Participating
At St. Paul’s we open our doors wide to welcome all in the spirit of God’s inclusive and unconditional love. Everyone is invited to attend our services, events and classes. There are many opportunities for participation and membership here. Some people prefer to participate in activities without formally joining. Others seek to join the Church in more formal ways through pledging, baptism, confirmation, and reception. As a community of faith, we invite you to get involved by worshiping with us, participating in our Education Hour, attending fellowship events, and taking on a ministry in the Church.
Baptism
“Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the Church.” -The Book of Common Prayer. The sacrament of baptism is the only requirement for a person to become a full member of the Church. Through baptism, we are born into a Christian family where a sense of belonging and meaning is nurtured over the course of years. Adults and children who are baptized into the body of Christ are equal members, with equal claims on the resources and ministries of the Church. The Episcopal Church recognizes as valid any baptism administered with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Adults and children wishing to be baptized are invited to contact one of the clergy so that they may set up a meeting to discuss options for formation in the Christian faith.
Confirmation
“Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.” The Book of Common Prayer. If baptism is about becoming a Christian, then Confirmation is about becoming an Episcopalian. Members of the Church who were baptized as infants may choose to affirm their faith as adults through the Rite of Confirmation, administered by one of the Bishops of Maryland on their annual visitations.
Reception
Those who have been confirmed in other denominations by a bishop in the historic succession (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or Eastern Orthodox) may be received into the Episcopal Church by our Bishop. If you would like to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, please contact one of the clergy to begin a conversation about next steps in your spiritual journey.
Becoming a Pledging Member
Since everything in our lives is a gift from God, our human response is gratitude. Our sense of thankfulness leads us to want to give back using the God given resources in our lives. At St. Paul’s, we encourage everyone to take joy in giving of the time, talent and treasure that God has bestowed upon us. Members of our Christian community express their commitment through pledging, participation, and volunteering to be involved in the leadership of the Church. We strive for 100% participation in our pledge drives and we value both small and large pledge amounts. By filling out a pledge card and letting the vestry know how much you plan to give, you will enable vestry members to make appropriate budgetary and programatic plans for the coming year. You are invited to make a pledge by sending an email to our office at office@stpaulsbaltimore.org. Or you may pledge online by clicking on this link: https://stpaulsbaltimore.org/pledge/
Serving
We see ourselves as a Christian community where we support and care for people so that they can be strengthened to do the Lord’s work all week long. Yet, we also enjoy doing service together with our friends from Church. So we have a variety of ways that people can be involved in various ministries. Read more