Mission
Our mission is to bring an ancient faith to a modern world by making the rich heritage of Orthodox Christianity clear, approachable and accessible to all. We strive to create a welcoming community where everyone can find a place to belong and experience God's love through:
- Presenting eternal truths in a manner relevant to modern culture
- Actively engaging in and serving the local community
- Emphasizing the importance of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ
- Celebrating all services entirely in English to create a welcoming space where everyone can follow and grow
Vision
God for all...not just us. At STSA, our vision is to be a church that reflects God’s heart for all people—welcoming everyone into a life-changing relationship with Him, not keeping His love to ourselves.
Core Values for a Modern World
STSA organizes its ministry around 10 Core Values that flow from its foundational tradition:
1. Limitless Acceptance
We believe that every person who enters our church is the most important person in the world. That person is sent by God and should be loved and accepted as such.
2. Authentic Community
We believe God created the church to fulfill our relational needs in addition to our spiritual needs. We reject superficiality in relationships with one another just as we reject superficiality in our relationship with God.
3. Transformation Communal Worship
We gather to be transformed by the Real Presence of God in our midst every time we meet. Liturgical prayer is not just a routine; it is life giving and real. It is the center of our life as a family.
4. Passionate Pursuit of God
We don’t stop worshipping after we leave the church. We seek to live passionate lives for God, pursuing Him every day through prayer, Bible reading, giving, witnessing and everything we do.
5. Christ-Like Integrity
We believe that our personal integrity is the greatest reflection of our relationship with Christ. We know that true spiritual maturity is measured by obedience, not knowledge.
6. Faith-Filled Vision
We believe in a big God and we rely on Him to do extraordinary things in our lives. We are not surprised when God does a miracle; we are more surprised when He doesn’t.
7. Irrational Generosity
We genuinely believe it is more blessed to give than to receive and we seek opportunities to express our love to God by sacrificing our time and our money.
8. Faithful Stewardship of Talents/Gifts
We believe that each one of us is entrusted by God with specific talents and gifts. It is our duty to use those gifts to further Christ’s mission on earth.
9. Personal Call to Evangelism
We believe that the call to evangelism and witnessing applies to us just as much as it did to the Apostles in the early church. God will hold me accountable to its completion.
10. Genuine Love for Community
We bleed with love for the community around us – especially those who are without Christ. We don’t just care about spiritual needs, but physical and emotional and social needs as well. We seek to be a true blessing to the community in whatever way we can.