St. Matthew s Episcopal Church Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo 6635 ALDER DR HOUSTON, TX 77081 713-664-7792 www.iglesiasanmateo.org PARISH PROFILE FOR RECTOR SEARCH To apply for this position or for more information, contact the Rev. Canon Kathryn Kai Ryan, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Texas: kryan@epicenter.org A look at the Parish of San Mateo: Description San Mateo Episcopal Church is a multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual community. It is made up of people from many parts of the world, with different customs and different levels of education. They are very innovative, creative, and hardworking. Most are immigrants, of whom 30% do not have documents. This makes it very difficult to have a stable job. Christ-centered community San Mateo is a community that is very committed to follow Christ and all his teachings contained in the Holy Bible, tradition, and reason. We are obedient to fulfill the Great Commission: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen. St. Matthew 28:18-20, NIV The Holy Bible is the basis of the doctrines to believe, follow, obey, and practice: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17, NIV) The Book of Common Prayer is the guide for worship; it is also where to find the rubrics of how we conduct ourselves as an Episcopal Church. We are a community renowned in many parts of the world. For this reason, we must strive to be an example and good representatives of Jesus Christ. 1
The Journey The journey has not been easy. We have faced a number of challenges of all kinds, including discrimination and racism. We are a community that does not stop migrating. Today we are in this neighborhood; tomorrow we'll be in another state, town, or city. We do all this in order to survive. Customs We are a community that believes in a healthy body and a healthy mind. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV) For this and other moral reasons, there is no smoking or drinking at the San Mateo installations, as we respect the health of others. We also know that we are a community with a call: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2: 9, NIV) "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17: 15-17, NIV). Because of this call, there are things we do and also things we stop doing. The eyes that see us People from our neighborhood and around Houston hold us in high regard. That is, they trust what we are doing and know that we are part of the change they hope for. The various service providers and community agencies use our facilities and invite us to participate actively in their community activities. Government San Mateo's governing body is known as The Vestry, guided by the Canons of The Episcopal Church and those of the Diocese. We have an internal ordinance for the purpose of our ministry. All worshipers, with or without documents, are privileged to have a ministry. For example, all are eligible to serve as director of the ushers, lay readers, chalice bearers, teachers, kitchen help, men's and women's groups. The Vestry members, including the Senior and Junior Wardens, the treasurer, and those who sign the checks, need to have documents because they are legal representatives. This is an internal matter. Out of respect for all people who attend worship services in 2
the community of San Mateo, one must be very careful seeking candidates for the Vestry. Likewise, one must be very careful when seeking members of the various ministries because some require a background check in order to serve. We are a community that emphasizes: Evangelism; i.e. share the Good News; Discipleship; prepare leaders to assist in the spiritual growth of the community; Stewardship; people are trained how to use their talent, time and treasure. These lessons are given throughout the year. Stewardship is essential in our community. It teaches how to make good use of their time, talent, and treasure throughout the year for the welfare of each family that attends San Mateo. We use the system of "Promise of Faith" and give out envelopes to help them in their giving. Programs Sunday school for all ages. Discipleship: Group of believers who are trained to help in various ministries. 24/7 for youth ages 12 to 18 years: It is not a club; it is a ministry focused on reaching every young person to have a personal encounter with God. We strive to ensure that every young person remains in school. Thus, most of the leadership in 24/7 are college students. Escafe (Hope, Charity, and Faith): Ministry for education, formation, and information. Women and men: We have retreats to help them navigate this lost and sinful world. Arco Iris: Ministry of spiritual formation. Each lay server over the age of 15 is invited and expected to participate in Arco Iris. Music: We use all styles of music to help people worship God and in their spiritual growth. This is a ministry to lead and teach the congregation to worship and praise God. They have their requirements, such as: if you do not attend rehearsal, you cannot sing or play. There is also a dress code. Kitchen: We have several groups who cook for different activities. Worship: Altar guild, chalice bearers, lay readers, acolytes. Vision San Mateo Episcopal Church strives to reach people of all nations with the message of Jesus Christ, offering a home of spiritual peace and compassion services. 3
Mission The mission of San Mateo Episcopal Church is to obey the Lord as we fulfill the Great Commission: Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen. St. Matthew 28:18-20, NIV 4
St. Matthew s Episcopal Church Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo 6635 ALDER DR HOUSTON, TX 77081 713-664-7792 www.iglesiasanmateo.org PRIEST S PROFILE FOR RECTOR SEARCH To apply for this position or for more information, contact the Rev. Canon Kathryn Kai Ryan, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Texas: kryan@epicenter.org Priest's profile The priest must believe, accept, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior. Their teaching must be biblical and go hand in hand with the Book of Common Prayer. S/he should be clear about the vision and mission of the San Mateo with the community, tracing the strategies needed to reach the goals that arise inside and outside the church. His/her doctrine must be founded and sustained in the Holy Trinity; Must believe and have a dynamic experience of prayer, of teaching, meditation, and practice of the teachings of the Bible with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit; Must clearly define his/her strategy for study and preaching with the children, youth, and adults, always being willing to work closely with each of these groups, along with the leaders and teachers; Must have or must organize and propose an annual work plan for each aforementioned group; and should help make one for each of the existing ministries in San Mateo; Must be a good steward, teaching by example the importance of giving and tithing and being a good steward of her/his time, talent and treasure; Must have a missionary spirit to work with individual families within the church, going out to the community and working with leaders and authorities, as well as bringing people to have an encounter with God; Must be well aware of the complexities and challenges of the Hispanic community, and be prepared to deal with many difficult situations that will require his/her time, talents and perhaps also her/his treasure to help the community; Must be an evangelist, being that most of the community is "Catholic" by inheritance or by custom. You will have to strive in this regard for them to have a conviction, and consciously know what it really means to be "Christian"; 5
Must have extensive experience working in the Hispanic community to be clear about the large differences in customs, culture, education, health, food, and even worship. You should know that although we belong to a large Hispanic community, there are a variety of nationalities and patriotism or traditionalism and there are differences within people from the same country; Must work closely with the vestry and the leaders of each ministry, which are based on goals and objectives, which must be permanently evaluated and adjusted according to need. In family life, if you have a spouse and children, we hope they are an active part of the community of San Mateo. The ministry to families has been and is one of the characteristics of the community of San Mateo: "A healthy family in a sick world." You must have such virtues as: kindness, compassion, friendliness, cheerfulness, sociable, sense of humor, optimism, discreetness, uprightness, authenticity, patience, dedication, be a person of faith and a good spiritual director. Vision San Mateo Episcopal Church strives to reach people of all nations with the message of Jesus Christ, offering a home of spiritual peace and compassion services. Mission The mission of San Mateo Episcopal Church is to obey the Lord as we fulfill the Great Commission: Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen. St. Matthew 28:18-20, NIV 6
IGLESIA EPISCOPAL SAN MATEO 6635 Alder Dr., Houston, Texas 77081, P0 Box 277, Bellaire, Texas 77041 713-664-7792, Fax 713-664-7793 http://www.lglesiasanmateo.org// Rev. Alejandro S. Montes M., D. D., Rector JUNTA PARROQUIAL DEL ANO 2014 ANDY NICOLÁS ALVARENGA CRUZ MARÍA AVELAR ISRAEL SALES MELÉNDEZ JORGE ELÍAS POLÍO JORGE LUÍS JIMÉNEZ/COCO JOSÉ MARCIANO AMADOR ROBERTO A. SUAZO VÍCTOR MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ VIRGINIA ESTHER CÓRDOVA DEANE ORTIZ COLATO/DENNIS Rev. ALEJANDRO S. MONTES M., D. D. Rector JUNTA PARROQUIAL DEL ANO 2015 CRUZ MARÍA AVELAR ESTEBAN RODRÍGUEZ IDALIA ENRÍQUEZ ISRAEL SALES MELÉNDEZ JORGE ELÍAS POLÍO JUANITA MAREZ JOSÉ MARCIANO AMADOR ROBERTO A. SUAZO VÍCTOR MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ DEANE ORTIZ COLATO/DENNIS Rev. ALEJANDRO S. MONTES M., D. D. Rector 7
IGLESIA EPISCOPAL SAN MATEO 6635 Alder Dr., Houston, Texas 77081, P0 Box 277, Bellaire, Texas 77041 713-664-7792, Fax 713-664-7793 http://www.lglesiasanmateo.org// Rev. Alejandro S. Montes M., D. D., Rector Comité de Búsqueda del Futuro Sacerdote y Redactores del Perfil de la Iglesia Episcopal San Mateo ANDY NICOLÁS ALVARENGA CRISTINA YANET APARICIO DEANE ORTIZ COLATO/DENNIS ISRAEL SALES MELÉNDEZ JORGE LUÍS JIMÉNEZ JOSÉ M. AMADOR LUCY CABRERA ROBERTO A. SUAZO VIRGINIA ESTHER CÓRDOVA 8