Search

Type your text, and hit enter to search:

Who are Episcopalians and what exactly do they believe?

images-heart-shape

The roots of the Episcopal Church lie in the Church of England, which separated from the Roman Catholic Church nearly five hundred years ago. The Church of England retained many rituals and practices, such as keeping many of the same prayers, having deacons, priests and bishops, and celebrating Communion on a regular basis. 

To give you a taste of what Episcopal spirituality is like, we are:

Liturgical & Biblical - Episcopal spirituality is rooted in communal daily prayer. Our way of praying tends to have more structure and is shaped by the Scriptures.

Communal - For Episcopalians, communal prayer comes before and shapes personal prayer. Prayer is a practice that connects us to God and to each other, and includes the living and the dead. 

Sacramental - Episcopalians see the world as sacramental, that is, as capable of mediating God's presence and grace. We emphasise the two primary sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, but also acknowledge other sacramental rites such as Confirmation, Marriage and Ordination.

Incarnation - Episcopalians emphasis the incarnation, God's decision to enter into human life and history through Jesus. Accordingly, Episcopalians have an earthly spirituality that affirms the goodness of life, including the body and the created word.

Mystical - Episcopalians experience union with God as happening over time, bit by bit through a journey aided by spiritual discipline and prayer.

Comprehensive - Episcopalians believe the truth is often found in the tension between extremes. We are not "black-and-white" thinkers, but instead affirm the ambiguity of experience and value of learning to tolerate and embrace complexity and ambiguity in many aspects of human life and in the spiritual journey.

Open-minded - Episcopalians are a people of questioning faith. We search for wisdom in many places and encourage people to listen to each other and to bring their honest questions to the spiritual life. 

Political - Episcopalians believe that Christian life has political implications and that civil life is both a legitimate and important place for a Christian's calling to be expressed.

(taken from 'A People Called Episcopalians' by John Westerhoff).  

As an Episcopal church, we are also part of a wider community of Christians in Glasgow called the United Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway, which is part of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

We are also part of a worldwide community of churches called the Anglican Communion.
 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

Services at Church

St Margaret's offers two services in the Church each week. These take place on:

  • Wednesday Evenings 7pm - 7.30pm (with communion)
  • Sunday Mornings 11.30am - 12.30pm (with communion)

Services online


St Margaret's streams our Sunday Services to our YouTube Channel. This means you can watch the service live between 11.30am and 12.30pm or later that same week. We also publish the Weekly Pew Sheet and Weekly Intercession Sheet which allows you to follow the Service readings from wherever you are. 
 

Zoom Church

Our Wednesday evening service is both in person and streamed via Zoom

Morning Prayer


Most weeks Monday to Friday,  Rev Dr Lisa Curtice leads Morning Prayer live online from 9am. You can follow morning prayer via our YouTube Channel
 

What should I expect when I visit the church?

You will receive a warm welcome particularly from our Stewards who will be able to answer your questions and direct you to where you need to go. 

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins.

Our services include time for reflection, singing, prayers, Bible readings and a sermon. Our weekly readings and service content are published on a Saturday afternoon in our Weekly Pew Sheet.   

On Sunday's after the service, we serve tea, coffee and biscuits (or cake!) This is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access which is via a ramp to the side of the Church. When you arrive on the grounds, someone will direct you. There is also a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one the steward know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. 

There is also a disabled toilet in the hall which is accessible from the Church.

What happens to the kids at church?

At St Margaret's we love to see children come along to church and we do have a small number of children who come along on a Sunday morning. We have dedicated kids section in the church where there is a bit more room for them to roam and some toys, books and colouring sheets to keep them entertained if the are not enjoying the Sermon!

Is there a dress code?

No! Please just be yourself and come dressed in clothes that make you feel comfortable.   

Will I have to join in?

Not at all! You are free to simply observe or participate as much as feels comfortable for you.

 
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Reuben-Preston   Rev Lisa Curtis
Rev Reuben James Preston   Rev Lisa Curtice
Rector of St. Margaret's Renfrew   Renfrewshire Regional Curate