Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Profile.

Transcription

1 Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Profile

2 History of Trinity Episcopal Church

3 Trinity Episcopal Church is the second oldest parish in the Diocese of Chicago. Services were initially conducted in a public saloon until a building was erected on Madison and Clark Streets in Later the church moved to Jackson Street between Michigan and Wabash in This building was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, at which point Trinity moved south to its present location at 26 th and Michigan in Following another fire in 1921 that partially destroyed the main church building, Trinity renovated its large chapel where services are currently held. Trinity Episcopal Church is located on the near South Side, on the northern border of the area commonly known as Bronzeville the center of African-American cultural and economic life from the 1920's through the 1940's. During the 1950's and 1960's, urban renewal projects, specifically the construction of large public housing complexes coincided with the desegregation of other neighborhoods to create a rapid change in the demographics of the neighborhood, resulting in Bronzeville becoming predominantly African-American and low-income. Today, Bronzeville is in the midst of revitalization, spurred by public investment, including the CHA's rehabilitation plans, and private market forces. While the new investment is welcome, it cannot overshadow the fact that a large contingent of Bronzeville's residents are plagued by poverty, unemployment, troubled youth, and crime. This, coexisting with the more upscale elements, creates a destabilizing tension as well as a unique potential for positive growth. These unique demographics make the neighborhood both a challenge and an opportunity for Communities of Faith like Trinity.

4 Vision and Mission Vision: To be the Episcopal presence and influence on the near Southside of Chicago that spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a solution to the challenges faced by our congregation, community, city and world. Mission: Trinity Episcopal Church strives to be a faith community that spreads the Word of God by implementing our core values of: Discipleship (Learning) Transformation (Becoming a New Being) Re-Socialization (Connecting with Others) Missional Endeavors (Serving those who Hurt and Hope) Trinity Episcopal Church is a faith community focused on serving God manifested as three persons: Parent, Child, and The Holy Spirit. We strive to be students and disciples of scripture, church tradition, reason and subjective experience. We humbly submit to truth that is the outcome of proven experience and excellent scholarship. We seek to serve God and neighbor with our total selves, that is, with mind, heart and body. We strive to be mature in our relationships, seeking to preserve the oneness and unity of the community by living out the command to love unconditionally, thereby manifesting the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are our guiding attitudes toward others especially in these modern times when various issues threaten our unity, common bond, and love for one another.

5 Who We Are Trinity is a racially, culturally and economically integrated parish. We are committed to each other in fellowship, learning, mission and worship. We are faithful in spiritual discipline practices, both traditional and contemporary. It is our aim to serve each other and the world with love and to respond with compassion to those who hurt and hope. We continue to thrive as a Parish due to the deep love and vision of the founders of this church. Strategically we are geographically situated close to the central business district and are surrounded by land that has substantially grown in value. We are a solvent Parish partly due to endowments in trust, prudent investments and income producing endeavors enacted through the guidance of our previous Rector and Vestry. Over the past 25 years, under our previous Rector, our congregation has seen significant fluctuation in weekly attendance. However, the culture at Trinity is very unique. While weekly Sunday attendance may appear low our church registry consists of members known to the treasurer, some for over 20 and 30 years. Trinity is considered home to many families despite their absence at weekly Sunday Mass and this connection is deeply rooted. Many of these families routinely attend several of our annual celebrations. In response to the non-traditional church attendance, we have adapted our ministry to be encompassing of others doing the work of the Lord. Our physical structure is very large and supports many thriving ministries and community outreach entities. We realize we are unique. Though we are small in number, we are mighty in passion and spirit. During these challenging times we are seeking a leader who understands the traditions, the pride, and the deep passion of our congregation and can lovingly move us forward. We are aware of the potential of our Parish as we engage in selecting our next Rector. We are seeking a servant leader who displays compassion and understanding of the nuances of a predominantly African American congregation, the need for integrating contemporary practices to reach people where they are and the need for growth beyond the church walls. Our Parish desires a leader who will energetically address our top priorities which include: 1. Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church. 2. Make necessary changes to attract families with children and youth to our church. 3. Work to renew and revitalize the community around the church by building coalitions and partners. 4. Strengthen the management and support of persons in various ministries. 5. Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life circumstances. 6. Provide more opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life. We are prayerfully engaged in this selection process for a shepherd who can guide God s people to do the work we are called to do.

6 Worship and Fellowship Trinity Episcopal Church offers two Sunday Masses. A spoken Mass at 8:00 A.M. and a sung Mass at 11:000 A.M. The 11:00 a.m. Mass includes music that is coordinated by our Music Director who also recruits other musicians, soloists and local choirs for special services throughout the year. After each service we extend fellowship and provide refreshment during the coffee hour. The annual tradition of Trinity Sunday, which commemorates the anniversary of the founding of the church is a festive occasion that includes current and past members, the Diocese, our local neighbors and the groups served by our ministries. We also use this time to celebrate the cultural diversity of our Parish through the arts, showcase our ministries and highlight our partnerships within the community. During our Annual Thanksgiving Feeding of the Hungry and the Lonely we give thanks to God and acknowledge those in need as instructed by Jesus in John 13.

7 Ministry Profile Trinity Episcopal Church is open to the healthy expressions of faith in various Christian traditions. Our Ministries are characterized by: Being welcoming, accepting, forgiving and loving Informed by scripture, tradition, reason and experience Respect for other faiths Growing into core values Growing into mature faith Being of service to the community. At Trinity Church we celebrate that we, as children of God, are ONE in the spirit. We value and encourage our lay ministry. We support and care for each other as family members. This caring and support extends into the community, city, and world.

8 Ministries and Community Outreach Midwest Workers Association (MWA) is a non-profit advocacy and membership organization for poor and low wage workers in the Chicago area with the goal of elevating the living situations for its members. Trinity has had a partnership with the organization since Through MWA, professional volunteers such as medical doctors, dentists, and lawyers donate their services pro bono to the poor and low wage workers. Members of Trinity s Parish and other volunteers regularly canvas neighborhoods for needs, and participate in yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives that collect food, boxes them, and delivers them to needy families. Clothes are donated to Trinity and MWA. Trinity offers free space on the second floor for MWA to store and deliver those donated clothes to the needy on a weekly basis. Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings are held quarterly at Trinity Episcopal Church, where local and neighborhood representatives meet with Chicago Police to discuss issues occurring in the neighborhood and strategies to create and maintain cohesive partnerships. Through CAPS, Trinity previously sponsored yearly neighborhood youth basketball tournaments in our parking lot, with the police participating as referees and furnishing food. Trinity and CAPS are currently exploring reestablishing this activity. Mocha Moms, Inc. is a national organization for women of color as they journey through all phases of motherhood while advocating for mothers locally and nationally. Meetings were previously held in individual homes. Through our partnership with Mocha Moms they now hold their monthly meetings at Trinity Episcopal Church. Occupy Chicago is an ongoing collaboration that has included organizing for peaceful protests and demonstrations against economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporations and lobbyists on government. Through a partnership between Occupy Chicago and Trinity Episcopal Church, they have been able to hold many of their meetings and workshops in our facilities. Alcoholics Anonymous holds weekly meetings at Trinity Episcopal Church.

9 Dre s Diesel Dome is a full service gym and exercise program that operates twice a day, six days a week in the gym located on the third floor of our Parish Hall. We recently completed a renovation of the gym floor and walls which is a valuable capital improvement. Overcomers Church is an evangelical church that holds Sunday services on the second floor of the Parish Hall. Russell Talbert s Dance Studio provides classical and modern dance instruction in the fully equipped dance studio located on the third floor of the Parish Hall. Our International Ministry includes a longstanding connection to several local West African organizations who use our Parish Hall to host regular meetings and events. The Parish Hall also provides a source of income to the church through private event rental.

10 Challenges 1. The ability to attract new Parishioners 2. Offering more Ministries that are of interest to a variety of the faithful 3. Engaging the parish in Christian Formation 4. Raising the level of energy in the life of the Parish 5. Engaging more Parishioners in the work of the Parish 6. Enticing new Parishioners to join us in building an exciting worship experience 7. The ability to assure all of the faithful of the connection and unity of the Anglican and Episcopal identities 8. The ability to identify to our neighbors that we are a Parish and not a business 9. Being able to incorporate children s programs in order to attract more families

11 Critical Abilities of Our Next Rector The following abilities were identified as the most important attributes for our next Rector according to the data aggregated from our recent Church Assessment Tool: Preaching Delivery of homilies that inspire and connect people to God s word Strategic Leadership Capacity to cast a vision and lead the church toward realization of the vision Pastoral Care Passion to engage people empathetically and care for persons in times of need Change Management Ability to lead a church through a significant and necessary period of change Teaching/Training Help to deepen understanding, form character, and equip members with new skills Negotiate/Resolve Conflict Guide the church in dealing with conflict through training, negotiation, and mediation. Administration Management of church facilities, operations, finances, and staff. Community Catalyst Perform on a larger stage beyond the church and to rally a variety of individuals and groups to address critical issues.

12 The Diocese of Chicago The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is led by Bishop Jeffrey Lee and has 123 member congregations, spreading from Lake Michigan on the east, to the Wisconsin border on the north and the Iowa border on the west. The Diocese is known for its leadership initiatives designed to support congregational vitality. To this end, the Diocese focuses its energies on four key programs: The College for Congregational Development, Fierce Conversations, Project Resource, and Living Compass. The Nicholas Center, located on the fifth floor of the Diocesan office building in downtown Chicago, provides classroom space and accommodations for these programs as well as other leadership events. To apply for this position, please submit a resume, cover letter and OTM portfolio through the Clergy Information Form for Transitions found on the diocesan website:

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