The following members of St. Anne's Church have been elected to serve as Vestry members for 2012:
Chris Phelps, Co-Sr. Warden Ruth Roberts, Co-Sr. Warden Ron Sortino, Jr. Warden Ginger Tuton, Treasurer Linda Lucas, Bob Felker, Lee Stroud, Jane Swint, Nancy Thoman
Messages and information will be conveyed to individual Vestry members or to the entire Vestry by calling the parish office at (910) 347-3774, or via email to stannes@embarqmail.com
Our Military Ties
St. Anne's Episcopal Church is located in a community that is home to the United States Marine Corps' Largest East Coast Military Facility, Camp Lejeune. Camp Lejeune has a historic value and national strategic importance to the housing and training of deploying military forces. For example, Camp Lejeune has several major Marine Corps commands and one Navy command including II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and the Naval Hospital.
Military families are an essential part of the St. Anne's family and thrive on its community of faithful whose desire is to worship God and nurture their faith and the faith of their children. With many of our military parishioners deploying for the war on terrorism, St Anne's is a solid place for families to come to for spiritual guidance, support and fellowship.
Comments from a few of our military members and their spouses:
"My husband is deployed more than he is home. St. Anne's keeps me grounded, providing a spiritually nurturing environment for both my four year old son and I. I am a better person when I walk out of here on Sundays. St. Anne's give me the strength I need to be a better parent." Jeanette
"Relocating to Jacksonville from other areas and leaving the church that you love and enjoy can be a very dreadful experience. St. Anne's has filled that void in my family's life. We have grown spiritually beyond our expectations. St. Anne's has become a second family to us and that support for my family gives me peace of mind when I deploy." Mark
"The congregation at St. Anne's is very welcoming and friendly. I was surprised how many people I already knew who were members, but have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know folks who live in town. The Youth Group has been a very positive experience for my 14-year-old son, especially since my husband deployed to Iraq. I highly recommend St. Anne's to anyone who is looking for a church family!" Kristi
"From the beginning St. Anne's welcomed me as one of their own. It is such a gift to be part of a church filled with military families...people who understand this unique and challenging lifestyle." Claire
Things to Know
Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church is reserved for members and immediate family.
These are the requirements for baptism:
♦Regular attendance in worship ♦A commitment of financial stewardship ♦At least one parent is confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church ♦ A Letter of Transfer from your previous parish
Baptisms are celebrated within the context of the Holy Eucharist on the days set forth by the Book of Common Prayer which are: Easter Vigil;
Day of Pentecost; All Saints Day or the Sunday after All Saints Day and the 1st Sunday of Epiphany. Other dates will be scheduled with the approval of the rector.
Godparents do not have to be Episcopalian, but they must be Christians.
NO flash photographs are permitted during the ceremony. Arrangements may be made with the clergy for pictures to be taken before or after the service.
Please make an appointment with the clergy to begin conversation about the process of Baptism at least 4 weeks ahead of a prospective date.
Handicap Facilities There is a handicap ramp located behind the main church building. There is an automatic door opener at the entrance area also. A restroom with handicap accessibility is located in the hall of the education wing of the building.
Infants A changing table is located in the handicap restroom in the hall of the education wing of the building. A trained and well staffed nursery is offered each Sunday.
What to Expect
What to Expect at St. Anne's Episcopal Church We extend a cordial welcome to you to worship with us, and offer these notes as a brief introduction to the Episcopal Church and its ways.
The Place of Worship
As you enter our church, you will notice an atmosphere of worship and reverence. Your eye is carried to the altar, or holy table, and to the cross. So our thoughts are taken at once to Christ and to God whose house the church is.
On the altar there are candles to remind us that Christ is the Light of the World. Often there are flowers, to beautify God's house and to recall the resurrection of Jesus.
On the right side at the front of the church, there is a pulpit where the sermon is preached. On the opposite side is a lectern from where the Scriptures are read.
The Act of Worship
In the pews you will find the Book of Common Prayer that the congregation uses to share fully in every aspect of the worship service. The larger print is the actual service. The smaller print gives directions to ministers and people who conduct the service.
You may wonder when to stand or kneel. Practices vary---even among individual Episcopalians. The general rule is to stand to sing---hymns (found in the Hymnal in the pews) and other songs (many of them from the Holy Bible) called canticles or chants and printed as part of the service. We stand, too, to say our affirmation of faith, the Nicene Creed; and for the reading of the Gospel in the Holy Eucharist. Psalms may be sung or said sitting or standing. We sit during readings from the Old Testament or New Testament Letters, the sermon, and the choir anthems. We stand or kneel for prayer to show our gratefulness to God for accepting us as children or as an act of humility before God.
The Regular Services
Our principal service is the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion). It is celebrated without music at 8 am on Sunday morning and with music at 10:30am. During the Summer months (June, July & August) St. Anne's offers a 9 am Holy Eucharist Service, with music, on Sunday;the nursery will open at 8:30 for those children 4 and under.
The Wednesday worship service at 12:15 is also without music. When celebrated at a later hour on Sundays, or on other great Christian days such as Christmas and Easter, music and a sermon are customary.
While some parts of the services are always the same, others change. At the Holy Eucharist, for example, two or three Bible selections are read. These change each Sunday. So do the psalms. Certain prayers also change, in order to provide variety. Page numbers for parts of the service printed elsewhere in the Book of Common Prayer are usually announced or given in the service leaflet. But do not be embarrassed to ask your neighbor for the page number. They are eager to help.
You will find the services of the Episcopal Church beautiful in their ordered dignity, God-centered, and yet mindful of the nature and needs of human beings.
Before and After Services
It is the custom upon entering church to kneel in one's pew for a prayer of personal preparation for worship. Some people bow to the altar on entering and leaving the church as an act of reverence for Christ.
Episcopalians use a few moments prior to the beginning of the worship service as a time of quiet personal meditation and devotions. At the end of the service some persons kneel for a private prayer before leaving.
Receiving Holy Eucharist
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive the Holy Eucharist at St. Anne's. To do so, go to the altar rail when directed by an usher. You may kneel or stand at the rail. Cup your hands and hold them out to receive the bread. You may place the bread in your mouth at once or wait and dip it in the cup of wine when it is offered to you. Should you want to receive the bread but not the wine, simply fold your arms across your chest after receiving the bread.
If you do not want to receive either the bread or wine at the Eucharist, simply fold your arms across your chest and the clergy will offer a blessing for you.
Vestments
To add to the beauty and festivity of the services, and to signify their special ministries, the clergy and other ministers wear vestments. Choir vestments usually consist of an under gown called a cassock (usually black) and a white, gathered over gown called a surplice. The clergy may also wear a cassock and surplice.
Another familiar vestment is the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers the body from neck to ankles. Over it (or over the surplice) ordained ministers wear a stole, a narrow band of colored fabric. Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder, priests and bishops over both shoulders.
At the Holy Eucharist, a bishop or priest frequently wears a chasuble (a circular garment that envelopes the body) over the alb and stole. The deacon's corresponding vestment has sleeves and is called a dalmatic. Bishops sometimes wear a special head covering called a miter.
Stoles, chasubles, and dalmatics, as well as altar coverings, are usually made of rich fabrics. Their color changes with the seasons and holy days of the Church Year. The most frequently used colors are white, red, violet, green, and blue.
The Church Year
The Episcopal Church observes the traditional Christian calendar. The season of Advent, during which we prepare for Christmas, begins on the Sunday closest to November 30. The Christmas season lasts twelve days, after which we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany (January 6).
Lent, the forty days of preparation for Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday. Easter season lasts fifty days, concluding on the feast of Pentecost.
During these times the Bible readings are chosen for their appropriateness to the season. During the rest of the year (the season after Epiphany and the long season after Pentecost, except for a few special Sundays), the New Testament is read sequentially from Sunday to Sunday. The Old Testament lesson corresponds in theme with one of the New Testament readings.
Coming and Going
There are ushers who will greet you, and may escort you to a pew. St. Anne's also has a group of dedicated individuals who serve as Parish Greeters. They are available to answer questions about the service, the location of nurseries, etc. As they meet visitors, a "Welcome to St. Anne's" brochure is given to individuals or families who may be visiting. An information sheet is included in the brochure to be filled out and given to the church.
Pews are usually unreserved in Episcopal churches except for special occasions such as a wedding, baptism or funeral.
Following the service our clergy greet the people as they leave.
You Will Not Be Embarrassed
When you visit at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, you will be our respected and welcome guest. You will not be singled out in any way. You are invited to share in the worship of God with us.
Should you wish to know more about St. Anne's Episcopal Church or how you may become a member, our clergy will gladly answer your questions and suggest the way to membership. You may also contact our New Member Coordinator, Anne Lyon.
Who was St. Anne?
Perhaps, it is not a coincidence that our founders chose Saint Anne as our namesake and that one of our most successful ministries is that of teaching children.
As mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, Anne has an honored place in Christian history. She has come to symbolize a parent's dedication to her child's education and spiritual development.
Anne was instrumental in building a foundation of faith and learning in her child Mary. In fact, in art, Anne is often depicted reading to Mary.
History tells us that when Mary was three years old, her parents, Anne and Joachim, presented her in the Temple in Jerusalem as a gift to her Lord. They wanted Mary to be close to God and at a center of learning.
Like Saint Anne, we are seeking to build a foundation of faith and learning in the children in our care. As an Episcopal school, St. Anne's Day School promotes learning that values both faith and reason. It seeks to nurture children through moral, spiritual, intellectual, creative, physical and social development.
Like Saint Anne, we realize that a child's education and spiritual development begin at an early age, for...
...we are building a foundation that will last a lifetime.
