Our church building was constructed around 1960 and it was very much a suburban church.  As the pace of our modern lives has shifted, so has the scope and ministry of St. Michael’s. 

St. Michael’s is integrated into our local community.  It is a place where people come to worship, for community, for formation, and to be engaged in mission.  This cannot be accomplished, however, in a vacuum.  We are one parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee whose mission has recently been articulated by our bishop, Steven Andrew Miller: To invite others to know Jesus as Savior and Lord in the fellowship of his church, and to get to know the story of Jesus that is written [in Scripture] as God is writing his story in your life and in your heart. 

Our diocese is one of many that constitute the national Episcopal Church – a diverse collection of people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences.  The challenge of the Episcopal Church is very much the challenge of being a part of the global society.  How do we live with and respond to those who are different from us?  St. Michael’s upholds Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the authority of Holy Scripture as God’s Word and our rule of life, and the evangelical imperative to make Jesus known to others in word and in deed.  We participate freely and humbly in our church and in the world, unafraid - because we know our Lord as he has revealed himself to us.

The Episcopal Church is a member of the World-wide Anglican Communion.  To be Anglican is to be in “communion” with the historic See of Canterbury.  We are a global church.  The Anglican Communion is a collection of thirty-eight provinces in over one hundred sixty countries representing over eighty million Christians!  So when you gather at one of our services, you are joining your voice with Christians across the world, who sing a common refrain and worship a common Lord.

Protestant or Catholic?

The Anglican Way was given birth in the days of the Reformation (AD 1500’s) when the Church of England and the Church of Rome were separated.  We retained the rich liturgy and symbolism thrown out by other Protestant churches while clarifying our theology to reflect a return to more biblical roots.  Hence we are a both/and church. We also retain an unbroken line of apostolic succession. That simply means that our bishops, priests, and deacons trace their ordinations directly to beginning days of the Church. We are part of what we profess to be the one holy catholic and apostolic church. Within Anglicanism is the full spectrum of people whose practice of Christianity is on one side “Anglo-Catholic” all the way over to Evangelical and Charismatic on the other. St. Michael's is a true mix of having in its congregation people from these categories and everything in between! Both a common commitment to following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and worship from the Book of Common Prayer bind us together in harmony.

Anglicanism allows for a wide variety of expression. The first thing you’ll notice about our worship is how active it is. A lot of people will be doing a lot of different things. Some people will kneel during part of the service. Some will stand. Some will bow towards the front of the church. Some will make the sign of the cross. Others will close their eyes and raise their hands in worship. This is part of our understanding of what it means to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God (Romans 12.1). Ours is a liturgical tradition. That means we follow a set order of worship found in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) which is reprinted in your bulletin for simplicity. Everything we do in our worship has an important meaning and a rich symbolism. There is no one right way to worship God – so don’t worry about doing something “wrong”!

Both the priest and all those assisting with the services wear different “vestments”. Vestments are traditional garments and robes worn by clergy for centuries. The color of the vestments and cloths that decorate the church building change according to the season of the year.

Other traditions that we use in varying degrees during our services include grand processions following a cross and candles. Sometimes we will use incense; this is simply another way to engage our senses in worship and is a visible sign of the prayers of the saints ascending to heaven. During high holy days – such as Christmas and Easter – we have more ways of expressing our thanksgiving to God for what he has done through Jesus’ death, life, and resurrection by using special liturgies and prayers.

Father Terry, delivers sermons that will leave you feeling encouraged and equipped to go back into the world and live out the rest of the week.

Finally, the 7.30 am, and 9.30 am services have Holy Communion (Eucharist). The 7:30 am service is a quieter and more contemplative service and has no music. The 9:30 am service has a variety of music from traditional to contemporary. This is a more lively and active service.