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The photo is of some of the harvest from our community garden. Do you like to garden? If so call the office for more information: 313-565-8450


Welcome! That's one of the key words for our Evangelism Commission. Evangelism is really just another word for Welcome, or what it means to be welcoming! So,  Welcome to Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn. Welcome to our community. Welcome to our family. Welcome!
 
Joining us for Sunday Worship is one of the primary ways to get to know us. We meet Sunday's at 8am for a simple said service in the Chapel and at 10am for a service with music and singing in the Church.

Our worship uses a variety of resources. Sometimes we use the Book of Common Prayer. Usually we use a Rite II service, but sometimes the 8am service will use RIte I (the Tudor-Elizabethan English, "Thee" and "Thy"), and we often use authorized supplemental texts from Enriching Our Worship or the New Zealand Prayer Book, which offer more expansive language and images to describe the nature of God, humanity, and creation.
 
In the Church bulletin, we say: "Honoring the example of Jesus, we welcome everyone to his table." By this we mean that all are welcome to share in the sacred community meal of bread and wine. We bake our own bread and we all share from the same loaf of bread, symbolizing our commonality as a people of faith.

Similarly, Christ Church welcomes all persons who come through our doors, be they long-time members, new members, prospective members, family, friends or guests; all are indeed welcome.


Information packets intended to help people learn more about Christ Church are available at the entrance of the Church and the Chapel or from any usher.


If you would like to learn more about our Church or how to become a member, please click here and provide us with your contact information.

Current and Prior Events of Interest:

Martial Arts:

Separate Adult and Youth classes meet Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. For class schedule call the church office 313-565-8450, or email Jan Timpko, Parish Administrator at office@christchurchdearborn.org





Stretching class:

Using an effective method for holistic stretching, this class meets from 10am to noon on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month (some exceptions apply, check with the church office to confirm class schedule - 313-565-8450, office@christchurchdearborn.org).



Evangelism Commission - Monthly Meeting: The Evangelism Commission usually meets on the second Monday of most months at 7:00 PM.


Creative Hands: Hand work (knitting, crocheting, etc.) group meets on the fourth Monday of each month at the Church at 7:00 PM.

2012 Lenten Dinners and Book Discussion.  Soup and salad followed by entrance ways into a life of prayer: Kindling the Fire, Ignitiy our Prayer Life. We share the Lenten soup suppers and programs with St. Paul's Lutheran, acknowledging our Call to Common Mission. This year the Lenten program will focus on ways to pray through song, words, art, movement, music, and other modalities.  Supper is at 6:15, program begins at 7pm. Remaining sessions: Christ Church on March 22, St. Paul's Lutheran on March 29. The books discussion is "Speaking of Sin" by Barbara Brown Taylor and is held at 11:30 or 7pm on Tuesday's and 11:30 on Sunday's. The last session will be Tuesday, March 27 at 11:30am.

Holy Week begins Sunday, April 1 with Palm Sunday. A festive celebration is planned. The Triduum (an ancient service that is held over the three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil on Holy Saturday) will take place April 5-7. Maundy Thursday, April 5 begins with a soup supper and proceeds to the liturgy at 7pm. Good Friday will include Morning Prayer and Stations of the Cross at 7am, The Good Friday service at noon, and Stations with Kids (followed by Easter egg coloring) at 3pm. The Great Vigil begins with the lighting of the new fire at 7pm, Sat. April 7.

Easter Day services are at 8am and 10am. An Easter egg hunt for the kids will follow at 11:30am.


We look forward to meeting and welcoming you in person!

Christ Church FAQ

  • What's Christ Church Dearborn really like?
    A number of words come to mind in answer to that question. Words that fit Christ Church Dearborn would be laid-back, authentic, spiritual, diverse, caring, contemporary, and centrist. Some words that would not fit Christ Church Dearborn would be intolerant, sexist, legalistic, inflexible, fundamentalist, or pious.
  • What are the people like?
    Christ Church Dearborn is diverse. The church resembles to a great degree the community of which it is a part. There are young families, students, grandparents, and people who work at Ford Motor Company and its suppliers, the local hospitals and various enterprises in the area. There are people from different regional, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Most of us have mortgages, problems, challenges and all the rest that comes with living.
  • What is Christ Church Dearborn's worship like?
    Our church has a worship style that utilizes the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. We sing hymns to the accompaniment of a member choir and a grand pipe organ, and sometimes hand-bells, guitars, or horns, depending on the season and the opportunity to diversify our musical offering. However, the focus of our worship is not on being contemporary; rather it is on seeking God's presence through the experience of authentic worship. This means worship for us is not a passive experience performed by the folks up front, but the people's ministry to God.
  • What is the preaching like?
    Helpful, without being boring. The Sunday morning sermon is an integration of biblical exposition and every day application. The ultimate aim of this teaching is to show how God can help in day-to-day living.
  • What does Christ Church Dearborn offer children and youth?
    In addition to offering a Sunday school program from nursery through senior high, Christ Church Dearborn is committed to ministering to children and youth. Another of Christ Church Dearborn's key goals is to minister to families. The church has a core of excellent volunteers who plan outings and other activities for children and their families.
  • Where do singles fit in at Christ Church Dearborn?
    Singles don't just "fit in" at Christ Church Dearborn.  They are essential and indispensable to our church family. Singles can and do serve throughout the church in ministries and in leadership. Additionally, singles always enjoy being together at Christ Church Dearborn.
  • What does Christ Church Dearborn believe about the Bible?
    We believe the Bible is God's Word, because God inspired its human authors and because God continues to speak to humanity to us through it. The Bible for us is a blueprint for Christian living. Additionally, the Bible reveals in intimate detail the God who loves us and with whom we share a vital and personal relationship.
  • What is the role of women at Christ Church Dearborn?
    Christ Church Dearborn believes in the biblical equality of men and women. Therefore, no distinction is made as to which offices, ministries, or functions are open to men and women.
  • Do you people ever have fun?
    All the time. You just pick the time, 24/7, and some member of Christ Church Dearborn is having fun.
  • Are you an Anglican church?
    Yes, Christ Church Dearborn is Anglican in its doctrine and affiliations.
  • Who are Anglicans?
    Anglicans are Christians who practice their faith in the context of the 38 autonomous member churches, or provinces, of the Anglican Communion, which spans 164 countries worldwide with 77 million members.
  • Who are Episcopalians?
    One of these provinces is the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with 2.4 million members in 112 dioceses, or geographic regions. Anglicans and Episcopalians are persons of many ethnic and cultural heritages. Anglicans are known for welcoming diversity of opinion and inquiry.
  • What types of clergy serve the Episcopal Church?
    Within the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion, clergy are men and women who are ordained as bishops, priests and deacons. Bishops of local dioceses are elected. Clergy can and often do have spouses and children while others are single.
  • Who runs the local Episcopal Churches?
    Church members, or laity, hold various elected leadership positions that range from parish vestries (or boards of directors) to deputies to General Convention, the Episcopal Church's bicameral legislative structure.
  • Is the Episcopal Church Catholic or Protestant?
    Anglicans and Episcopalians practice a faith that is liturgically and theologically a bridge between Catholicism and Protestant traditions. Anglicans and Episcopalians value a balance of scripture, reason and tradition.
  • What is Anglicanism?
    Anglicanism is a worldwide family of churches that share a common theological heritage and experience. The term derives from the word that refers to the people of the British Isles, especially the English.
    Anglicanism reflects the balance and compromise of the "via media," or middle way, between Protestant and Catholic principles. Anglicanism also reflects balance in its devotion to scripture, tradition, and reason as sources of authority. The "via media" is often between extreme positions on either side of various issues.
  • Is Anglicanism conservative or liberal in outlook?
    Anglicanism is both traditional and dynamic in the discovery of new expressions. It retains the ancient authorities of scripture and tradition. It also allows for development of new understandings of Christian faith and practice in continuity with the historical church.
  • What is the Anglican Communion?
    The Anglican Communion is composed of churches and provinces in communion with the See of Canterbury throughout the world. Member churches exercise jurisdictional independence but share a common heritage of Anglican identity and commitment to scripture, tradition, and reason as sources of authority.
  • What is a province?
    A province is an autonomous national church recognised as a member of the Anglican Communion. For example, the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Episcopal Church in the United States are all individual provinces of the Anglican Communion.
    Each of these is in turn divided into internal provinces: two in England, four in Canada, and nine in the Episcopal Church in America.
  • Where is Canterbury? What is its significance?
    Canterbury is the city in southeastern England that became the ecclesiastical center for England and, eventually, the Anglican Communion. The Benedictine monk Augustine founded the church in Canterbury on his mission from Rome in 597 A.D.
    From there Christianity spread throughout England. The churches of the Anglican Communion may be defined as the churches in communion with the See of Canterbury.
  • Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury?
    The Archbishop of Canterbury is "Primate of All England". The Archbishop of Canterbury likewise holds a position of honor in the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury convenes the primates (senior clergy) when they gather and sits with them as "first among equals" (Latin: primus inter pares).
    The current and 104th Archbishop of Canterbury is the Most Reverend and Right Honorable Rowan D. Williams. He was enthroned in Canterbury Cathedral on February 27, 2002.
  • Is the Archbishop of Canterbury the Anglican Pope?
    The Archbishop of Canterbury holds a position of honor and preeminence as spiritual leader in the Anglican Communion but holds no official authority over the Anglican Communion, churches of the Communion or its individual members.
    This is a very significant difference from the Roman Catholic understanding of papal authority and the authority of the church.
  • If the Archbishop of Canterbury isn’t like a pope, what kind of leader is he?
    While no one is recognised as the head of all the churches that make up the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury is regarded as its titular leader, and exercises considerable spiritual authority beyond the province of Canterbury.
    For example, the Archbishop of Canterbury presides over the Lambeth Conference and is president of the Anglican Consultative Council.
  • What is the Lambeth Conference?
    The Lambeth Conference is a meeting of the bishops of the Anglican Communion at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the purposes of mutual discussion and consultation. It began in 1867. The meeting is a purely informal gathering. The Conference meets at 10-year intervals, except during times of war. Though it is one of the Communion's four "Instruments of Communion," it has no binding authority over any province of the Communion. Its deliberations do, however, command considerable moral authority.
  • What is the Anglican Consultative Council?
    The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) is the gathering of the Anglican Communion representing the voice of the inner life of the provinces.  The purpose of the council is to provide consultation and guidance on policy issues, such as world mission and ecumenism. The president of the council is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • What is the Lambeth Commission, and what is its mandate?
    The Lambeth Commission on Communion, constituted by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in 2003, studies and reports on how churches and provinces worldwide can maintain communion especially amid differing viewpoints.
  • What is the Church of England, and how does it relate to the Episcopal Church?
    Before the sixteenth-century Reformation in Western Europe, the Christian church was customarily described by region, such as the Gallican Church, the Spanish Church, and the English Church (Latin ecclesia anglicana, literally “Church of England”).
    After the Reformation, the English national church continued to be called the Church of England, but it repudiated the supremacy of the Pope.
    The Episcopal Church in America derives much of its doctrine, discipline, and worship from the Church of England.
  • What is the Episcopal Church (USA)?
    The Episcopal Church in the United States of America is a province of the Anglican Communion.
    In 1780, a conference of three clergy and twenty-four lay delegates met at Chestertown, Maryland and resolved that "the Church formerly known as the Church of England should now be called the Protestant Episcopal Church." In 1789, a church Constitution was adopted.
  • How is the Episcopal Church (USA) governed?
    The church is governed by a bicameral General Convention, which meets every three years, and by an Executive Council during interim years.
    The General Convention consists of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.
  • Who are the top leaders of the Episcopal Church?
    The two top leaders of the church are the Presiding Bishop and the president of the House of Deputies.
  • Is Presiding Bishop an elective office?
    Yes. The present term of office for the Presiding Bishop is nine years.
  • What are the responsibilities of the Presiding Bishop?
    The Presiding Bishop is Chief Pastor and Primate of the Episcopal Church. As "Chief Pastor," the Presiding Bishop is charged with initiating and developing church policy and strategy, speaking God's Word to the church and the world, and visiting every diocese of the church.
  • Where are the Presiding Bishop’s Headquarters?
    The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Washington, D. C., is the official seat of the Presiding Bishop. The office of the Presiding Bishop is located at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City.
  • Who is the current Presiding Bishop?
    The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Jefferts Schori was elected to this office in June 2006.
    Bishop Jefferts Schori was born in 1954 in Pensacola, Florida. She grew up in the Seattle area. Bishop Jefferts Schori and her husband, Richard, were married in 1979. They have one daughter, Katharine Johanna, who is a first lieutenant and pilot in the U. S. Air Force.
    Bishop Jefferts Schori holds a B.S. degree in biology from Stanford University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in oceanography from Oregon State University, an M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and an honorary D.D. also from CDSP.

Editing your page

Who We Are

  • How have we talked about "Who we are?"
    The Episcopal Church 
    Broadly Inclusive … Always Questioning …Deeply Sacramental
     
     
    The Episcopal Church welcomes and celebrates the ministries of all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, social class, or age. 
     
    We are grounded in what we call the “via media:” the middle way between extremes. Rather than telling people what to believe, we provide safe places for questions and struggles of faith. Consequently, our unity comes from worshipping together, not agreeing with each other. Our character is deeply based in our ability to include a diversity of perspectives.
     
    The Bible is the foundation of our faith, and the sacred stories shape all that we do. However, we do not interpret the Bible literally. We see it as a living text, through which God continues to speak to us. Informed by our tradition, reason and experience, our understanding of scripture continually evolves, expanding and changing as our experience of the world expands and changes. 
     
    Our common life is fed by the two central sacraments of Eucharist and Baptism: signs to remind us of God’s grace. Through bread, wine and water, we experience God’s presence in the stuff of everyday life.
     
     
    For more information:
     
    Pamphlet rack across from the office:
    numerous short leaflets
    Available in church office (speak to clergy or call 313-565-8450 during business hours):
    James Westerhoff’s booklet “A People called Episcopalians”--free
    The Anglican Vision by James Griffiss (130 pages)--$10
    In the library:
                Browse “Episcopal Church,” “Anglicanism” and “Church History” sections found behind the desk
    Websites:
                http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ (official website of the Episcopal Church in the USA)
                http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ (official website of the worldwide Anglican Communion)
                http://www.edomi.org/ (official website of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan)
    http://www.christchurchdearborn.org/ (official website of the congregation)
    http://www.everyvoice.net (website from Liberal wing of the Episcopal Church)
    http://www.episcopalian.org/ (website from Conservative wing of Episcopal Church)
    http://www.mit.edu/~tb/anglican/anglican.html (some useful FAQ’s and links)
    The clergy:
                Just call to make an appointment!