Upcoming Event...

At the pleasure of Bishop Paul Hewett, Diocese of the Holy Cross (web site: http://dioceseoftheholycross.org/), we are hosting, on Saturday, May 24, 2008, a meeting of all orthodox Anglican parishes of what could be called the Anglican Fellowship of the Susquehanna Valley – parishes around New Holland, Lancaster, York, Gettysburg and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and around Frederick, Hyattstown, Gaithersburg, Joppa, Havre de Grace, Baltimore, Annapolis, Easton and the East Shore of Maryland.  All orthodox bishops, clergy and laity of the various jurisdictions are invited for Morning Prayer at 10:30 a.m. followed by a catered meal and a meeting to get to know each other as fellow Anglicans in the region, and to begin to do more together, with action points on building up our fellowship.  There will be a charge of $10 per person (to help defray some of the costs), and we plan to adjourn by 2:30 p.m.  Please register for this event by contacting Bishop Hewett at afdv1@yahoo.com  as soon as possible, and no later than May 16 (so we can keep the caterer properly advised).  We pray the Holy Spirit will bless this gathering, and will open the doors for you to attend.  Please see the map and directions form below to locate us and obtain driving directions.

The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ...

What's the big deal with the Ascension?  The Resurrection is the source and center of our hope in the victory over death, and the key focus of our joy and thanksgiving, right?  So, isn’t the Ascension rather anticlimactic?  Yes to the first, no to the second.  The Ascension puts the seal to the Resurrection.  It removes any doubt about the eternity of the body as well as the soul, and proclaims without contradiction the destiny of our being with Christ where he is, in body and spirit.  Ok.  So what? Of course He ascended.  What else would He do?  Why do we need to dwell on that?  The prophecy of the Christ points ultimately to His eternal reign as our King.  Thus it was truly perplexing to the Disciples when Jesus first spoke of going to the Father and leaving them behind in this evil world.  There was no “of course” about it for them, until the Holy Spirit made it plain.  Christ had to go prepare a place for us to dwell in His kingdom.  In the Resurrection, He rises from the dead.  In the Ascension, He goes to the Father.  The “from” and the “to” need each other in order to make the whole message.  They are two sides of the same coin.  Christ from the beginning was in Heaven.  At the Ascension, however, He entered Heaven as the Word made flesh, Christ in human form - truly human form - thus affirming once and for all that we too - resurrected and transfigured in Christ - will bodily dwell in Heaven.  It would be arrogant for us to forget that our frail human form could NOT enter Heaven without Christ.  The Ascension affirms the reality, full meaning, and purpose of the Resurrection.  Of course it is important for us to celebrate it with thanksgiving!  But how can we better understand what the Ascension means to our daily walk with God in the Faith? Turn to John 17, where Jesus prays to the Father, and prays for us, our destiny.  In verse 24, He prays:

“I will that they also, whom thou has given me, be with me where I am”
Amen.

From the Parish of Holy Family Anglican Church...

"Grace be to You..."

"...and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."

Thus does Paul's greeting to the Galatians echo across centuries and continents to reach us in our present circumstances. And we share it with you as a prayer, with faith that the Spirit will bring to your heart the blessing of its good news and assurance.

Who are we? First and foremost, we are Christians.  Followers of Christ Jesus our Lord, charged with proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed.  In particular, we are a small Anglican Parish in Montgomery County. We worship in conformance with Holy Scripture using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (Episcopal) along with the Anglican Missal.  Our preaching is Bible-based and evangelical, and we embrace Christian fellowship for the spiritual strength and encouragement it provides.  Our calling is to humbly share the light, love, and hope of Christ, and to provide a place in which to worship God and experience His healing power. 

Whether you are Anglican or not, we believe you will enjoy the traditional liturgical worship, healing prayers, and Christian fellowship.  We hope you will find us, visit us, share in the joy of praising God, and consider joining us.

We worship every Sunday at 10:00 a.m.in the Historic Chapel at Milton Ridge in Hyattstown, Maryland (see map and directions below).  Hyattstown is an historic district within Clarksburg, MD, one of the fastest growing communities in the Washington DC metropolitan area.  Milton Ridge Chapel is part of a unique complex encompassing an historic home built circa 1850, and a new reception hall designed and constructed in the historic style of the community.  This complex is used for weddings, wedding receptions, and other religious purposes, and would be an ideal location for short conclaves and retreats to promote our unity in the spirit, uphold each other in the faith, and find more ways to collaborate in the Lord's work.  We covet your prayers and wisdom for this possiblity.

The Reception Hall shown above, and the Historic Chapel (at the right edge of the photo), are used for many weddings throughout the year (for more information on weddings at Milton Ridge, please go here: http://miltonridge.com). The Hall and Chapel are also available for Liturgical activities, Bible studies, and Anglican retreats, conclaves, and meetings.   The Reception Hall Interior (photo on the right) is spacious, versatile, and elegant. It can be arranged to be more intimate to accomdate a smaller group. It has audio-visual, catering, and comfort facilities to meet a wide range of needs.

Holy Family Anglican Church Services

Holy Eucharist

Time:              10:00 am Sunday

Place:             The Historic Chapel at Milton Ridge in Hyattstown
                        Route 355 (Frederick Road),
                        Clarksburg (Hyattstown Historic District),  Maryland

Address:        26130 Frederick Road
                        Clarksburg, Maryland 20871

Information:   240-678-8458

Pray Without Ceasing

Parish Clergy and Affiliation

Although we are independent, and not formally affiliated with the Southern Episcopal Church,  we are nevertheless served by the

Right Reverend Douglas Pieper, DD,DSMus
Bishop (dpieper@comcast.net)

Bishop Douglas is our Pastor and Priest-in-Charge with the kindly blessing and gracious permission of the Presiding Bishop of the Southern Episcopal Church, Bishop Huron C. Manning, Jr.

Like the Southern Episcopal Church, we:

• Are a traditional Anglican/Episcopal Church
• Are a part of the traditional Anglican Communion worldwide
• Use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
• Have valid Sacraments
• Hold true Apostolic Succession

Find us on the Map

Directions to the Chapel

From Baltimore and other Central Maryland locations:

Follow I-70 West to I-270 South
Take I-270 South to Exit #22 (Rt. 109/Hyattstown)
Turn RIGHT at the stop sign at the end of the ramp, going 109 North
At the first traffic light turn LEFT onto Rt. 355 North (Frederick Rd)
Follow Rt 355 North (Frederick Road) for 3/10 of a mile to 26130 on the LEFT (Sign says Milton Ridge).

From Washington DC, Northern VA and Suburban MD:

Follow I-495 to I-270 North
Take I-270 North to exit #22 (Rt. 109/Hyattstown)
Turn LEFT at the stop sign at the end of the ramp, going 109 North
At the first traffic light turn LEFT onto Rt. 355 North (Frederick Rd)
Follow Rt 355 North (Frederick Road) for 3/10 of a mile to 26130 on the LEFT (Sign says Milton Ridge).

Or obtain directions using the Mapquest form below:

Contact Us

Mail Holy Family Anglican Church P.O. Box 581 Gaithersburg, MD 20884 or Holy Family Anglican Church 26130 Frederick Road Clarksburg, MD 20871	Phone Dan Funk 240-678-8458

E-Mail
dpieper@comcast.net