Love and serve Jesus Christ;  Nurture One Another in Christian Love;  Worship, Work, Pray and Give Together:  And to Minister Christ’s Love to All People. “We give special attention to the development of mature, adult followers of Christ and the education and growth of children into mature Christians.  We are committed to the right use of reason in matters of faith and moral decisions, full participation of the people in worship, and lay involvement in parish decision making.”    

What you will find at St. Mary's:

~A friendly and respectful welcome.
We know that people come to church from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of motives.  In fact, 60% of Episcopalians grew up in a different – or no – church!  Some of us lean more toward the Catholic side and some more toward the Protestant side of the Anglican via media.  Some love the lively music and personal testimony of the Cursillo movement; some are fed by silent Contemplative Prayer.  We believe our church is enriched by diversity.  So what you will hear at St. Mary’s is “Welcome.”  “Good morning.”  “Peace be with you.” 

~Beauty and Music.
We are blessed at St. Mary's with an accomplished organist, Sandy Norcross, whose sensitive playing enhances the worship experience. The Episcopal Hymnal is the largest and most comprehensive of American hymnals, ranging from medieval plainchant to modern compositions and folk tunes. Hymn selection at St. Mary's is done with sensitivity to both the Scriptures of the day and the music that is familiar to the congregation. Members of the Altar Guild adorn the church with fresh flowers, candles and alter coverings appropriate to the season.

~Traditional Sacraments.
If you have ever watched a movie with a wedding or a funeral, you may already be familiar with Episcopal services. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless..." The Book of Common Prayer is part of the heritage of the Western Church, being the first translation into the vernacular of the ancient Latin Mass. The service of baptism, "Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?" would be recognized by St. Augustine. The service of Holy Eucharist will be familiar to anyone from a liturgical church, whether Lutheran or Roman Catholic or another.

~Holy Communion for all the baptized.
If you are a baptized Christian, of any age or denomination, you are welcome to receive Holy Communion at St. Mary’s.  It is not necessary to be a member of this church.  It is not necessary to be approved by the priest.  If you are a believer who has not been baptized, talk to Vicar Jaime: we offer baptism frequently, and she will be happy to meet with you in preparation

~Original and inclusive preaching.
One of the baptismal promises is "Will you...respect the dignity of every human being?" Vicar Jaime and others who preach at St. Mary's take this promise seriously. We seek to illuminate, not coerce or "sell". By images, words and (sometimes) physical props, we explore the good news of the gospel.

~Engagement with the community of Woodburn
St. Mary's is located next to Nellie Muir Elementary School, and we support the SMART reading program there. We also support the A.W.A.R.E. Food Bank with a weekly collection of food and a monthly cash donation. We sponsor Mary's & Elizabeth's Closet, a program for making clothing available to children in the Woodburn area.  Through the Vicar's Discretionary Account, we provide direct aid, including help with rent and mortgage payments, to people in the community in crisis. Three 12-Step groups are hosted at St. Mary's, including Woodburn's only Narcotics Anonymous meeting, "Woodburn Hope", which meets on Friday evenings at 7 pm.

~Openness to your questions and your gifts for ministry.
At the weekly Bible Study, no questions are out of bounds, and the purpose is not for all to agree, but to share and learn. Some of the most active people at St. Mary's are relative newcomers: if you attend twice, you are likely to be invited to become an usher or a lector or sign up for coffee hour. But don't worry -- if that isn't your gift or interest, we won't push it on you. St. Mary's benefits from gifts as diverse as cross-stitch to Excel to the willingness to fold bulletins on Thursday morning. Our ministries are shaped by the interests of the ministers -- which is everyone.

What is your gift and passion?