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AN INTRODUCTION to the Anglican Church
The Anglican Church is one Christian community where everyone is welcome to worship, to learn, and to grow towards maturity in Christ in the knowledge of the love of God.
What then is Anglicanism?
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member of the world-wide fellowship of churches called the Anglican Communion . These Churches are national churches linked with the Church of England holding to the same doctrines.
A bond of unity throughout the Anglican Communion is the way we worship and is based on The 1662 Book of Common Prayer. This parish uses A PRAYER BOOK FOR AUSTRALIA that was produced in 1995. Its modern language encourages better understanding and participation from everyone. Worship is the work of all the people so people sing and play music, read the Bible, lead the people in prayer, preach and assist the priest to administer Holy Communion.
Worship in the Anglican tradition has Colour, music and a formal beauty in its liturgy and ritual. Although people not brought up in this tradition find the services unfamiliar at first, they experience meaningful worship allowing each person to express their relationship to God.
The daily services (Morning and Evening Prayer and Compline) provide readings from the Old and New Testaments and praise through the psalms. Anglicans are encouraged to read and study the Bible . The teaching of the Church is based on doctrines found in the Scriptures.
The sacramental life of the Church has its authority in the Scriptures with Baptism and Holy Communion being instituted by Christ himself.
Baptism celebrates the gift of life and the God of love. It is the rite of membership of the Christian church and the Anglican tradition .
THE EUCHARIST or Holy Communion is the central act of worship of each congregation as the parish family gathers together to share in the sacrament of bread and wine. In our eating of the bread and drinking the wine (symbols of Christ's body and blood) we share the life of Christ, the journey of resurrection and receive strength for service in the world.
Children participate in the service of Holy Communion . Children are present at the beginning of the service, share in their own exploration time in Sunday school or in the service. The children gather again with everyone for the greeting of peace and the sacrament. Week by week at the altar, children receive blessing and encouragement to grow in the faith.
MINISTRY stems from Jesus' call to the Apostles to be with him to go out to preach and to have his authority. From the Apostles came the Apostolic Ministry of all people and bishops, priests and deacons.
Ministry of the Anglican Church is not the task of clergy alone. Ministry belongs to all Christians as does the responsibility to share the Gospel with others. We are a ministering community . This ministry of each person takes place when Christians engage in life: community activity and service, their family life, in paid employment and in the life of the church.
The bishop has a pastoral and administrative role as shepherd of the church in a Diocese. In each parish a priest, sometimes assisted by a deacon, encourages, sustains and build the people for their Christian ministry.
A wide range of attitudes is found in the Anglican Church where people are free to emphasize those beliefs and practices which suit their own personalities yet still allow them to stay within the catholic faith. Anglicans value spiritual freedom and the need to be responsible for our own decision making assisted by using Scripture, Church tradition, personal experience and intellect.
People are encouraged to seek a deeper understanding of the truth and to support each other in living the Christian life through discussion groups, prayer groups and courses of study
To be an Anglican requires faith, and self-discipline to face the challenge of the truth as one sees it. It requires love and understanding to accept that others may feel differently.
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