St. Margaret’sSt. Margaret’s EpiscopalEpiscopal Church Church 12663Baton Perkins RougeRoad, Baton, LouisianaRouge, Louisiana 70810 Mission Statement Seeking and Serving HIM, we are Renewed to follow the call of Christ, as we share the Gospel in our Community. When one of us says, “I go to St. Margaret’s,” our eyes get a little brighter and our voices and faces lift. The person to whom we are speaking can tell that “going to St. Margaret’s” is something special, and that something special happens among the people there. We are a small congregation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana currently searching for our eighth Rector. Over the next few pages we summarize our history, current status and plans for the future. We hope you find these pages informative, and perhaps you too might discover some of the same specialness that we find at St. Margaret’s. A We are seeking a person of knowledge and faith, with life experience Our Current Ministry and Short-term Goals Include St. Margaret’s Story dates back to its founding in 1973, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a story of a small group of people founding a church in a developing urban area. We invite you to read an overview of those early years on our website. Most of who we are today, however, has transpired in just the last several years. Like many churches, St. Margaret’s has enjoyed periods of growth and has suffered decline over the years, along with the ebb and flow of our local economy. Inadequacy of our physical plant and our growth during times of expansion, inhibited our ability to retain new members during times of decline. To resolve these problems, St. Margaret’s committed to a major facility expansion at the beginning of the 21st century. With the approval and help of the Diocese, St. Margaret’s hired architects, developed a financial plan and secured a bank loan to expand our space. We built a new kitchen, seven classrooms, restrooms and a new parish hall. This additional space allowed us to provide a room for our choir, children’s Sunday School, a nursery and a place for adult education/meetings. We also had a parish hall to meet, greet, welcome and provide hospitality to our church family, newcomers and our neighbors. We also remodeled our Sanctuary, but were unable to fully complete the original vision we had for the space. With the new facilities and friendly, accommodating people, the church grew to an average Sunday attendance of 85 in 2007. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, dissension broke out following some controversial decisions by the Episcopal Church USA, and as a result, St. Margaret’s lost about a third of its members. From that time until 2011, St. Margaret’s struggled with 30-40 average Sunday attendance and several interim/supply priests. A full-time priest was hired, but he left us after only two years to join the Anglican Church. Bishop Morris Thompson, Jr., our current Bishop, introduced a Clergy and Congregation Development Program (CCDP) in 2011. Centered on the power of prayer, the program brought together five churches in need of Priests to match with seven candidates he had recruited to the task. The candidates visited every church, met the leadership and attended social functions. The church leadership and candidates each ranked their top three picks. St. Margaret’s top pick was also our candidate’s top pick. An agreement was made for the candidate to stay three years. He stayed for five. As a direct result of following God’s teaching -- love one another as Christ loves us -- during those five years, our wounds healed. Under Father Edwards, our Sunday attendance doubled, new programs were started, and educational programs about the Episcopal Church and social issues were introduced and heartily welcomed by the congregation. Emblematic of our transformation, we finally built that new Sanctuary our founding members had only dreamed about. We did so without incurring debt. All costs of the new Sanctuary were totally subscribed by current contributions from our church family, as well as support from the Baton Rouge Deanery. We now have a worship space that actually looks like a church. It is complete with stained-glass windows, a chapel and seating for 140. We know our journey does not end with a bit of construction. There are many more challenges before us. We are eager to take them on. We know that God will bless us with a new leader, who will toil with us in HIS vineyard that we call St. Margaret’s, and together we will do the work that HE has given us to do. About St. Margaret’s, the area and people: St. Margaret’s is located in the southern part of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in a rapidly growing section of the city. The average household income for in the area is $117,000, and the average home sells for about $250,000. We are a small, but healthy congregation with an average Sunday attendance of 84 souls. We have slightly more females than males, and 65% of us are between the ages of 50 and 70. About half have attended St. Margaret’s for more than 10 years. Although we come from a variety of religious backgrounds, only 10% of us have not yet been confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church. We tend to place a great deal of value on education. Some 70% of our parishioners hold college degrees, and more than 40% have advanced graduate or professional degrees. We hold two Sunday worship services with Eucharist, and one weekday evening service with Eucharist. Our parishioners enjoy a mix of theological styles and special masses. We do not have a particular orientation for high- or low-church, but enjoy participating in an orderly liturgy. We encourage parishioners to serve in various roles supporting the services and to become personally involved in church activities. We currently have 68 assigned service roles each month, and 75% of our parishioners attend services three or more times each month. Importantly, 85% of our parishioners report that St. Margaret’s has had a positive impact on their lives during the past year. Education Activities & Program types We enjoy the opportunity to expand our knowledge and spirituality through educational classes and forums, and we host a variety of offerings throughout the year. Our classes usually draw between 15 and 40 parishioners and non-affiliated visitors. Recent topics and offerings include: Adult Forum: A classroom-style adult Sunday School for Bible and special topical studies held between services each Sunday. Usually drawing 15-25 adults Wednesday Dialogues: An in-depth study of issues of topical importance encouraging open discussion and a greater understanding of scripture and the teachings of the Episcopal Church. Recent topics include “Racial Reconciliation and the Impact of Confederate Symbols,” and “Marriage, Family and Same Sex Unions.” Confirmation: The rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop. Sacramental Symbols: A review and discussion of the symbols of our liturgy and elements of sacramental expression. Hebrews: Classic Bible study of scripture with open discussion Ministries and Organization We operate a number of different ministries and programs to enhance our spiritual development and bring comfort to our community. AA Meetings: The Twelve-Step Program created in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith that addresses addiction and changes lives through the real transformative power that is the core of the Gospel. Altar Guild: Comprised of 17 members that work in teams of four that rotate to set up the altar and Lord’s Table weekly. The Guild is responsible for decorating the church for Christmas and Easter. This special servant ministry is one of the ways newcomers are incorporated into the church family. Children’s Liturgy of the Word: Age-appropriate scripture lessons and chapel during the adult service for young children. Choir: Our music program significantly enhances the St. Margaret’s worship experience. Led by Maria Curry, an LSU faculty member, the choir is frequently augmented with professional singers from the LSU School of Music. Diocese Commissions & Committees: Parishioners serve on a variety of Diocesan committees and boards. Current assignments include The Executive Board, attendance and representation at Diocesan Convention and service on the Standing Committee. Hope-Keepers: Hope-Keepers of Baton Rouge is a small group support program for anyone affected by chronic illness or pain, emotional or physical. KAIROS is a prison ministry partially based on Cursillo. Our mission statement is “listen listen love love.” Landscape: Maintaining and planning church grounds and upkeep LEM Visitors: Lay Eucharistic Minister Visitors take the sacraments of Communion, the Day’s Readings and Prayers to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration. Men’s Group: Through sharing a meal together once a month with Bible study or listening to an invited guest, to service projects, prayer and attending retreats, we remind ourselves that while we are waiting on God to work for us, He is waiting to work through us. S.P.I.N: Serving People In Need is a community organization dedicated to outreach and care for the homeless and needy. St. Margaret’s SPIN group delivered 840 meals in the downtown area on the 3rd Sunday of each month under the Mississippi River Bridge in 2015. Stewardship Like most churches, St. Margaret’s holds an annual Stewardship drive each autumn, which accounts for the bulk of our financial resources for the next year.