St. Anne of Grace E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H seminole, florida I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me. John 10:14 6650 113th Street North Seminole, Florida 33772 stanneofgrace.com
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Psalm 100:4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Prayer 2 Priest We Seek 3 Diocese of SW Florida 4 History & Campus-A 5 History & Campus-B 6 Our Location 7 Who We Are Attendance 8 Staff 9 Demographics 9 Worship Services 10 Worship Programs 11 Finances & Stewardship 12 Ministries Liturgy 13 Prayer 14 Christian Formation 14 Fellowship 14 Cursillo & Kairos 15 Youth 16 Outreach-A 17 Outreach-B 18 Challenges & Hopes 19 Application Process 20 Search Timetable 21 Thank You 22 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 1
A Prayer for the Calling of a Vicar Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a priest for this parish; that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (Book of Common Prayer, p. 818) 2.
THE PRIEST WE SEEK St. Anne s is a spirit filled church driven by prayer. We are on a new journey to call a priest to lead us on the path the Lord has already chosen for us. Through our parish survey, and communication with our parishioners, the following are the gifts we seek in our next vicar. WE SEEK: A person with high personal integrity. An inspirational preacher and prayerful leader who can bring to life the relevance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in today s world. An energetic vicar who will equip and teach us how to attract and welcome new members in all stages of life. A priest where prayer will continue to be the foundation in everything we do at St. Anne s. A priest who s accessible to all parishioners. A priest who will teach and equip us to strengthen our commitment to stewardship and give thanks for God s gifts in our lives. A priest who will support our different styles of worship and our many ministries. We recognize the challenges these expectations present. The congregation and church leadership are prepared to work in partnership with the newly called vicar to develop a lasting bond, one based on the peace and love of Christ. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 3
DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA We are a constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church in the United States. The Diocese of Southwest Florida s 78 congregations total over 30,000 baptized persons who share an exciting pilgrimage of ministry and mission. The Diocese extends along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, from Brooksville in the north to Marco Island in the south. The Rt. Rev. Dabney Tyler Smith was installed as Bishop in 2007, and in 2014 was one of the four final candidates for Presiding Bishop. The Diocesan offices and conference rooms are located at DaySpring, a beautifully wooded retreat and conference center in Parrish, Florida. Our diocese has a relatively low apportionment (10%) versus other dioceses in TEC. For more information, visit the website of the diocese at www.episcopalswfl.org. The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith Bishop Smith with St. Anne s 2017 adult Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation participants St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 4
HISTORY/OUR CAMPUS St. Anne of Grace began meeting at Seminole Methodist Church in 1983. In 1987 our current sanctuary was built and The Rev. Harry G. Williams celebrated St. Anne s first service that year on Palm Sunday, April 4. The Rev. Harry G. Williams was St. Anne s first rector and served until his retirement in 1992. Rev. Robert Bagwell became St. Anne s second rector (1993-1998) followed by Rev. Harry Hughes (2000-2003). Fr. Steve Ankudowich came to St. Anne s as an interim in 2004 and was later appointed our vicar until his death in 2016. We currently have a priest in charge who is assisting us through this time of transition. As St. Anne s grew, we needed more meeting space and purchased a small house adjacent to the church property in 1988. This space did not fit our needs. We knew we needed to build a parish hall, but because a mortgage existed on the church property, the diocese required the parish hall be built without a loan. In 1997, the church began a capital campaign and raised the $350,000 necessary to build a parish hall that included a large meeting space, kitchen, classrooms and bathrooms. Both the sanctuary and the parish hall are debt free today. History/Our Campus continues on page 6 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 5
HISTORY/OUR CAMPUS In recent years we have added a beautiful memorial garden where many of our parishioners are buried. We have a group of volunteers who maintain the memorial garden on a weekly basis. A couple of years ago the roof on the sanctuary needed to be replaced and we decided to add solar panels to reduce our electric costs and become an environmental leader in our community. We also purchased a high definition digital sign which sits near the main road. It s used to keep the community informed of our activities, and to spread God s word to all. St. Anne s Memorial Garden is kept beautiful through the devoted work of God s Gardeners ministry This year we found it necessary to replace the roof on our parish hall. Whether undertaking large projects or small, St. Anne s continually keeps the property beautifully maintained. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 6
OUR LOCATION We are located minutes away from the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida which is well known for its world class beaches and beach resorts. St. Anne s is located in the city of Seminole, one of the many small communities situated in the Greater Tampa Bay area along with larger cities like Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater. We are able to enjoy attributes of small town living but have the arts, museums, theaters, aquariums, zoos, and major sporting events (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Tampa Bay Lightning) just a short distance away. Our location and climate allow us to participate in many year-round outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, swimming and golf, with the added gift of regularly being able to marvel at the beauty of our Gulf Coast sunsets. We are blessed to enjoy this small part of God s splendor. Madeira Beach is less than four miles away from Seminole St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 7
WHO WE ARE Stained glass windows cradle our sanctuary St. Anne of Grace has an average Sunday attendance of 140, and, as with most Florida churches, our numbers increase in the winter months when we become home to northern neighbors, Canadians, and several as far away as England. The warm welcome extended to those who come to worship at St. Anne s is our signature. We focus on newcomers, nurturing them to become a part of our church family and encouraging them to seek out their calling among the many ministries available at St. Anne s. Included in that category are numerous small group ministries appealing to the varied interests of our parishioners, offering a wide array of opportunities for outreach, service and fellowship. St. Anne s Baptism Banner Ministry Who We Are continued on page 9 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 8
WHO WE ARE staff Our current staff includes one priest, one retired priest, one deacon, one verger, organist, praise band, two youth leaders, church secretary, nursery attendant, and cleaning and grounds maintenance personnel. St. Anne s has sponsored and supported, both spiritually and financially, four individuals who discerned calls to Holy Orders: one to the priesthood and three as deacons. One of the deacons is currently serving at St. Anne s. our governance Heading up St. Anne s governance is a dedicated nine-member Bishop s Committee. Each member is elected to a three-year term. The vicar appoints a senior warden, and the Bishop Committee selects a junior warden, treasurer and recording secretary. by the numbers We are a neighborhood parish with 96% of our members driving less than 10 miles to our church for Sunday services. Approximately 38% of our members have attended St. Anne s for 11 or more years; 20% have attended for 5 10 years, and 42% for 5 years or less. 66% of our parishioners are over the age of 66. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 9
ST. ANNE S WORSHIP SERVICES Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 St. Anne s currently has two Sunday worship services. The 8:30 A.M. service follows the Rite I liturgy one Sunday a month, and the Rite II liturgy all other Sundays. The service music is from the hymnal and is accompanied by our pipe organ, flutist and a small choir. The 10:30 A.M. service follows the Rite II liturgy, includes a youth sermon, and features contemporary Christian music accompanied by a Praise Band. We hold a healing service at noon on Thursdays after our weekday Bible study. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 10
SPECIAL WORSHIP PROGRAMS St. Anne s special worship programs during the year include: Our Lenten Services: Ash Wednesday; Maundy Thursday with the washing of our feet and the stripping of the altar; All Night Vigil Couldn t you keep watch with me for one hour ; noon outdoor Stations of the Cross led by our Youth; Good Friday service with Veneration of the Cross; the Great Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. Our Christmas Services: Christmas Eve Family Service with Youth Christmas Pageant and live Praise Band; Midnight Chorale Eucharist and Christmas Day Service. Blessing of the Animals: All God s creatures great and small are welcomed to St. Anne s mid-november for this special outside service designed for parishioners, neighbors, the community and their pets. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 11
FINANCES & STEWARDSHIP And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:10 Historically, St Anne s members support the parish through annual pledges, our reserve and gifts. St. Anne s had an operating budget in 2016 of $176,165 and operating expenses of $169,095. The 2016 budget was supported by 70 pledges contributing about $109,192 with additional offerings of approximately $65,000 coming from parishioners who do not pledge, and from other gifts. The budget for 2017 was approximately $15,000 higher than the budget for 2016, but we do not anticipate a deficit. For 2017, we had 73 pledges for a total amount of $116,452. We have an operating reserve of over $236,000. For approximately the last 15 years, St. Anne s has been led by interims and retired priests and has not had to pay the full compensation for its priest. In anticipating the additional costs of a new priest, we have created a Pathfinders fund that will be used to financially support our new priest for the next five years. As is the case in many parishes, the congregation seeks to develop and cultivate a spirituality of stewardship in a way that calls each of us to respond to God s gift generously given to us, as we support St. Anne s mission and ministry. In 2017, the Bishop s Committee made stewardship a priority, charging the stewardship team with redeveloping a program of year-round stewardship events. Our new vicar will be an integral part of stewardship and the process to increase our annual giving. St. Anne of Grace Pathfinders Lighting the torch for a brighter tomorrow St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 12
MINISTRIES Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Every day we witness and feel God s empowerment in the many dedicated and faithful individuals, young and old, who serve on and support our ministries here at St. Anne s. The Altar Guild, Acolytes, Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Choir, Praise Band, Ushers and Greeters support our Sunday, Holy Day and Liturgical services. Our Eucharistic Visitors and Chaplains provide pastoral care by visiting those who are homebound and in nursing homes. St. Anne s Acolytes Ministries continued on page 14 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 13
MINISTRIES Prayer is foundational at St. Anne s. The Daughters of the King, our Prayer Chain and our Healing Prayer Ministry, which is available at both of our Sunday services, all support our prayer life. Healing prayer at Wednesday night Bible Study Christian formation is supported by adult education, youth education, Wednesday night Bible Study and other special programs offered throughout the year. Sunday School Fellowship is important at St. Anne s and we enjoy breaking bread together. Our Breakfast Ministry offers a hot breakfast after each Sunday service. St. Monica s fellowship group gathers once a month for dinner. Our St. Patrick s/jiggs dinner is an annual corned beef tradition joyfully prepared by our Canadians. Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and our annual church cruise also St. represent Anne s Acolytes some of our many opportunities for fellowship. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 14
CURSILLO & KAIROS St. Anne s has a strong and active Cursillo and Kairos community. We have over 50 individuals who have attended a Cursillo weekend and many of them are leaders within our church. We have had five Cursillo rector/rectoras and four Kairos rector/rectoras from St. Anne s, and numerous individuals who have served on Cursillo or Kairos teams. Two former priests, as well as our current one, have served as spiritual directors on Cursillo teams. Ultreya music We have a monthly open ultreya at a private home which includes a pot luck dinner, a home Eucharist, sharing and Cursillo worship songs. We usually have 20 30 attending. We hope our new priest will support and be active in our parish and diocesan Cursillo and Kairos activities. Some of St Anne s Cursillo family gather to say De Colores! St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 15
g y grace to youth st. anne of grace episcopal church YOUTH St. Anne s youth group, also known as Grace to Youth (GTY), currently consists of 2 youth leaders and 12 youth ranging from the age of 11 to 17. GTY meets every Sunday from 5:00 7:00 P.M. Our youth are active ministers within the life of St. Anne s with many of them serving as acolytes and taking an active part in all of the church s activities. Our youth are also leaders in the Diocesan Youth Events such as New Beginnings, Happening and Summer Camps. We want our new priest to be involved with our youth by guiding them in their spiritual walk, supporting them in their community outreach and other activities. left: Working on team for New Beginnings; middle & right: Cleaning hurricane debris at church St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 16
OUTREACH St. Elizabeth s Guild St. Anne s supports and partners with many community organizations, and, with combined strength, are able to serve our neighbors near and far. As one of our oldest and most persevering ministries, St. Elizabeth s Guild is a group of dedicated individuals who meet weekly to provide hand sewn blankets and preemie clothing for our local hospitals. Pinellas Hope A group of faithful parishioners visit monthly at Pinellas Hope, a 20-acre safe living environment for homeless individuals. They pray with our sisters and brothers at the shelter, and bring seasonal clothing and toiletries needed. All items are provided by St. Anne s congregation. Our parish also supports over 100 foster children through Carlton Manor, www.carltonmanor.org. We provide home cooked meals on a monthly basis to their three group homes, and every December the congregation provides Christmas gifts for each child. St. Anne s also does a monthly gathering of food for a community food pantry. Read more about our Outreach on page 18 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 17
OUTREACH "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 We support our Pinellas County schools by providing back to school backpacks, uniforms and sponsoring field trips. This year St. Anne s also sponsored five children from schools located in economically challenged neighborhoods, and provided them with full scholarships to our Diocesan Summer Camp. We also help support the Episcopal Church of Roatan, Honduras. We were able to provide the funds to commission the building of the altar and lectern for their new church. We have been blessed to visit this church on two occasions during our annual church cruise. God s love in the hearts of St. Anne s parishioners knows no limits, and we will continue to show that love to others through our outreach ministry work. St. Anne s raised the funds to have an altar built for the Episcopal Church of Roatan in Honduras St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 18
CHALLENGES & HOPES CHALLENGES GROWTH: FINANCES: Connecting with all ages; seniors, young adults, and families with children. Heightening our awareness as stewards by prayerfully considering our commitment of thanksgiving for God s grace. ENGAGEMENT: Continually increasing our involvement in the ministries and outreach of the church. HOPES INTERGENERATIONAL: A church that provides a meaningful journey for all ages. FINANCIAL STABILITY EMPOWER: Spiritually fed people leading the way to closer relationships with Christ. St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 19
APPLICATION PROCESS Please submit the following materials: 1. 2. 3. 4. Resume/CV A copy of your updated OTM profile A letter of interest that highlights why you feel that you are called to serve as the next Vicar of St. Anne of Grace. Letters of reference from three people, one clergy, one lay, and one other clergy or lay who is not supervised by you and who is not related to you. Please ask your references to read our materials, then focus their comments on what it is in your life and ministry that makes you a good candidate for this unique call. Please email all documents in PDF format by December 1, 2017 to: The Rev. Canon Eric Cooter Canon for Ministry Development Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida Email: ecooter@episcopalswfl.org Questions: 941.556.0315 St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 20
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 SEARCH TIMETABLE Early Nov. to Early Dec., 2017 Mid-Dec., 2017 Mid-Dec. to Mid-Jan., 2018 Mid-Jan. to Late-Jan., 2018 Late-Jan., 2018 Early to Mid-Feb., 2018 Mid-Feb., 2018 Early March, 2018 Candidate application material accepted by Diocesan Transition Office Approved candidate list submitted to Search Committee by Diocesan Transition Office Search Committee reviews candidate materials (including reference checks) Candidate telephone interviews Diocese will conduct formal background checks Bishop Committee will conduct on-site interviews Final candidate submitted to Bishop for consideration of the Vicar s appointment Welcome the new Vicar and celebrate the new ministry St. Anne of Grace Episcopal Church stanneofgrace.com Page 21
We are grateful for your participation in St. Anne s search for a new Vicar. If you feel called to participate in our search after reviewing the information in this brochure, then please enter into a process of mutual discernment with us and follow the application process on page 20. Thank you. St. Anne of Grace E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H Celebrating God s grace - L iving it in our lives stanneofgrace.com Page 22