St Mary’s Episcopal Church">
"...sharing the joy of a loving God through worship in the Anglican tradition, fellowship, and service." St Mary’s is a friendly church with the desire to open our hearts and minds to all of God’s children. We are a Thinking Church — We take very seriously God’s gift of reason, and we invite questions and uncertainties. Rather than tell people what to believe, we love
and support one another in the journey of faith. Listening to and living out the questions we all face is part of the Episcopal Church’s distinctive gift. We have a full bodied Christian Education program. The adults in our church study and discuss the Bible, it’s true meaning and how to use what we discover, and seriously enroll in our seminary-based class called Education for Ministry from The University of the South, Sewanee Tennessee. There is something for everyone. We take our Christian education for our children very seriously. Recently we remodeled the purchased house next door to house our Christian Education programs. The youth room is tastefully enhanced with Bible story murals, with space for music, story-telling and lessons. An adjoining room is large enough for games and crafts. A strong emphasis on the Anglican tradition with space to grow, makes our program ideal for today’s seeking youth. Our teens also have a space in the Christian Education Center, decorated by them, with the reminder that we are all children of God and belong to the family of God. Today’s issues are discussed and each teen is encouraged to ask questions and make comments. Worship is traditionally Anglican, with the rich pageantry of our church shown each Sunday. We enjoy a variety of musical selections with bold harmonious sounds from our newly refurbished pipe organ. ST Mary’s has the reputation of allowing lay persons to live out their Baptismal Vows by serving on the altar and in various ministries. Youth are invited to participate in the Sunday worship as Acolytes. Sunday School classes join the congregation for Holy Eucharist, coming to the altar with their families. Various groups from the community use the facilities at St Mary’s and more are invited to inquire if space is available when needed. Outreach is the focus of our ministry. We serve over 750 people on the last Saturday of the month a hot meal and the fellowship so desired by our neighbors. We support by donation and volunteers the Samaritan Outreach in Hillsboro, Highland County Homeless Shelter, Laborers for the Master and Soup’s On. We join the community in contributing funding for the Transient Fund, to help those passing through who need a room or meal, we participate in community activities such as Festival of the Bells, the County Fair, Candle Light Walk at Christmas, serving area nursing homes with visits and activities, and serving on various Boards for community organizations. St Mary’s never stands alone. We take pride in the fact that we hear the call to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our doors are always open and the ministry of the church does not happen in the church but outside in the world. We are part of the history of Hillsboro and have always enjoyed our positive standing in the town. Won’t you visit us? Once you do, you will want to stay! I am looking forward to worshiping with you and your family. We would love to meet you and invite you to join our community of faith. Worship on Sunday mornings begins at 10:00 am with Sunday School for the children at the same time. Healing and Holy Eucharist is a mid week service on Wednesdays at 12 noon. Contact us to be put on our monthly newsletter mailing list.
