The Episcopal Tradition at St. Andrew's

The Cross overlooks Lake Sherwood Wise on the North Campus.

The founding vision of St. Andrew's Episcopal School calls for an active relationship between the School and the Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew. The liturgy and traditions of the Episcopal Church as found in the Book of Common Prayer form the core of expression and practice of Christian beliefs at St. Andrew's. From them St. Andrew's draws its spiritual direction and ultimate identity as a church-affiliated school.

St. Andrew's seeks to maintain its Episcopal identity by the way in which the presence and will of God are discerned as they are revealed in the interaction between Episcopal sources of authority: the Scriptures, reason and tradition, interpreted in the light of contemporary experience. While St. Andrew's remains uncompromising in the recognition of Christian principles upon which it was founded, the faith of others is deeply respected.

The St. Andrew's community is one in which each member is respected as a unique and valuable person regardless of his or her race, religious beliefs, or status in life. At St. Andrew's there is an appreciation of the diversity and value of all religious traditions and beliefs. A central tenet is that God's activity in the world is not confined to the church, and a willingness to listen carefully and learn humbly from those whose perceptions may differ is deeply affirmed. Christians of all denominations and adherents of other religious traditions, as well as those without specific religious affiliation, are welcome. The inevitable tension that results from this diversity provides the lesson that in a changing world those of true faith are obliged to deal peacefully and constructively with their differences. At St. Andrew's Episcopal School the goal is to learn to live with differences in tolerance, mutual respect, peace and harmony as justice and reconciliation are sought.

St. Andrew's emphasizes a basic tenet of Episcopal belief that our devotion to God and service to our neighbor in need necessarily go together. Therefore, St. Andrew's requires age-appropriate community service and outreach at each grade level. St. Andrew's students are encouraged not just to share what they have with others, but to understand the issues and complexities of society, to consider what their individual and corporate responsibilities are, and to act on those responsibilities.

St. Andrew's offers an opportunity to learn, to worship and to act in an educational community which strives to pattern itself according to the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. Through this emphasis on Christian values, students at St. Andrew's not only have the opportunity to contemplate and comprehend the implications of a changing world, but also to become well-anchored in their own moral and religious values. It is by remaining true to these principles that St. Andrew's is able to build both a morally and spiritually formative educational community--an Episcopal school.