ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
A Community of Christian Love
Called to Grow
Sent to Serve
Every Member a Priest
Every Work a Worship
About
CHURCH of the HOLY NATIVITY
Church of the Holy Nativity is an inclusive community committed to making our church a place of belonging and nurture for all people. We are singles and families, young and old, conservative and progressive, gay and straight, and from many nations. We believe such diversity brings God closer to us and us closer to God, the Creator and Lover of all. All are welcome here.
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We find unity as we share the Body of Christ and become the Body of Christ. The celebration of Holy Communion, the sharing of a common meal of bread and wine, is at the center of Church of the Holy Nativity’s worship. At a worship service, you will sing anything from traditional hymns to gospel or jazz tunes. You will say both prayers familiar and words to inspire your imagination to behold the mystery of God. Church of the Holy Nativity is a church grounded in tradition yet ever inspired by God’s creative presence and power to welcome the new.​
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Spiritual seekers, seasoned disciples, skeptics, or saints, all are welcome. Come as you are. We hope Church of the Holy Nativity might be a place of support, inspiration, guidance, and growth for you, so that empowered by a community of faith, you may claim and use your God-given gifts to make this world a more just and loving place.
COMING HOME TO CHN
Members of CHN come from many different church and faith backgrounds. Some have been here since the founding of the church in 1954, while others have found their home at CHN more recently, but many of us describe our stories of coming to Church of the Holy Nativity as "coming home."
Clergy & Staff
Our Vestry
Vestry members are usually elected at the annual parish meeting. The presiding officer of the vestry is the rector. There are usually two wardens. The senior warden leads the parish between rectors and is a support person for the rector. The junior warden often has responsibility for church property and buildings. A treasurer and a secretary or clerk may be chosen. These officers may or may not be vestry members. The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation, to support the church’s mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances. (Description adapted from the EPISCOPAL DICTIONARY.)
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For a current list of vestry members, please contact our parish administrator.
The Episcopal Church
Loving, Liberating, and Life-giving
The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ and comprises 108 dioceses and three mission areas in 22 countries or territories.
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While The Episcopal Church is headquartered in New York City, we are not a national church—we are a multinational denomination.
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As the only U.S.-based member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, The Episcopal Church is part of the world’s third-largest group of Christians and currently has more than 1.5 million members. We are denominational descendants of—and partners with—the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church.
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The mission of the church, as stated in the Book of Common Prayer’s catechism, is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” In step with that mission, The Episcopal Church follows Jesus into loving, liberating, and life-giving relationships with God, with each other, and with the earth.
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We are the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
Christ-centered, inclusive, sustained by prayer and committed to service,
the Diocese of Chicago devotes itself to three simple goals:
Grow the Church. Form the faithful. Change the world.
​We welcome skeptics, seekers and believers into a community of some 31,000 baptized members, nearly 400 clergy and 123 congregations spread across 21 counties in northern and west central Illinois. ​Rooted in the church’s Anglo-Catholic tradition, we are strengthened by a diversity of cultural, liturgical and theological expression. Our diocese is known for its emphasis on leadership and congregational development.​ Our commitment to social witness and community service is expressed through the work of Episcopal Charities and Community Services, and a variety of diocesan and parish-based initiatives. ​We are proud to be one of the 111 domestic and overseas dioceses comprising The Episcopal Church, one of the 42 member churches, or provinces, of the worldwide Anglican Communion.