If you are interested in learning about St. Francis, this is a good place to start. Here is a brief introduction to our church and Christian community, and how you can begin to experience what we offer at St. Francis.
New Here?
At St. Francis, we are a welcoming community dedicated to growing in and sharing God’s love. Our church is a place of warmth, friendship and strengthening spiritual connection. Whether you’re new to the area or searching for a new spiritual home, we welcome you.
We encourage you to learn more by taking advantage of any of these resources:
- Explore more about St. Francis and our activities by visiting our website’s Worship and Get Involved sections.
- Visit a Sunday Service.
- Experience any of the activities listed in our Get Involved section by contacting the coordinator(s) of any of the activities you may be interested in.
- Complete a Welcome card in the pews and hand it to an usher or the Church office, and you will be contacted by someone who can answer your questions or get you connected.
- Reach out to the Chair of our Welcome/Invite/Connect committee who will be happy to answer questions or get you connected.
- Contact the Rector or Priest who will be glad to speak with you.
Worship Services
Our worship services follow a structure laid out in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), versions of which are used throughout the Anglican Communion worldwide.
We have:
- Sunday services, which are normally
- 8 a.m. (Rite 1, more traditional, without music)
- 10 a.m. (Rite 2, more contemporary, with choir)
- Weekday services, Monday-Friday by Zoom
- 8 a.m. (Morning Prayer)
- 5 p.m. (Evening Prayer)
- Special services (Easter season, Christmas, etc.)
The Sunday 10 a.m. service features nursery and Children’s Chapel. Children are also welcomed at the main service as well.
Please check our Worship section for more information.
What We Believe
The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion, which is present throughout the globe. As Protestants, we believe in salvation by God’s grace through faith. We organize ourselves as ordained clergy (bishops, priests, and deacons) and lay members working together in community to proclaim the good news of God in Christ.
The following summarizes our most important tenets. We believe that:
- God is Trinity: one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – yet of one essence, as expressed in the Nicene Creed.
- Jesus is Lord and Savior, who redeemed his followers through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In his life on earth, he was both fully God and fully human.
- Our understanding of God is best developed through the reading and study of Scripture, lived out in our traditions, and supported by reason. Scripture is best understood through reading, prayer, and the opinions of Christians across the ages.
- The Bible contains within it all things necessary for salvation. It is reliable, with authority for our own lives and for our church community.
- Our community begins in our worship, especially in the sharing of the sacraments but also in scripture readings from Old and New Testaments and in the use of Psalms, sermons and hymns, all of which help us to know God better and live his way more fully.
- The ancient creeds, the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, contain the essential statement of our Christian faith.
- We share the Good News of God in Christ through our words and through our actions, showing Christ’s love to others.
Our Beginning
In 1964, when Great Falls was just starting its transition from dairy and horse farms to the community we know today, a small group of Episcopalians came together to establish a church. Working through start-up challenges with faithful prayer, these pioneers built a church that began as St. Francis in-the-Field and grew into today’s St. Francis.
Over the past 60 years, St. Francis Episcopal Church has been a place for Christians from all faith traditions and denominations to join together to worship God, strengthen their relationship with Christ, and develop strong and lasting friendships. We also serve and make a contribution to the welfare of others outside the church.
