About Us

WHO ARE WE?

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church is a thriving body of diverse individuals. We are a vibrant Christian community striving to live and love in the way of Jesus. Our passion is for the local community and desire to make all welcome as a refuge from the daily grind. We welcome all, no matter your gender identity, race, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

What is the Episcopal Church?

The Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination with congregations primarily in the United States and the Caribbean, as well is in several other countries. We trace our roots to the Protestant Reformation and the Church of England. But actually we believe our roots go deeper than that, all the way to the ancient faith of the first apostles. The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, churches that are joined together in love recognizing the common spiritual leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury (the head of the Church of England). In fact, the word "episcopal" comes from a Latin word that means "of bishops." The Episcopal Church is guided by bishops who oversee regional groups of congregations (or parishes), called dioceses. The Most Rev. Michael Curry is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. The current bishop of the Diocese of Colorado is the Right Rev. Kym Lucas.

What Do We Believe?

Like other Christians, Episcopalians believe in God who is revealed uniquely in Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, we are invited into relationship with God and given new life, the free gift of grace. We are loved, we are forgiven, we are strengthened, and we are sent out to use our gifts for the healing and restoration of the world. We love the Bible and seek to understand and live out its message with heart and mind, even as we ask questions of it and wrestle with it. In worship, we hear the story of God's redemptive work in God's people throughout history and we enter that redemption story ourselves. God meets us especially in the gift of Holy Communion, or Eucharist, giving us grace and strengthening us for the journey as we remember Christ's sacrifice and look ahead to God's reign in its fullness when we are gathered in as "a foretaste of the feast to come."

Episcopalians have a wide range of perspectives on the big questions of faith, and what it means to be Christian. In fact, the majority of the folks who call St. Matthew's home are new to the Episcopal Church and some don't even consider themselves to be Episcopalian. What unites us is our common ground in our savior Jesus Christ and in our common prayer and worship together. Like most Christians, we hold to these basic beliefs found in the ancient baptismal creed of the church, the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord. 
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. 
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* Church, the communion of saints, 
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

 *catholic here means universal, the gathered people of God in all times and places

A Message from Our Presiding Bishop

Please take a few minutes to hear our presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, talk about what his vision is for "the Episcopal branch of 'the Jesus movement'" and how he views the direction of the church in the world. It's an exciting time to be the church in new and fresh ways. It doesn't mean we will always do it perfectly, but we are continually striving together in this work as we live into and grow in grace.