St. Stephen's Parish Profile
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Parish Profile 3 Bayview Avenue Belvedere, California 94920 ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!1 ~~ Table of Contents ~~ Everliving God, we pray for the life of our parish in this time of transition as we search for a new rector. May we be guided by your love and strengthened in our mission to serve you through ministry, fellowship, and worship. We pray for the priests we encounter on our journey. Give us grace to follow where you lead us and grant us your peace. Amen. Our Parish and Our Call ………………………………………………………………….. 3 Parish Life and Ministries ………………………………………………………………… 7 Plans for the Future ……………………………………………………………………..… 14 Outreach and Social Ministries ………………………………..………………………… 15 Facilities and Parish Staff …………………………………………………………….…… 20 Parish Finances …………………………………………………………………………….. 26 Our Commitment to Protecting Our Environment …………………………………… 28 Our Community: Description and Demographics …………………………………….. 28 St. Stephen's Church History …………………………………………………………….. 30 Diocese of California ……………………………………….………………………………. 33 General Information ……………………………………………………………………….. 35 Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………….… 36 “We wanted to attend a local parish church close to where we live, where we could be a part of a closely-knit congregation that was focused on nurturing our youth, caring for our seniors, and spiritually feeding us all.” ** ** Quotes, such as this, are included throughout the profile. Pulled from our parish survey, they are narrative responses directly from St. Stephen’s parishioners. ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!2 ~~ Our Parish and Our Call ~~ Introduction St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church was founded as a mission in 1902. The present sanctuary was completed in 1955. By California standards this is a long history, and we are proud of, and grateful for, the role our church has played in the lives of its members, our community, and the Episcopal Diocese of California. Key to this role are those who have led us over the past 45 years: The Reverend John Thornton, who served as our rector from 1969 to 1982, and subsequently became the Bishop of Idaho; The Reverend William Rankin, our rector from 1983 to 1993 and who next became the President and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Reverend James Ward, who served as our rector from 1994 until his retirement in September 2010; and The Reverend Robert Gieselmann, who served as rector from 2010 to 2015, at which point he answered a call to return to his home parish in Knoxville, Tennessee. ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!3 Following The Rev. Gieselmann’s departure in June, our parish launched a series of town hall meetings and a parish-wide survey with the dual objectives of identifying the characteristics that we seek in our next rector, as well as the hopes and aspirations the congregation considers most important as we enter the next phase in our journey. The following parish profile summarizes the key attributes which we are seeking in our next leader, and describes our parish life and programs, our outreach and social ministries, our facilities and staff, and our finances — as well as other aspects of St. Stephen’s that will provide a deeper understanding of our church and our vision for the future. Our Mission St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is a community of faith, called to express God’s love in our life and worship together by exploring and fostering spiritual growth, nurturing families and individuals of all ages, addressing environmental and social concerns, and celebrating through liturgy, music, and the arts. We extend a warm welcome to all without exception or qualification. We especially welcome those who for a variety of reasons may, in other times or places, have been or felt unwelcome. We are called to express God’s love in our life and worship together and we encourage all of God’s people to actively share Christ’s ministry of reconciliation with us. What Now? During the past five years our parish has experienced an exciting renewal. Attendance has grown; more parishioners have become active in the life and work of the parish; stewardship has strengthened; and a successful capital campaign was completed which addressed needed improvements and maintenance, reduced substantially the parish debt, and strengthened significantly our financial liquidity. Building on this exciting progress and momentum, our parishioners have once again come together to discuss, prioritize, and inform a vision for the future and the qualities we are seeking in a rector. “We came to St. Stephen’s for the sense of community – of all ages. We’ve stayed because of the commitment to families, music and outreach.” ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!4 Who Are We, and What Is Our Vision for Our Future? “St. Stephen’s is a deeply spiritual place, which is very important to me.” We are a community that values coming together on Sundays and throughout the week for stimulating and inspirational preaching, worship, fellowship, teaching, and music. We want to build on our foundation as a welcoming, inclusive community that nourishes our souls, energizes our mutual fellowship, and empowers our members to share their gifts in a ‘church of ministers.’ We seek to expand our avenues for welcoming newcomers and integrating everyone into our worship, educational, social, and outreach activities. “I appreciate the inclusive attitudes and activities, and the book/bible study programs.” Through well-attended town hall meetings and a strong parish survey response, we prioritized the following attributes which we want our parish to continue and develop further under the leadership of our new rector. ❖ A commitment to families, parishioners of all ages (especially children and youth), and to the growth of the church. We support an active youth program, including worship, social, and outreach/inreach activities. We have a strong confirmation program and summer work camp opportunities for young people. We would like to build on these to create and maintain dynamic, educational and fun youth programs, and foster a thriving youth community and outreach. We also recognize that there is much more we can and should do, not just for our youth, but for parishioners of all ages, fostering the desire for more fellowship and adult education, and a greater emphasis on outreach as a parish, helping those both near and far. ❖ We are and want to be known as a loving community that is welcoming to all of God’s people. ❖ Our parish supports a strong music program and considers music an integral part of our liturgy and parish life. We greatly value our long-time organist and music director, John Hirten, and want to continue to support St. Stephen’s musical ministry. ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!5 ❖ We are are a parish with a well educated and financially supportive congregation, recently improved and well maintained parish facilities, and a strong balance sheet. As a parish, we now aspire to become exceptional stewards of our time, talent, and treasure as we are called to do God’s work within our parish family, our local community, and the larger world that God created for all of us. Who Are You, and How Can You Help Us Attain Our Vision? 1. You are an excellent preacher. You are thought-provoking, compelling, and inspirational. You have a deep grounding in Episcopal theology, and integrate the scriptures into thoughtful, stimulating, and spirit-filled sermons relevant to today’s world and our place in it. 2. You have vision matched with hands-on engagement. Your strong, comprehensive vision encompasses all ages (children, youth, adults, and seniors). You are fully engaged with the congregation, and especially enjoy working with children and youth. You value a comprehensive faith formation program for young people and are experienced in youth ministry. You are actively engaged, along with other clergy and lay leaders, in guiding our parishioners, young to old, into a deeper understanding of their faith. 3. You are warm and welcoming. You are inclusive, and you draw people to St. Stephen’s. You are welcoming to all, and are accessible and approachable to parishioners of every age. You are good, and kind, and loving. “We joined St. Stephen’s because of the welcoming community and children’s program. It is more than a church – it is a complete community.” ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!6 4. You are a compassionate pastor. You are known for your wonderful pastoral care. You are warmhearted, with a deep sense of caring about the community and a sensitivity to parishioners' needs. You are a counselor and communicator, able to empower each parishioner (young, old, or in between) to share his/her gifts with each other and the community at large. 5. You are a a skilled leader and administrator. You have excellent managerial, organizational, and delegation skills. You work collaboratively with the vestry in managing the resources of the parish in a sound and fiscally responsible manner. You guide and motivate the clergy and staff to be the best they can be. 6. You have a strong appreciation and support for music. You believe in the value of an outstanding music program and work collegially with our music director in support of our music ministry. 7. You empower and support lay leadership. You empower congregational leaders, supporting and partnering with them. You lead and inspire the laity with both head and heart. For additional information on the parish survey, please refer to the Appendix. “My children brought me to St. Stephen’s. I stayed because I found a much needed and loving community.” ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH - PARISH PROFILE OCTOBER 2015 O!7 ~~ Parish Life and Ministries ~~ Worship Services St. Stephen’s Regular Service Schedule includes the following: 8:00 am, Sunday Holy Eucharist, Rite I, with music 10:00 am, Sunday Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with choir 5:00 pm, Sunday (Seasonal; monthly or weekly) Holy Eucharist, Contemporary (“EvenSpark”) 8:30 am, Thursday Contemplative Prayer Group “As life continues at its torrid pace, we love that sense of consistency, peace, and warm embrace that this church and community provide.” St.