Saint Peters Okotoks - Saint Peters Okotoks

Our Regard for Baptism

  Our approach to Baptism is based on the "Guidelines for Christian Initiation" of the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada and approved by the Diocese of Calgary.

 These guidelines were specially prepared and adapted for St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Okotoks, September 1997, and serve to provide direction for any/all considering Baptism in the midst of our community of faith.

Baptism, except in real emergencies will always be celebrated during Sunday Eucharist either at 8:45 am or 10:30 am.

Baptism of adults is a public expression of a major commitment of faith in Christ and involvement in ministry as his disciples and members of his Church.

Adults will wish to be well prepared for this commitment so that they will have confidence in living as Christians in a pluralistic society. The Rector will provide instruction in preparation for this great event.

Baptism, not Confirmation is the rite of joining the Church. We offer Confirmation to those young people and adults who wish to make a personal faith commitment, reconfirming that which was made in Baptism and prior to intentionally entering ministry. While no age limit is set, this presupposes a maturity and freedom of choice not usually found in puberty.

Preparation for confirmation and adult baptism will be the same. We ask of those preparing for adult Baptism or Confirmation, that they be enrolled as candidates during a worship service in order for the congregation to identify and pray for them throughout the preparation period. Congregational sponsors will be appointed to support with prayer, example, and friendship, those preparing for either or both sacraments, to share in the event and to represent the Parish.

---

The Baptism of children is similarly a public expression by responsible adults who themselves have faith commitment and involvement in the ministry and worship of the Church. We are delighted to assist parents in the joyful privilege of bringing their children to Christ.

In asking for the Baptism of a child, at least one parent should be prepared to make or renew a faith commitment to Christ and to participate and raise the child within the life and worship of the Parish faith community. Normally, however, it is our expectation that the parents are already responsible members of the community of faith.

Again, the Rector will be delighted to provide good preparation designed to help parents in the formation of their children as vigorous young Christians.

The most helpful steps for families wishing baptism of their children are to:

    First establish contact with the Parish at Sunday worship and to become known to us;

    Decide whether St. Peters is the congregation in which you wish to renew your own baptismal commitment and be involved as a family;

    Speak to the Rector about baptism of your child and enroll in the preparation classes provided.

Godparents are a traditional but not mandatory support system for parents in the spiritual upbringing of a child. The responsibility of godparents is not to care for the child in the event of the parents’ death but rather to:

   1. Share responsibility for spiritual formation of the child;
   2. Pray for the child regularly;
   3. Be to the child an adult example and mentor in the faith.

It is necessary therefore that the godparents themselves be baptised, active participants in a local church. They do not have to be Anglicans, but they must be Christians able to renew their own faith commitment and make with integrity, the baptismal promises.

Congregational sponsors will be appointed to make contact with the families of infant candidates, offering friendship and support, helping them become integrated into parish life and participating with them at the baptism, representing the parish. These sponsors are not godparents, but carry out responsibilities on behalf of the whole parish. Families will be consulted in their appointment.

---

We have some guidelines for families from other parishes wishing Baptism at St. Peter’s:

    First establish contact with your own home parish. Talk to the parish priest and explore your parish’s expectations regarding preparation for baptism. Please understand that the same guidelines cover the whole Anglican Church of Canada, but there are differences in the way in which they are carried out.

    A letter from your Rector should be sent to the Rector of St. Peter’s requesting baptism on behalf of your home parish.

    If possible, we would prefer to include the baptism one of the special baptismal feasts listed below.

We invite all those baptized, including infants with the agreement of their parents to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion on the day of their Baptism. This is a sign to all that they are now full communicant members of the Church of Christ. Parents will then decide, in consultation with the Rector, what is an appropriate age for their children to start receiving communion regularly, and instruction suitable to their age will be given.

---

Regarding dates for Baptism, we invite all families in the Parish to help us arrange special celebrations of baptism on regular dates during the year. This will involve advance planning in terms of visits of grandparents and godparents, for example, to make the best possible use of these dates.

Some suggested dates are:

    A Sunday close to All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1)

    Baptism of Our Lord (Sunday after the Epiphany, January 6)

    Holy Saturday, Easter or a Sunday following Pentecost (late Spring)

    A Parish visit by the Bishop

    The Patronal Feast Day of this Parish - the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul falls in late June of each year. On the last Sunday of June which would fall closest to this day, St. Peter’s holds a service of full immersion Baptism and reaffirmation of Baptismal vows. We encourage adults who have been baptized as infants and who wish to reaffirm those vows in a deliberate and dedicated manner to take advantage of this time. Older children and adults who have never been baptized are invited to participate in this baptismal service if they so wish.

We very much look forward to being involved with you in sharing the journey of faith. We seek to offer and receive mutual support as together we serve Jesus Christ.

Our Commitment to Marriage

St. Peter’s affirms those relationships ordained by God to be the focus of love, intimacy, personal growth and stability which provides the essential foundation for Christian living. (PROV 6:20-23). Therefore we consider it a priority that

[a] Husbands and wives understand God’s blueprint for marriage and family life (GEN 4:24, EPH 5: 21-33, COL 3:18-19, 1COR 13:4-7) as establishing essential witness to the society in which we live.

[b] We uphold the scriptural principle that believers be yoked only with believers in the intimate one flesh covenant of marriage ( 1COR 8:39, 2COR 6:14-18).

Christians believe that marriage is a “sacrament of creation,” that is, it is not something that began with the Christian faith or was created by the Church. Rather, it is God’s intention in creating human sexuality, in making us in God’s image, male and female together, that we should find fulfillment and partnership in faithful, life-long relationships of love.

We believe that God honors and blesses all such relationships between men and women, whether or not they are formalized in a 'church service’. What creates a marriage is not the ceremony, nor the piece of paper, but the honest and unreserved commitment of a woman and a man to take each other as wife and husband for better or for worse for the rest of their lives. But because we all live as part of society, this commitment must be in some way made public and lived out in the context of our social, economic and political lives.

A “church wedding” should be chosen only by those couples who see their marriage in the context of an ongoing faith relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ, or who wish to seriously explore that relationship, and who desire to make their marriage vows in the form of a solemn covenant between themselves and God, witnessed by and celebrated within the community of faith, the Church.

---

St. Peter’s receives many requests from couples wishing to celebrate their marriage here. The parish values this ministry and finds it personally rewarding and important. However, it is a time consuming ministry, often disproportionate to other important priorities of the church’s mission. As we try to balance this opportunity for ministry against other demands on time and energy, couples who approach us should be prepared to show good reason why their marriage ceremony should be celebrated within our community of faith.

We ask all couples to consider what commitments they bring to this celebration of Holy Marriage since those involved with marriage preparation will bring certain commitments to the couples. We commit to:

    [1] spend time with, listen to, and meet couples where they are

    [2] care for couples, honoring their integrity as persons

    [3] share from our experience, knowledge and faith in preparing couples for marriage

    [4] provide opportunity for couples to explore the Christian faith and make or deepen their connections with the faith community

    [5] help couples plan a marriage celebration which is open, joyful, warm and filled with meaning, dignity and beauty.

---

We ask couples to seriously reflect on the following questions:

1. Christian marriage is “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until we are parted by death”. Life is risk and there is little certainty about the future. But the vocation of marriage is a call to unreserved lifelong commitment and fidelity. When you enter into Christian marriage, you undertake a “covenant” with one another before God, promising to honor and be faithful to one another for the rest of your lives. It is this covenant which establishes your marriage, and a commitment to life-long fidelity is an essential part of it.

Do you bring a commitment to a life-long covenant?

2. Christian marriage is often called “Holy Marriage”. It is meant to be celebrated by two persons who share faith and are active members of a worshiping congregation. By virtue of their baptism and faith they are ministers of Christ and will minister the sacrament of marriage to each other which they will renew regularly in marital love. Because of this, the Anglican Church of Canada requires (in its canon law on marriage) that both bride and groom be baptized. Where only one is baptized, permission for the marriage must be requested from the Bishop. We translate that rather formal standard in this way:

    Baptism (or the desire to be baptized) of at least one of you is a minimum. No one should seek baptism just in order to be married.

    A living faith expressed in active membership in this or some other Christian congregation is essential, or

    You must exhibit a willingness to explore the faith as adults and to test for yourselves the question of belief and belonging.

You already share in your relationship so much that is spiritual. Love, trust, forgiveness, communication, loyalty, joy - none of these can be measured or proven -all are of the spiritual dimension of human nature. We believe these are gifts of God who wants you to grow in interpersonal intimacy with one another and with God Himself. What a strength to your marriage if you can share faith and worship which are the explicit expression of what is already implicit in your relationship!

Do you bring a commitment to actively explore or renew faith membership in the Christian community? Please see Practical Matters #10

3. There are incredible pressures on marriage in today’s world. We believe every couple should be as well prepared as possible so that they may build on the strengths of their relationship and create a marriage which is strong and enduring. We therefore ask every couple to participate in a Marriage Preparation Course offered by St. Peter’s. Time will also be spent with the Rector in preparation.

Do you bring a commitment to spend time and energy in preparation for your marriage?

---

FAQ's

What if we are already living together?

Many couples today who come to the church to be married have been living together for several months or years. Please be frank about this in your first interview with the clergy. The Church does not encourage this practice of 'testing relationships’ and upholds the gospel standard of chastity outside of marriage. You may be interested to know that the incidence of divorce amongst couples who co-habited prior to marriage is higher than that among couples who did not. But we will not be judgmental or critical. Our same considerations about preparation and faith explorations apply.

What if one of us is divorced?

If one or both of you has been divorced, permission may be granted by the Bishop for your new marriage to be celebrated in the Anglican Church. Application must be made through the Rector to the Matrimonial Commission of the Diocese of Calgary, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month. This means that additional time must be allowed for the application, as no commitment may be made by St. Peter’s until permission is given. Generally the response to the application is received from the Matrimonial Commission immediately after their meeting.

In preparing the application, a couple must be prepared to discuss with one another and the Rector the former marriage and things learned from its breakdown. In evaluating the application, the Matrimonial Commission is not concerned to assess blame for the past but rather to assess the strengths of the future marriage. It is important to be sure that the past has been dealt with, that all responsibilities are being carried through and that there is real readiness for the proposed marriage. A fee of $25. is set by the Diocese to process your application. Please bring a copy of your Divorce Decree to your interview with the Rector.

A divorced Roman Catholic who wishes to be married within the Anglican church while still remaining a Roman Catholic will be asked to sign a separate form outlining any application which may have been made to a Roman Catholic tribunal regarding annulment of a former marriage. We do not wish to interfere in the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church for its members.

This procedure of application for marriage after divorce is fairly new in the Anglican Church of Canada. Until about twenty years ago it was simply impossible to be married again in our Church while a divorced partner was still living. In setting up this procedure, the Church is recognizing the reality of marriage breakdown and divorce in today’s world, but in no way lessening the scriptural call for marriage to be a lifelong commitment of faithful love.

---

May I ask another priest to officiate at my Wedding?

We are certainly open to your request to involve other clergy in the celebration of your Wedding either with the Rector or on his behalf. Please talk to us about your request. The invitation to other clergy must be extended by the Rector of St. Peter’s.

What form of service can be used?

The Rector will be glad to discuss with you the Service and Marriage Rites. Your integrity should be honored and the Church’s integrity also. Within those boundaries we are willing to discuss with you any changes or additions you wish to make. The final responsibility is with the Rector to see that integrity is maintained.

May we be married outside the church building?

We can worship God anywhere: our homes, a park or mountain top. But it is thought appropriate by the Church that momentous occasions in our lives should be celebrated where, week by week, the regular worship of our community of faith is offered and the Eucharist shared. The standard of our Church therefore, is except by special permission of the Bishop, all Weddings shall take place in a church building.

Are there resources in the Church to help our marriage become stronger?

A great and undeniable strength for any marriage and family is to participate actively in the worship, prayer and work of an active community of faith such as St. Peter’s. There are other resources such as Marriage Enrichment and Marriage Encounter weekends (two different styles with the same goal - to strengthen marriages, and Marriage Ministries International.

Counseling is readily available; many clergy are skilled counselors. You should be as ready to seek help for relationship stress as you are to seek medical help for physical problems.

---

Practical Matters

1. License: In Alberta every couple to be married needs a valid license. they can be purchased in Alberta from any office that sells registrations and licenses. They are valid for only three months from date of issue. Please see that your license is at the church at least one week before your Wedding

2. Eucharist: It is quite appropriate if you are already communicants to celebrate your marriage in the context of the Holy Eucharist. The invitation should also be extended to any guests who have been baptized.

3. Rehearsal: a rehearsal may be arranged at a convenient time for you and the presiding clergy. The bride, groom, attendants, scripture readers, and parents all attend. The musicians do not attend, nor is there time for them to practice during rehearsal.

4. Music: We are open to discussing your wedding music: St. Peter’s can offer a variety of resources including a church organist. This should be pre-arranged in consultation with the Rector and the musicians in question. As a wedding is an act of worship all music, both instrumental and vocal must be of a quality suitable for worship. If a musician other than one belonging to the parish is to be used, permission for use of instruments is at the discretion of the musicians owning the instruments.

5. Flowers: are to be supplied by the bride and groom. Flowers are generally placed on the altar by a member of St. Peter’s congregation before Sunday morning. Use of these may be co-ordinated with wedding flowers.

6. Pew bows and church decorations: are the responsibility of the bride and groom. Please see that decorations are tasteful, keeping in mind the altar is not to be obliterated. It is also the responsibility of the bride and groom to ensure all decorations are removed from the church following the wedding ceremony.

7. Programs: including the order of service and music, may be made available through the church. Please speak to the Rector regarding this.

8. Reception: St. Peter’s has a somewhat limited reception area which may accommodate 100 or so people. Kitchen facilities are available. Food and beverages are the responsibility of the bride and groom, as is clean up. Arrangements to use the reception area must be confirmed with the staff at St. Peter’s.

9. Cost: is left to the discretion of the bride and groom. Generally an honorarium for the Rector and another for the musicians is in order.

10. Alpha: Participation in this basic course in Christianity is a prerequisite for all couples considering marriage at St. Peter’s. Courses commence the first Tuesday of each quarter and run for 11 weeks.
We would be honored to assist in the celebration of your marriage at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Okotoks. The Rector would be happy to discuss these issues with you further should you wish to make an appointment.

Our Styles of Worship for You?

Please Note: Our tradional worship times are 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Check out our calendar for special worship meeting times. The calendar would be a good source for updates on temporary worship time changes or for other events within this body of St. Peters aswell as within the greater body of local Christians.

Understanding Our Worship

Worship, teaching, and healing/prayer ministry are the foundational dynamics of our fellowship together each Sunday. This fellowship we share in the Holy Spirit is the fruit of dedicated lives (EPH 2:21- 22; 4:15-16).
The Holy Eucharist is central to our understanding of worship at St. Peter's. Our present practice is to offer two celebrations Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. with Eucharist and 11:00 a.m. worship with Eucharist and Children's Church  

---

---

The 9:00 a.m. celebration of the Holy Eucharist provides for a much more conservative approach to worship. Many, but not all, of the members of our community of faith enjoy this time as their desired worship style.
However, in a community where 85% of the population is younger than 45 years of age and some 38% of the population is yet to graduate from High School, a conservative and structured, yet informal and friendly, opportunity for families to worship was needed. The Family worship at 11:00 a.m. is designed to meet such a need. 

The 11:00 a.m. worship time therefore, is less conservative than the 9:00 celebration and being more contemporary, offers a ministry of healing, and encourages informality. Both multi-media and creative arts [drama, dance, video, etc.] may be incorporated for the edifying of the Body of Christ through enhancement of the worship and/or teaching.  Many, but not all, of the younger members of our parish participate in this celebration. It is particularly designed with a focus towards families and, because it is offered as a basic entry into the worship life of St. Peter's, we design it to be "user friendly."

---

What we interpret what Sunday mornings at St. Peters are all about - that being the time when we as a Parish family come together to have our own needs met through sacrament, worship and teaching, we are also seeking to transform Sunday morning into an opportunity to serve all those whom the Lord draws to this house. It is our intention to impart understanding to our Sunday service whereby we see it more in the light of taking the servants towel and blessing others. "Our Sunday Service" thereby becomes another service opportunity for Parish members as they offer themselves in gift-based ministry to one another and to all in attendance. Discipleship training and release through worship, word and work is undertaken at a different time, and so we emphasize both home groups and our leadership training for those who desire to grow deeper.

 

 

---

We believe both times of worship to be truly representative of our Anglican tradition and so we do not evaluate one against the other nor do we elevate one above the other: Jesus, as the Living Word, as the Transforming Sacrament, and in His Real and Holy Presence is Host of both celebrations.

 

The teaching embraced by these two celebrations is offered by a gifted team of individuals from this Body under the direction of Fr. Paul. On Sunday's that follow a conference our guest speaker is usually the conference facilitator. In any event, all talks are audio recorded and are made available upon request.

At St. Peter's we understand worship to be intimacy with the Father through the sacrifice of the Son and in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit. We consider it imperative then, that our coming before Him is in spirit and truth (JN 4:23-24); ie. in sincerity and openness. 

It follows, in our thinking, that there can be no outwardly correct way of worship, for worship is ultimately a matter of the heart, and it is the nature of our heart that matters most to the Lord (DEUT 13:3; 1SAM 16:7; PS 147:10; IS 29:13). We do, however, call for decency and order in our time of worship together (1COR 14:26-33,40).

The Heart of Stewardship

Each of us is a manager or steward of the life we have received from God: everything we have comes from God. Knowing the day will come when He will require an accounting from each of us, we must use wisely all He has loaned us for His purposes and glory (PS 24:1). 

Stewardship involves much more than merely our finances: it is how we conduct our lives.

---

To all who come to St. Peter's we extend a warm welcome. We encourage involvement and spiritual growth but do not require this of visitors or from those who have yet to make any decision about St. Peter's as a home community of faith. We understand that it is an aspect of our stewardship that we are to reach out to others regardless of their affiliation, formal or otherwise, with us. From those who find St. Peter's to be a spiritual home, we expect the exercise of mature, responsible stewardship which involves participation in discipleship formation. From those involved in congregational leadership, mature stewardship is vital and therefore, necessary.

We believe that all of God's people are called to the ministry of the Church (EPH 2:10; 4:11,13) and have been ably equipped by the Holy Spirit for this purpose (1COR 12). We therefore encourage the exercise of spiritual gifts and personal involvement at all levels of ministry and leadership in the Parish.

Our concern, however, is that persons in ministry are covered by, and operate under the authority of the local church. The leadership of the church can then release specific ministries suitable to the level of maturity of the gifting of the person(s) involved. Those who would exercise ministry at St. Peter's must therefore be those who have committed themselves to this local church and its appointed leadership. As we continue to seek the Lord's counsel, new ministry areas develop.

Our understanding is that baptism should lead to or signal a serious decision to follow Jesus as Lord. Baptism into the Body of Christ assumes involvement with a congregation of God's people. To be effective members of the Body of Christ we must make a commitment to a local church where we gather and from which we are sent out.

---

 

Stewardship at St. Peter's involves:

• Baptism As Jesus was ushered by His baptism into His ministry, so also those who come to Him in faith. Baptism is the definitive mark of leaving the old life and following Jesus (ROM 6:3-4)

• Consistent Worship Weekly involvement in corporate worship is a priority for the Christian who takes the faith seriously and desires spiritual growth (HEB 10:25). Personal devotions are preparatory and necessary if one desires to enter into corporate worship fully.

• Discipleship formation Ongoing involvement in CORE Community and Home Groups, as well as Bible Studies, etc. which feeds our faith (COL 3:1 6). In addition, the body of Christ is built up by service and the application of spiritual truth (JAS 1:22).

• Financial Stewardship We believe the Biblical pattern of support for the church is the tithe (10 percent of all that we receive), to be brought to the local church (GEN 28:20-22, LEV 27:30-33). The tithe is a testimony of God's ownership of all things and our faith in his provision (MAL 3:10). Giving to the church begins only after the tithe is paid.