Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Mission Church?
A “Mission Church”—or “Mission” for short—is the original term for a church plant. We’ve grown out of St. Matthew’s Church, within the Diocese of the Holy Trinity, but we recognize the communities of Fullerton and North Orange County are unique. We’re still praying and discerning God’s plan here, all the while seeking to follow Christ and make ourselves available for the needs of others in this region.
See also our Vision and Values
What does it mean that we are Anglican?
Anglican essentially means “English” (i.e. “Anglish”). Over the centuries, “English” Christianity—planted in the British Isles in the earliest days of the church—developed its own unique and beautiful patterns of prayer, centered around daily Bible reading and regular celebration of Holy Communion. These patterns were eventually collected into the Book of Common Prayer, which continues to guide our worship and prayer to this day. By now, Anglicanism is the third largest expression of Christianity in the world.
What do we believe?
We believe that Jesus Christ is our—and our world’s—true hope. We believe that, in Jesus, God has conquered sin and death, and through faith in Jesus, we can experience the joy and peace of living in God’s Kingdom, now. We wholeheartedly embrace the historic Christian faith as summarized in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds and we receive the Bible as God’s inspired word and submit to it as our final authority.
Who is St. Thomas?
Thomas was one of Jesus’ disciples but he stands out in the Bible for wanting to go wherever Jesus went. When Jesus decided to travel toward Jerusalem, in spite of the danger, Thomas called the other disciples to, “go… [and] die with him.” At the Last Supper, when Jesus said that he was going away, Thomas desperately asked, “how can we know the way [without you]?”
When Jesus died, Thomas was crushed. He even lost the faith to believe his brothers’ and sisters’ words, saying Jesus had risen from the dead. “Unless I see [him]… I will not believe.”
But Jesus came to Thomas, full of mercy, and brought him back into the fellowship of his disciples. Thomas was forever changed by this encounter with God’s grace. After Jesus ascended, Thomas likely went farther than any other apostle in taking the news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to the world. The story goes: Thomas went and lived southwest India—and likely travelled to China and Indonesia—planting as many as five churches there before his death.
We wish to find the shape of Thomas’ story in our own lives—encountering God, being transformed by His grace, and then going into the world to facilitate an encounter with God for others.
When did St. Thomas Anglican start?
St. Thomas is the fruit of years of prayer and a fervent desire to provide a space to experience God’s grace in North Orange County. We have been meeting and praying together since Spring 2016 and started weekly services in Spring 2020.
What does the future hold for St. Thomas Anglican?
We’re still praying and discerning God’s plan here in North Orange County, all the while seeking to commune with Christ and make ourselves available for the needs of others. We aim to be substantially useful to our surrounding community. We care more about being good than being big; about being prayerful than entertaining. We aim to nurture a healthy church family that is generous and charitable and committed to learning and growing together.
