Welcome to Holy Nativity
Phil. 4:6: in everything give thanks!
We are delighted to share with you the wonders that God has given us on this island. We meet to give thanks as a community every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. We lift our voices in thanksgiving to the One Who offers us creation, the grace of redemption, and the ongoing empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:33: The Bread which I give is my life for the life of the world.
All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord’s Table as our brothers and sisters in Christ. No matter what your present church affiliation or your denominational group of origin may be, you are welcome here. God welcomes us all. The sacrament is Christ’s gift to you; sharing with you in the Body is a great gift to us!
Rev. 5:9: From every family, language, nation and people....
We’re as diverse a group of God’s children as one could possibly hope to find. We come from high church, evangelical, charismatic, and social gospel traditions. We conduct worship services according to the Book of Common Prayer with an openness to individual styles of expression.
Persons called to the formal positions of priest, deacon, lay minister and acolytes serve us in their assigned capacities when we gather. Pastoral ministry is shared among us all. We are the church, given the gifts of grace to share with one another. Many of us have found that a small congregation provides the ideal framework for full participation in a pastoral community.
Ps. 119:105: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
We are a Bible church. We read the Holy Scripture whenever we meet together. We offer opportunities for study in groups, and many of us pursue disciplines of reading and meditating on scripture at home. We teach our children the Bible, following the cycle of readings in church. We pray always in the words Jesus taught us, that part of the Sermon on the Mount commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer. His prayer is our prayer. Our approach to the Bible is, as St. Anselm described, one of faith seeking understanding.
John 1:14: The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
We are Holy Nativity...we are a Christmas church! Our congregation was organized on Christmas eve, 1964. Our midnight Mass of the Holy Nativity is a cherished tradition which draws year-round residents, part-year residents and visitors year after year. We break out the decorations, hold two special services of lessons and carols, prepare gift boxes for the seafarers’ ministry and rejoice with one another.
John 17:21: “that they all may be one”
Ecumenical cooperation is a hallmark of our Christian life. We share Holy Week services with a dozen other island churches, culminating in the annual Easter sunrise service at the Pier. We have celebrated joint Triduum services with the Lutheran congregation. We participate fully in the county ministerial association. Through our combined efforts we are able to offer day care, emergency housing, soup kitchen, direct assistance, medical relief, hospital care and hospice ministries.
1 Peter 1:3: He has given us new birth into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We are believers in that good news. We hope that you will want to join us in our life in Christ, here at Holy Nativity.