Episcopal Church of Our Saviour 200 NW 2nd Street Okeechobee, Florida
Who is Episcopal Church of Our Saviour? We are a congregation that is warm, friendly and welcoming. From the moment you enter the church, there is a sense of closeness and spirituality that pervades our congregation. The congregation continually strives to develop our relationship with the Lord, with our friends and neighbors, and those in our community. One of our strengths is prayer for those in our congregation and in our community, as well as those throughout the world. Through prayer we develop better spiritual and personal relationships. Through it we build a stronger relationship with God that shapes our every day living. Our Mission As loving children of God and members of Church Of Our Saviour, it is our mission to make Jesus and His salvation known to the people of Okeechobee, to love one another, mindful of our blessings as a close-knit family of believers; to put our time and talent to work as we actively support our parish and live our faith in the community, particularly addressing the needs of our youth, the elderly and our minority cultures, and to preserve our Anglican heritage and traditions as a thoughtful, scripturally and sacramentally focused congregation. Why Episcopal Church of Our Saviour? Our parish survey revealed that the large majority of parishioners want an inspiring spiritual leader. We are looking for a priest who will lead the congregation to reach out to the community, to encourage new membership, and visit our absent members to return them to our fold. We are looking for a leader with a sense of commitment to our desire to go and make disciples. Our new leader must recognize the needs of our older parishioners while acknowledging the need to attract more and younger families. While we continue to preserve the traditions of our Anglican heritage, we must also make room for new ideas and practices. Our membership recognizes the need to reach out and gather more people into our communion. We are praying for a priest who also sees this opportunity and wants to share it with us. Are you the rector who can lead us on our journey with Christ? Is God calling you to be the one?
Church Story: History In 1916, eight Episcopal families began a 35 year struggle to establish a congregation in Okeechobee, a frontier town in Florida no different than one in the west. The first 1916 attempt failed because of the travel distance and road conditions for an Episcopal priest to travel. The year 1928 marked the rebirth of Episcopal services in Okeechobee, but the congregation that was known as Church of the Holy Comforter only survived for the next few years due to the lack of financial support from the Diocese. Another effort in 1938 also failed because of the start of WWII. However, the struggle finally culminated on Ascension Sunday in 1951 when the congregation of the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour was given a permanent status as a result of the work of the Rev. J. Saxton Wolfe, the Rector at St. Andrew s Church in Fort Pierce on the east coast. Then on Ascension Sunday, May 4 in 1953, Bishop Louttit dedicated the new church building and parish hall; and on June 21, the Rev. M. Wendell Hainlin was ordained to the priesthood and became vicar in July. In 1955 a new vicarage was constructed, which today is used as our parish office and youth center. In October 1975, while Rev. Frederick Trumbore (1967-1984) was the Rector, Church of Our Saviour achieved Parish status at the Diocesan Convention. In 1980, on January 20th, a new Bell Tower was dedicated in memory of Dr. H. Raulerson, a third generation member of one of the families who first settled Okeechobee and were instrumental in helping establish the struggling mission church. In 1991 when Rev. Cannon Timothy Shaw (1985-1998) was Rector, an extension was added to the church to accommodate an additional 100 parishioners and concurrently the property was expanded to include an entire block in downtown Okeechobee. Over the more than sixty years since our church was established in Okeechobee, the congregation has continued the Anglican traditions of worship, prayer and outreach to our community, while evolving to a more diverse, inclusive congregation that has provided a Sunday Spanish worship service for the past 19 years. The vitality of our community of faith is a witness to God s blessings.
Worship Schedule Traditionally, we maintain three Sunday services: an 8:00 a.m. Rite I service; a 10:30 a.m. Rite II service; and a 12:30 p.m. Hispanic service. Currently, until a new Rector is called, we maintain one Sunday service at 9:00 a.m. Our usual Holy Eucharist and Litany of Healing service continues to be on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Presently, Sunday and Wednesday worship services use either Rite I and II, depending on the season in the church year. The Hispanic service we offered at 12:30 p.m. was suspended due to a lack of Spanish speaking Episcopal clergy. We celebrate all special days in the church year. For example, we have three services on Christmas Eve and one service Christmas Day and services every day throughout Holy Week. Church of Our Saviour offers a unique worship service, Taize Prayer, at various times throughout the year. Taize Prayer is an ecumenical service of scriptures, music and times of silence for self-introspective meditation that leads to being truly connected to the Holy Spirit. During Lent this year we had two Sunday evening services at Church of Our Saviour. Both services were a gathering of parishioners from Scared Heart Catholic Church and our church. The first one was presided over by our Deacon, and the Catholic priest, Fr. Yves, presided over the second one. Fellowship Our parish life has numerous opportunities for our parishioners to gather in fellowship. The first Sunday of each month, following our services, parishioners and visitors gather in the parish hall for a First Sunday Fellowship Meal. Our parishioners bring covered dishes to share with everyone. On the other Sundays of the month following the service, visitors and parishioners are invited to gather for fellowship at a coffee and donut hour. We also gather in the parish hall for a potluck dinner and fellowship after every Wednesday night service. Church of Our Saviour encourages our parishioners and visitors to attend and participate in a variety of social events that are offered throughout the year. The monthly Book Club provides both a learning opportunity and fellowship through discussion. There are also monthly Supper Clubs where groups of about ten people gather at a member s home to discuss various topics and break bread together; a small group for fellowship and the opportunity for everyone to know their fellow parishioners better.
Fellowship (continued) There are also several Seasonal Events based on our worship life. Each year prior to the start of Lent we hold a Mardi Gras or Island Thyme dinner celebration. On Shove Tuesday a group of men cook pancakes and sausages. On Palm Sunday evening we hold a Seder. Outreach Though Church of Our Saviour is a small church, our financial outreach and our involvement in our community is considerable. The church supports each of the following organizations with a monthly stipend: Big Lake Mission Camp Wingman, Canterbury Retreat & Conference, Episcopal Counseling Center, and Sao Palo Mercy Ministries. Additionally, the congregation sponsors students in Honduras by providing scholarships. Last year our parish funded six student scholarships. In addition to our financial contributions, on a monthly basis the church prepares and pays for meals for the Big Lake Mission organization, which feeds an average of 30 needy and homeless people on a daily basis. The church also offers fellowship opportunities on an annual basis. The Ladies Fashion Show and Luncheon draws not only our parishioners, but many visitors, and the lunch is put together by men from the church. At our annual Yard Sale, the parishioners organize the items, donated by members of our congregation, and sell the items to the public. There is also a semi-annual Ladies Quiet Day for meditation and quiet introspection. The men provide a breakfast and light lunch. During the Christmas season we traditionally hold a Chocolate Party, started by the wife of our former priest. Everyone gathers at a parishioner s home to indulge in eating all things chocolate, to sing Christmas carols, and fellowship together. These events provide a combination of learning, spiritual and fellowship opportunities for all our parishioners; and many of our members have requested we offer more such events. As part of our outreach, we also provide volunteer help to the Okeechobee Presbyterian Food Pantry and collect food for the pantry, which supplies emergency food to the needy. On the third Sunday of every month the food contributed by our parishioners is brought forward as part of our offering, blessed and given to the food pantry.
Outreach (Continued) Annually, we also reach out to the new teachers hired into the Okeechobee County School System at the start of the school year. All the new teachers are invited to a hospitality luncheon to welcome them to Okeechobee and to allow them to learn about our parish. Another outreach project is delivering our repurposed altar flowers to the residents of Okeechobee Health Care and Rehabilitation facility and spending time with the residents. Two of our parish members are currently long term residents of the facility, so most of the time a licensed Lay Home Visitor delivers the flowers and provides Holy Communion to our parishioners. Each year our congregation puts together Thanksgiving Turkey Dinners and delivers them to those in need in our community. The Presbyterian Food Pantry provides the names of those in need. We started the project modestly the first year with only six baskets, but have increased that over the past two years. Outreach to the community also involves opening up the use of our facilities, the parish hall and classrooms, to organizations within our community. Our facilities are used almost every night and parts of the day by organizations such as: AA, Alanon/Alateen, Naranon, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Foster Grandparents, 12 Step Program and others. Christian Youth Education The changing composition of the congregation over time often dictates the kind of Christian Education classes offered. Church of Our Saviour is currently comprised of families whose children attended a wide range of youth education programs at our church; however, all those children are grown now. The current composition of the congregational does not have a high percentage of young families with children for Sunday School or Youth Christian education programs. Last year we provided Youth Education for only six to eight children ranging in age from 9 to 13. This year those children are no longer attending, some because our Hispanic service was suspended. However, our nursery has opened this year to allow parents an opportunity to attend Sunday service while their children are cared for by a volunteer attendant. Members of our congregation have undertaken updating the nursery with equipment and materials to provide a start to their young Christian education. So our parish future looks bright. Adult Forum The church does offer an adult Christian education every Sunday following our service. The topics of study have ranged from The First Three Centuries of Christianity to the study and discussion about Christ s Seven I Ams. The current study topic for the forum is the Book of Revelation.
Our Parishioners Parish Financial Data 2014 Liquid Assets Checking Money Market CD Total $ 14,500 $ 73,000 $ 20,100 $107,600 Income Year $205,000 Expenses $193,500 Facility Office Outreach Staffing Other 17% 8% 15% 52% 8% Debts NONE Pledging Units 94 Parish Demographics 2014 Average Sunday Attendance 89 Average Wednesday Attendance 27 Membership 60% Female 40% Male Ages of Membership 21 40 10% 41 55 12% 56 70 35% 71+ 43% Employment Full-Time 37% Part-Time 6% Retired 52% Hispanic Community Prior to the retirement of our former priest, who was bi-lingual, the church offered a 12:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist service that was attended by an average of 29 Hispanic parishioners at the end of 2014. Years of Membership 0 5 25% 6 10 6% 11 14 21% 15+ 48%
Our Parishioners Though the majority of our parishioners are older, the current stability of the church can probably be attributed to the fact that 69% of our parishioners have attended Church of Our Saviour for 11 years or more. We are a warm, friendly and close-knit congregation that is looking for a new rector that will embrace our parish and help us navigate the challenges of welcoming newcomers, young families and youth; to help integrate the older generations with the new digital generations, so we can work together for the glory of God and growth of our church. We do celebrate the past at Church of Our Saviour, but we also embrace the present and look forward to an exciting and blessed future.
Our Community: Okeechobee The Diocese of Central Florida starts at Okeechobee city at the southern end and spans to the farthest reaches in the north at Orlando. Its name, like that of the lake and county, is derived from two Indian words "oki" meaning water, and "chobi", big. Lake Okeechobee, a remnant of a shallow sea, is over 700 square miles and is the major tourist attraction of our community. The city is located at the south end of rural Okeechobee county which supports primarily farming, dairy and cattle ranching, and some light industry. Tourism is an important part of the economy in the city and surrounding area. Many of an estimated 6 million tourists who come to Florida are attracted to the area during the winter season for fishing in the lake the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S. and the weather. The average high and low temperatures in Okeechobee between November and April are 78 and 55. In the summer the average highs and lows are 89 and 70. One of the characteristics of living in a small city that is located in a rural county is the focus on family. There are a variety of events in the city park, parades and activities at the Ag- Center that are all family centered. There is an active sports youth program in Okeechobee for football, soccer, and baseball, and a adult softball program. Last year, Okeechobee hosted the Dixie Youth State Softball tournament that drew participants from around the state. There are many small businesses and services in addition to large stores such as a Super Walmart, Home Depot, Walgreens, CVS and two large supermarkets to provide for all of the needs of its residents and visitors; but because Okeechobee is located within a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from malls and entertainment up and down the east coast, you have easy access to those resources. Our Community: Education The Okeechobee County School System is comprised of five elementary schools, of which one is rated an A and the other four are rated B; two middle schools, one is rated an A and the other a C; and a high school freshman campus in addition to the high school campus. There are also four private schools in Okeechobee, one of which supports grades PK through 12. The community is committed to higher education for our children. In 2014 the local people and organizations contributed $698,000 to scholarships for 136 students out a class of 321. The community also donated over $20,000 to the all-night graduation party for the students. There is also a campus for Indian River State College in Okeechobee that offers Bachelor Degree programs in a wide variety of disciplines from Biology to IT Management to Nursing to Teacher Education. Our Community: Health Care Raulerson Hospital, an award winning 100 bed facility, provides quality care and has excellent Emergency Room services. There are also numerous medical centers providing all types of services located within one mile of the hospital. Our Community: Recreation Life style in Okeechobee can range from being retired, laid back and relaxing to one of vigorous hunting, fishing, bike riding, boating, air boating, horseback riding, wildlife watching. Or travel to the east coast, only about an hour away, where you can sun and swim at the beach or indulging in the great theatres, night life, and dining. Or, you can take part in one of the many activities put on by local organizations that abound every week, including the Okeechobee Community Theatre and Okeechobee Community Choir. In 2015 the City is celebrating its 100 Year Anniversary, providing many family oriented and fun-filled and historical events.