Who We Are

St. Aidan's is an open and inclusive member of The Episcopal Church. We welcome all who desire a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are located in the heart of the King's Grant area of Virginia Beach on Edinburgh road between N. Lynnhaven and King's Grant Road. There is a map link of the main page.

Over 150 people gather at St. Aidan's each week. Young, old and in between come to praise God and to learn about living a Christian life. A life that truly follows the Biblical imperative to love God and to love your neighbor. We do this in a variety of ways, through worship, fellowship and service to our church community as well as the greater community.

In the Episcopal Church we encourage open and frank discussion about our faith. An old ad campaign said, "We ask that you check your coat at the door, not your brain." I take that very seriously at St. Aidan's. Sermons are not meant to give rigid answers, but to provoke thought and prayer about the role God plays in your life and the life of our community. Please take the time to visit our Sermon Page to see some samples from the last six months.

How We Worship

Our worship style is a traditional Episcopal Service with Eucharist (Communion) every Sunday. We follow the services as laid out in our Book of Common Prayer. Common meaning prayer done by the community together.

Our 8:15 service is a quiet service that does not have any music. Our 10:30 service (10:00 in the summertime) features one or more of our talented and dedicated musical organizations.

All baptized persons regardless of age and regardless of tradition are welcome at the table to receive communion.

Music is essential to good liturgy (our service) and good liturgy is how we worship God. Our music includes traditional hymns as well as contemporary praise music. We also have two Bell Choirs (adult and youth) and a wonderful Children's Choir.

September through June, the second Sunday of the month is always a special children's service at 10:30. Our children's choir performs all the service music and there is a special message for our younger members at this service. The other Sundays of the month children grade 3 and under may leave for part of the service to go to our Children's Chapel to hear a message just for them. They return during the announcement times in the middle of the service so that all can be present for Communion.

Childcare is provided for infants and young children at the 10:30 service and for any special services

I hope you will take the time to explore the rest of our website and all of the opportunities for Christian Formation, Worship and Service that our parish offers. Our website is currently undergoing major revisions so stop back often and check us out.

I am happy to speak with anyone about our parish and the larger Episcopal Church, whether you are a long time Episcopalian or a person who is just curious about our church. Please know that you are welcome here.

The Rev. Mark Wilkinson, Rector

Continue on down the page to learn about membership.

How do I become a member?

The easiest way to join us is to come on a Sunday morning at one of our two services. Service times are:

8:15 and 10:30 (September through June)

8:15 and 10:00 (mid-June through August)

Christian Formation Classes for all ages are at 9:30 September through June

If you like what you see when you visit, please take a moment to fill our a visitor/newcomer card and give to one of the ushers or to the rector after the service. You can also click on this email link to Nancy Newhams our parish administrator and ask to be put into our database.

This will get you started and be put on our email newsletter list and regular mail lists so you can keep informed of what is going on.

When you are ready to really get involved you are invited to formally join by Baptism, Confirmation, Reception, or by transfer of church letter from your previous parish. To a newcomer to the church these terms may be confusing so here is a brief explanation.

Baptism: If you have not been baptized this is the first step in committing your life to Christ. Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is the basic entry rite to Christianity. We have baptisms several times a year. By the way, baptisms are not just for babies. We often baptize adults in our church. So come on in, the water's fine.

Confirmation: If you have been baptized in another faith tradition that does not have bishops, Confirmation is the formal way of becoming an Episcopalian.

Reception: People coming from the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox or other churches with Bishops are received into the Episcopal Church if they have been confirmed in their previous church.

Transfer of Letter: This means that you contact your previous parish so they can transfer your membership information form them to us. Even if you haven't been at your old parish in a long time, they may still have your information. Parish registers are historical documents.

More information about this will be found on our page about Sacraments that will be posted soon.

You can also stop by our office. The office is open 9:00-4:00 Tuesday through Thursday. You can also email our rector, The Rev. Mark Wilkinson or call 757-340-6459 to set up a time to talk to him. Your questions and interest are imporant and Mark will find a time when you can meet with him.

Regardless of how you contact us, a member of our Membership Committee will be in contact with you to help you learn about St. Aidan's.

The most important thing for us is that you come and worship with us. Get to know us and we are sure you will want to join us on a regular basis.

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St. Aidan's Episcopal Church

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