives our lives a sense of meaning.
The Church also provides community with fellow humans, all working towards a common goal.
What can you do for the Church?
Many Christians become involved in the life of their Church in ways other than simple attendance. Many functions in a church service, such as reading lessons from the Bible, can be undertaken by any member of the congregation. Many churches have choirs and music groups.
Parishes also run groups which operate outside the confines of Sunday services. These include youth groups, studies and courses, and community service organisations.
Christians can also become qualified as ministers. Becoming a priest requires several years of study, and a deep commitment to Christianity. However, all Christians have a part to play, using their own individual talents in their everyday lives to further the work of the Church and bring the world a little closer to the way God wants it to be. Click here to see how you can be involved in our parish.
Glossary of Terms
Baptism: the ceremony of cleansing used when a person becomes a member of the Christian Church.
Confirmation: a conscious reaffirmation of baptismal vows, for those baptised as babies.
Congregation: the group of people who attend a church.
Creed: a formal statement of Christian belief.
Diocese: a regional grouping of parishes under the direction of a bishop.
Eucharist: another term for Holy Communion, or the service containing it.
Gospel: one of the four accounts of the life of Jesus in the New Testament.
New Testament: the part of the Bible dealing specifically with Christianity, and containing the
Gospels.
Old Testament: the part of the Bible predating Jesus, and containing Jewish religious laws and
traditions.
Parish: an individual church, and the area for which it has responsibility.
Sacrament: one of the core ceremonies of the Church, defined as 'outward and visible signs of inward
and spiritual grace'.
Theologian: a scholar who studies questions of God and religion.
Trinity: the combination of the three recognised aspects of God, known as Father, Son (Jesus of
Nazareth) and Holy Sprit.
Thanks and acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge and thank Alan Firth of the parish of St John the Evangelist, Roslyn for there Beginner’s Guide to the Anglican Church resource to which we have used and adopted, Used with permission.
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