The Church’s Mission Jesus told his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded.”  (Matthew 28: 19 – 20)  From its very beginning and from the heart of its founder, the Church is a missionary movement.  Our main purpose is to bring people into a life–changing relationship with God through Jesus Christ and to help each member grow into a mature disciple and servant of Christ.  The mission of the Church includes both The Great Commission (teaching others to be disciples of Jesus) and The Great Commandment (loving others in tangible ways).  We commit ourselves to this dual mission both locally and “to the uttermost parts of the earth.”  The Trinity We believe in one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as revealed through the Biblical witness and as understood in the Church’s traditional statements of faith.  We believe that the Father created the universe “out of nothing” and is the Author of all life.  We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully human and fully divine, who was sent to earth to redeem a sinful human race.  By his death on the cross atoned for our sins and through his resurrection he made it possible for us to have eternal life.  We believe that Jesus, the Risen and Living Lord is present in our world and in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to have an immediate and personal relationship with God.  Jesus Christ, the Unique and Universal Savior While many world religions and philosophies contain elements of truth and moral integrity, we believe that Jesus Christ is the “one mediator between God and humanity.“  In Jesus, God has revealed His true self and true purpose for all humanity.  Through the ministry of the Church throughout history, God intends to reconcile all humanity to himself.  It is the mission and duty of every Christian to share this good news with every person.  All persons everywhere need to come to know, love and serve God through Jesus Christ, as there is “no other name under heaven by which we may be saved” (Acts 4:12).  Christian Obedience We confess Jesus as Lord to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given by the Father.  We commit ourselves to follow him and love him above all else and to conform our lives to his example and teaching.  Holy Scripture We believe that all Holy Scripture is “written for our learning” (Romans 15:4), that they are “God’s word written” and that we are called to “hear, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them.”  We commit ourselves to daily reading and study of Scripture and to preach and teach only those things that are in accordance with the Scriptures.  Historic Faith, Anglican Formularies and Ecumenical Vision We affirm the historic faith of the Church as it has been summarized in the Athanasian, Apostles and Nicene Creeds and as explained in the teachings of the Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church.  We affirm the classical Anglican Prayer Book formularies since the Reformation period as an adequate modern restatement and clarification of the ancient faith.  We work and pray for our unity with other churches of the Anglican Communion and of all Christians on the basis of the authority of the Holy Scriptures and the historic creeds.  Contemporary Implications of the Gospel Christian mission is rooted in the unchanging truth of the biblical witness.  However, because we live in an ever-changing world, new challenges arise which require thoughtful and prayerful response.  Church and State Biblical social commandments and ethical principals are foundational for the well–being of every society.  Recognizing the call of Christians to be faithful witnesses and a challenging presence in society, we are committed to seek ways to express these commandments and principals in all spheres of life, including the public life of the nation.  Sanctity of Life All human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be honored and protected from conception to natural death.  We will uphold the sanctity of life and bring the grace and compassion of Christ to those who face the realities of unwanted pregnancy, previous abortion or end–of–life decisions.  We will work to end unjust social conditions which result in abject poverty, preventable illness and early death for the voiceless poor of the world.  We will work to oppose unjust wars which cause countless innocent lives to be taken.  Human Sexuality Sexuality is a sacred gift from God to be used as God intends.  All Christians are called to chastity: husbands and wives by exclusive sexual fidelity to one another and single persons by abstinence from sexual intercourse outside of marriage.  God intends and enables all persons to live within these boundaries.  Marriage and Family Life God created us in complementary roles as male and female.  God intends that this male/female complementarity reach fulfillment in the sacramental state of Holy Matrimony.  God instituted marriage to be a life–long covenant intended for help, comfort and mutual joy and the procreation of children.  The role of father and mother, exercised in variety of ways, are God–given and profoundly important.  In Christian marriage, parents are intended to be the primary spiritual teachers of their children, providing moral instruction and godly example.  Divorce is always contrary to God’s original intention, although in some cases a tragic necessity.  We commit ourselves to building healthy and holy marriages and mending broken marriages whenever possible.  True Inclusively We believe that God wants to redeem, ransom and reconcile all humanity to himself through a living relationship with Jesus Christ.  In Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.”  We welcome every person into the fellowship of Jesus Christ regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, social status or past behavior.  We invite every person to repent, accept Jesus Christ as Savior and follow Him as Lord.  This, we believe, is true gospel inclusiveness.  We reject any false notion of inclusively that denies that we are all sinners in need of repentance and the saving grace of God.  Current Controversies in the Episcopal Church We intend to be faithful members of the Episcopal Church and of the Anglican Communion.  However, we do not believe that faithfulness requires blind obedience and silent acquiescence to all decisions made by denominational leaders or decision–making bodies.  Whenever there arise within the Church, at any level, decisions, pronouncements and practices which are contrary to the biblical faith as understood in the classical Anglican formularies, we believe that it is our duty to express our disagreement.  In obedience to God, we will disassociate ourselves from such teachings and practices.  Trinity Episcopal Church,  11 Church Street,  Tarrifville, CT 06081 Telephone:  (860)651-0201,  FAX:  (860)651-0203 E-Mail:  trinitychurch@trinitytariffville.org