Who Are We 

The congregation of the Episcopal Church of St. Joseph the Worker is a group of people from many backgrounds, cultural, social, economic, educational, and experience in churches. For more than a few, this is the first church they have ever been members of while others have a long history of church involvement and attendance. Everyone is welcome. In extending that welcome, we want people to feel comfortable with the plan and process of worship that we have received and adapted to our needs.

St. Joseph's is a community of faith within the larger faith community known as the Episcopal Church. We are part of the Diocese of El Camino Real, which is the Episcopal Church of the central California coast stretching from Palo Alto to Arroyo Grande. The Episcopal Church is part of a larger body known as the Anglican Communion, a family of the gathered body of believers that extends world wide.

Our basic service for the Lord's Day follows the pattern Jesus gave us at the Last Supper on the night before he died. We do as he commanded that we might experience the power and love of his presence in our midst. Historically, this form has come to us through the English Book of Common Prayer down to our Book of Common Prayer.

We begin with The Liturgy of the Word of God with readings from the Bible and responses in prayer and praise. Out of respect to the words of Jesus himself, we stand during the reading from the Gospel. A sermon applies the truth of the Bible to everyday situations and helps us understand the extent of God's love for us, that is:  how we are to live in and live out that love.

On most Sundays we recommit our lives to God in the historic Church's statement of faith, the Nicene Creed. Immediately following, everyone is invited to participate in the Prayers of the Faithful particularizing the prayer with your personal concerns. At the end of the service of the Word of God, we exchange the "Peace of God" with each other verbally and with physical signs of his love such as a handshake or hug or smile, as seems to be comfortable for both giver and receiver.

The Service of Holy Communion follows, as we remember what God the Father has done for us in History, God the Son's work is giving us an everlasting relationship to the Creator of the universe and as we invite the presence of God the Holy Spirit into the bread and wine and into the people who are present. We believe that Christ is really present in the action of receiving communion and we extend a warm invitation of the privilege of receiving God in the Holy Communion to all baptized Christians not just members of our congregation.

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