What Does Episcopal Mean at Holderness?

At Holderness, our Episcopal identity is part of our founding, our community, and the way we think about what it means to educate the whole person. But what does “Episcopal” actually mean?

For some families, the word may be familiar. For others, it may be entirely new. And for still others, it may bring to mind a particular kind of church service or tradition.

At its heart, the Episcopal tradition is about following the teachings of Jesus Christ while embracing a faith that makes room for questions, reflection, community, service, and wonder. It asks us not only what we believe, but how our beliefs shape the way we live and the way we interact with one another and the world around us.

At Holderness, our students are growing into young adults who are beginning to ask bigger questions: Who am I? What do I believe? What matters to me? How do I want to contribute to the world?

We don't expect students to have the answers. In fact, we believe there is value in asking the questions together and exploring the possibilities.

A Christian Tradition Rooted in Welcome

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion and is rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Episcopal worship draws together Scripture, prayer, music, reflection, and community, with the Eucharist at the center of its worship life.

Episcopal faith is also characterized by a willingness to engage with the world thoughtfully. Scripture and tradition are important, as are reason, experience, conversation, and the questions that emerge as we encounter a changing world. That creates space for a faith that is both grounded and curious.

At Holderness, we believe those qualities matter in education, too.

Our students are encouraged to be curious—not just in the classroom, but about themselves, one another, and the world around them. They are invited to explore difficult questions, listen to perspectives different from their own, and develop a sense of purpose that extends beyond themselves.

And importantly, you do not have to be Episcopalian to belong at Holderness.

The Episcopal community welcomes all people from a wide range of religious traditions, as well as those who are still figuring out what they believe. Our Episcopal identity provides a foundation for our spiritual life without requiring every member of our community to share the same faith.

Faith That Moves Beyond the Chapel

One of the most important ideas in the Episcopal tradition is that faith is meant to be lived. The Episcopal Church articulates this through what are known as the Five Marks of Mission—five commitments that describe what it means to put faith into action.

We Observe Five Marks of Mission

• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• To teach, baptize, and nurture new believers
• To respond to human need by loving service
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Together, these five commitments offer a powerful picture of what a life of faith can look like. It looks like service, standing up for someone who needs an advocate, pursuing peace when conflict would be easier, caring for people who are hurting, and recognizing that the natural world is not simply something we use, but something we have a responsibility to protect.

These ideas align naturally with the education we provide at Holderness.

Spirituality in the Outdoors

For a school in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, it is perhaps no surprise that our understanding of spirituality is deeply connected to the natural world.

Our students spend a tremendous amount of time outside. They ski, hike, climb, run, bike, paddle, explore, compete, work, and learn in a landscape that constantly reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Our Outdoor Chapel is the tangible representation of spirituality in the outdoors. Holderness also hosts an optional but well-attended evening outdoor gathering called Fire & Fellowship, where students can gather to find or provide support.

The Holderness School community completes a short hike once a month, as weather allows, to have a Chapel service at the Outdoor Chapel on campus.

There is something inherently reflective about standing on a mountain summit after a difficult climb, watching the seasons change, or spending a quiet morning beside a pond.

Service Over Self

The Episcopal commitment to loving service also resonates deeply with our community. We believe education should help students recognize that their lives are connected to the lives of others.

The goal isn't simply to develop capable young people, but to help them understand how their capabilities can be used in service of something greater than themselves–Pro deo et Genere Humano or For God and Humankind, the motto of Holderness School.

That might mean participating in Service Day, helping with a community project, giving blood through our Red Cross blood drives, serving in the Job Program, supporting organizations beyond our immediate community, or simply noticing when someone nearby needs help.

Students participate in an annual Service Day where they support the surrounding community.

Sometimes it is a student making room for someone else at lunch. A teammate encouraging someone who is struggling. A student taking responsibility for a mistake. A young person choosing to listen rather than speak. These small acts matter because they shape character. And character is at the heart of a Holderness education.

Seeking Peace and Reconciliation

Another of the Five Marks of Mission calls us to “seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.”

For teenagers, this can begin with something as fundamental as learning how to live in community. A boarding school is an especially rich environment for this kind of learning. Students don't simply see one another for a few hours each day. They live together. They eat together. They compete together. They share successes and disappointments. They also disagree.

Learning to navigate those disagreements—to listen, communicate, forgive, take responsibility, and try again—is an important part of growing up. We don't expect students to avoid conflict. We expect them to learn from it. Community, after all, isn't the absence of disagreement. It is the willingness to keep showing up for one another.

Caring for Creation

The Episcopal commitment to “safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth” takes on particular meaning at Holderness.

Our campus is surrounded by the forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers of New Hampshire. The outdoors is not simply the backdrop to our school; it is part of our classroom, our culture, and our sense of place. Our students experience firsthand the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

Students, faculty, and alumni participate in a Trail Work Day where we clean up the hiking trail Holderness School has adopted. A few of our classes explore sustainability and stewardship of the environment. The land around us becomes something we know, appreciate, depend upon, and ultimately feel responsible for.

Faculty, alumni, and students volunteer to maintain Holderness School's adopted trails in the White Mountains.

That sense of connection is closely related to our belief that education should cultivate both curiosity and responsibility. We want students to wonder about the world and recognize that they have a role in caring for it.

Making Space for Questions

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of Episcopal tradition at Holderness is that spirituality is not presented as a finished product. Adolescence is a time of tremendous questioning when students are developing their identities, testing boundaries, encountering new ideas, and beginning to make decisions about the kind of people they want to become.

Our Chapel and spiritual life programs provide opportunities for students to pause amid the pace of school life. Through worship, reflection, conversation, music, prayer, and time outdoors, students are invited to consider the deeper questions beneath their everyday experiences.

For some, that may strengthen an existing Christian faith. For others, it may prompt new questions. For still others, it may be an opportunity to explore spirituality, meaning, and purpose without knowing exactly what they believe. All of those journeys have a place here.

A Faith Tradition That Shapes Who We Are

Being an Episcopal school doesn't mean that every Holderness student believes the same thing. It means that our community is shaped by a tradition that asks us to take seriously the dignity of every person, to serve others, to seek peace, to care for creation, and to live with purpose.

We believe that education is about more than academic achievement. It is about community, character, and curiosity, and helping young people understand that their lives are connected—to one another, to the places they inhabit, and to something larger than themselves.

And perhaps most importantly, it is about asking students to consider not only what they want to accomplish, but who they want to become.

The Episcopal identity at Holderness is a foundation that encourages students to live with open minds, generous hearts, a sense of wonder, and a responsibility to the world around them.

Because ultimately, we believe the world needs people who don't simply ask, “What can I do?” They also ask, “How can I help?”

Learn more about Spirituality at Holderness >