ABOUT ECA

Who We Are . . .
We are a small, friendly Christian church and a member church of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA).  The Episcopal Church is rooted in the tradition of the Church of England.  We trace our history back to the Apostles.  We are also a part of the Anglican Communion, a group of more than 74,000,000 Christians in over 164 countries worldwide.  Here in San Jose we share facilities with the Almaden Valley United Church of Christ, and work with our sister church in witness to the unity of the Gospel through a Joint Sunday School and Youth Group.

Our Vision . . .
ECA proclaims God's love for the world through evangelism, worship, forgiveness and reconciliation, inclusiveness, spiritual formation, outreach and hospitality.

Our Mission . . .
ECA, through worship, study, fellowship and outreach, strives to nurture and grow a strong faith community of believers, a family of all ages, where each member feels welcomed, loved and valued.  Ultimately, each member becomes confident, compelled and equipped to lovingly support and serve one another as well as the community at large.

What We Believe . . .
We believe God created the world and everything in it.  We believe that it was and is good.  We believe we are created in the image of God and are called to live our lives in relationship with God and in love and concern for others.  We believe that in the fullness of time God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who through his death and resurrection freed us from sin and death and enabled us to live our lives fully, freely and completely.  We believe to live this way is a difficult task which not only demands our best but also requires both God's love and the love and support of others.

What We Do . . .
We gather every Sunday as a community to worship and celebrate the great gifts God had freely given to us.  We pray, read the Bible and learn to love and support each other.  Children are especially welcomed and cherished as an important part of God's family.  Our church celebrates in other ways, too --through fellowship events such as dinners, picnics, barbecues and other activities.  We strive to be the people God created us to be.

Come grow with us.

Organizational Structure

Vestry — the ministry of management in the Episcopal Church is known as the Vestry.  Vestry members are lay people who each serve a term of three years, with a third elected each year at the annual meeting.  Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month and are open to any interested member.

Annual Meeting — the one time during the year when the Church members gather to receive the budget for the following year, vote on delegates to convention and new Vestry and Joint Venture board members.  All "communicants in good standing" may vote at the annual meeting.  Our last Annual Meeting was January 2010.  The 2009 Annual Report is available here in PDF format.

Diocese  — ECA belongs to the Diocese of El Camino Real that includes congregations from Palo Alto to San Luis Obispo.

Diocesan Delegates — elected for three year terms at the annual meeting.  Duties include attending Diocesan Conventions and Deanery Meetings where decisions are made for the direction or mission of the diocese.  This is a good way to meet people from other parishes, learn more about the Episcopal Church and be involved in affecting diocesan decisions.

General Convention — every three years clergy and laity (from each diocese in the United States) are elected as deputies, and together with the bishops assemble as the House of Bishops at General Convention.  This national body, gathering in various locations throughout the United States, sets policy and worship practice for Episcopalians in the United States.  You can get more information at the General Convention Website at:  http://www.episcopalchurch.org/gc/

Joint Venture — we share our building and some staff with the Almaden Valley United Church of Christ (AVUCC).  We call this partnership Joint Venture (JV).  The JV Board meets the third Tuesday of each month with both pastors and six representatives from each church.  Each year ECA elects two JV Representatives to serve a two-year position on the board.  Joint Venture is the legal entity for corporate decisions regarding the building, expansion, office and logistical budgeting.  Under Joint Venture we share our Christian Education Director, Youth Director, Music Director, janitorial service,  and care of the building and grounds.   Each church contributes equally to the JV budget.

AVUCC — the Almaden Valley United Church of Christ (also referred to as UCC).  This is the congregation with which we share our building.  Kevin Smith, UCC's pastor, leads their Sunday service at 9:00 am.   Our youth groups are led and attended by both ECA and UCC members.   This "Joint Venture" relationship with UCC has flourished for nearly 40 years. AVUCC's website is www.avucc.org.