Core Values — St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Whitemarsh

Join our thriving spiritual community.

A B O U T

Here you can be yourself, find strength in vulnerability, and deepen your relationship with God. We are rooted in more than 325 years of history, yet open to new expressions of the faith. St. Thomas’ is one of the fastest- growing Episcopal churches in the country. We are thriving because we seek to make God real and relevant every day for every one.

Our Core Values

Worship in the Episcopal tradition is at the heart of all we do. Nourished by God’s Word and Sacraments, we are then sent out by the Holy Spirit to make God real for others in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods, proclaiming the Gospel through word and example. While we adhere to core Christian beliefs represented by the historic creeds of the church, we meet people wherever they are on their spiritual journey.
Our Christ-centered faith inspires us to serve those in need. We meet Jesus most profoundly on the margins of society. Through our Second Saturday Barn Sales, a beloved regional tradition, we gather our community to raise funds for local and global outreach. Whether close to home or on missions abroad, we seek to develop relationships with those we serve in a spirit of humility and partnership.
We are a warm and inclusive family of faith where you belong even before you believe. We find our unity in Jesus, who embraces everyone, refusing to settle for uniformity. Seeking to reflect God’s diverse creation, we look for the face of Christ in all persons, compassionately caring for each other, through all of our joys and sorrows.
Committed to lifelong learning, we proclaim that it is never too early or too late to grow in our knowledge of God. Our Preschool, Spiritual Formation for children, youth, and adults, Bible studies, seasonal courses, and retreats are visible signs of our search for wisdom. Like Jesus, we welcome hard questions, free inquiry, and vigorous conversation, all of which lead to our spiritual maturity and growth into the full stature of Christ.
Since 1698, we have devoted our time, spiritual gifts, and material resources to strengthening our church. With love for the generations to come, we tend our extraordinary buildings and grounds as sacred places where people of all ages may come to know and love Christ. Our solar farm, community gardens, and arboretum speak of our covenantal relationship with all of God’s creation and our hope for the future.