Episcorific is a web ‘zine created for and by the Young Adults of the Episcopal Church as a forum for conversation about the place of faith in our modern society and our individual lives. It is designed as a site for the building of relationships, the challenging of ideas and the formulation of new ways of being and thinking “Episcopalian.” It is open to participation by all.

Published in black and white at episcorific.org, Episcorific includes both images and written work, from poetry to book reviews. Past articles have dealt with a wide array of subject matter, from the election of a new bishop to steps for discerning a calling to developing world relief work. Episcorific invites all manner of conversation about our lives as young adults, our faith, our church and a God who is bigger than any of these.

Episcorific was started in the spring of 2008 by two brothers, Jeremiah and Jason Sierra, in the Diocese of Texas. It has been published seasonally beginning with Pentecost 2008. It has since gained a national readership of over 2,000 and continues to expand. In the Spring of 2009, the Sierra brothers expanded the editorial board in order to broaden the scope of ideas brought to the creation of each issue. The board decides the theme of each issue and works together to invite submissions from across the country. They also make the final selections for publishing. The editorial board currently consists of Lauren Caldwell, Kathleen Clark, Rachel Graves, Ross Heinsohn, Hanna Kang-Brown, Jeremiah Sierra & Jason Sierra.

In order to maintain the integrity of the creative and prophetic voice of young adults in the church, Episcorific maintains autonomy from the official channels of the Episcopal Church. As an open forum, Episcorific encourages participation and sharing by all who come to the expansive table we share. The Office for Young Adult Ministry at the Episcopal Church Center supports and encourages free participation and expression in this venture, while maintaining that all opinions and statements are those of the authors and not official statements by or for the Episcopal Church.

People ask if the church continues to be relevant, if faith has a place in modern life, if we Episcopalians will survive. The answer is yes. The Episcopal Church is a vibrant place with an incredibly rich and beautiful heritage. It is a place full of talented, caring, devoted people doing amazing work. We have a lot to offer the world, a lot of good news about what it means to be people of God. And, to top it off, we have a good sense of humor about it all. We think that’s just darn Episcorific!

Read. Listen. Pray. And when you’re ready, lend your own voice to the babble. Let’s share our lives of faith!