Who are we? We are the Episcopal Church in Bristol, a gathering of Christians who rehearse their faith in the words of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal. We gather to worship, to feast, to pray, to offer support and comfort. We gather to learn more about our faith, and to know one another better. We gather to be a people who are better able to care for and serve our neighbors—in St. Michael’s, in Bristol, and beyond. We have a reputation in Bristol for being people who give of ourselves to those in need. Thanks to those who came before us we have a beautiful building to share with the community, and an endowment to maintain it.
How did we come to be? Ultimately we are the work of God, called together as followers of the way proclaimed to us in Jesus Christ, born anew by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our roots go back 2000 years, and then reach further into the stories, and songs, and visions recorded in the Old Testament. This congregation was founded as a mission of the Anglican Church, and its first ministers were missionaries sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel based in London. We first worshipped together as St. Michael’s in 1718. Since then we have loved, and struggled, and succeeded, and failed, and through it all have endured. We have among us some who traced their lineage back to these earliest times, and others of us have brought their experiences and history of places far away. We continue to grow out of this heritage, and to reach out into the community offering ourselves, and our property, in service to those not yet with us.
Where are we going? Our mission statement says we are daring to go “where our Savior leads” and that seems to be finding its expression in ways almost as numerous as the people who are among us. It is quite probable that each of us is doing something in service for our neighbor—but some of the ways we seem to be doing this together, and finding our way forward, are these: Faith Walk for Charity, Bromley Mission, Episcopal Charities, Main Street Program, Faith Community Nursing, Nursing Home Ministry, RISE…the list goes on. Where are we going? Into our neighborhood, and into the world, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
As it says in the ad: We’re committed to a transformed world, as Jesus taught: a world of justice, peace, wholeness, and holy living. Come and grow, and serve, with us this summer and throughout the year.
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