Everyone is welcome.
Inclusive Community
You may find people like yourself already at St. Aidan's, or not. Either way you belong. We are an Episcopal Church community [What does this mean?] with members of all ages, several ethnic groups and nationalities, men and women. We particularly invite students to be part of this family. We are also a welcoming and affirming congregation for lesbians and gay men. You can question, search, and make your own conclusions at St. Aidan's. We do not ask for conformity but embrace diversity. Your ideas are respected as we each search for meaning and direction, belief, doubt, and faith. We are especially proud to be a co-founder, along with Northside Presbyterian, of one of the country's oldest interfaith corporations, Northside Associated Ministries. Come share God's loving embrace.
Our most important time together is our Sunday morning worship service at 10:00 AM. Our worship space is intimate, overlooking the woods and wildlife habitat. And, our worship style is traditional Episcopalian; that is, structured from the Book of Common Prayer. At the same time, we avail opportunities to utilize innovative, seasonally appropriate sources. Come join us as we worship God.
Thoughtful Exploration
"What does it mean to follow Jesus?" This is a complex question without simple answers. And, St. Aidanites do not feel we have a monopoly on the truth. We are all on a spiritual journey and lifelong discernment is an essential part of our life together. Much of this we share with our sister congregation, Northside Presbyterian, learning from each other. Offerings include Christian Education for all ages, regular Bible Study, Wednesday evening Lenten Series, book clubs, and special retreats via the Retreat Center. [The Retreat Center is an exciting new ministry, check it out.] Some members are active in renewal and interfaith movements, and some are companions of religious orders and intentional communities. Come walk with us to Emmaus.
Loving Service
Inevitably, God's love in you will lead you to offer that love to others. Some you will serve out of your love for them, others will be people you don't even know. Your love is an image of God's unfailing, unchanging, ever present love for us all. The people of St Aidan's have many calls to ministry including pastoral care, social justice, local and world hunger, homelessness and affordable housing, interfaith understanding and world peace, environmental sustainability, to name but a few. [See what a member has to say about Loving Service.] Come bring your passion, it will be empowered.
Ecological Ministry
Many at St. Aidan's believe that God's loving intention encompasses all that God has created, all plants, all animals, and all natural systems, even to the apparently least significant. God is in all creation and all things are of the divine. Every creature, inorganic as well as living, is entitled to a life of freedom from coercion, in unity with every other creature throughout the cosmos. Humans with our superior intelligence, language, and manual dexterity are given heightened responsibility to protect creation, not exploit it. Creation is not a thing but a life giving and sustaining being, not an object to be used solely for humanity's benefit, but a person to be revered and celebrated. Being created in God's image means servant -- loving and nurturing all of creation. At the same time, nurturing creation goes beyond working for environmental sustainability; it includes peace and justice for all creatures. It requires unity with God, with Nature, with each other. Fulfilling this paradigm and motivated by our beautiful wooded nature site, St Aidan's is the first church in Michigan to join the GreenFaith Certification Program, an interfaith partnership that promotes protecting the earth as a religious value and environmental stewardship as a moral responsibility, with a commitment to environmental justice. [Learn more about St.Aidan's commitment to ecological ministries] Come walk with us as we follow Jesus into the Household of God.