ST PAUL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PARISH PROFILE JANUARY 2017
Christians are no better than anyone else in predicting the future, but we do have a particular attitude, and it is relentlessly hopeful. The Rev. Andrew C. Hamersley Rector at St. Paul s, 2000-2016 2
CONTENTS WELCOME.................................... 4 MISSION AND VISION........................... 5 HISTORY OF ST. PAUL S........................ 6 WORSHIP..................................... 8 MINISTRIES.................................... 10 STEWARDSHIP................................. 12 OUR FUTURE.................................. 14 HOW WE VIEW CHANGE....................... 15 FINANCIAL DATA............................. 17 WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION............ 18 WESTFIELD AT A GLANCE....................... 23 3
Thank you for your interest in St. Paul s Episcopal Church. St. Paul s is one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of New Jersey with more than 1,400 members. We are a faithful, strong, and healthy church in the town of Westfield. We welcome diversity. We believe that change brings opportunities. As we await the discernment of our new rector, we are filled with anticipation of the many positive gifts the future will bring. In the information that follows, it is our intent to share with you who we are as a parish, who we have been and who we hope to become. HIGHLIGHTS OF LIFE AT ST. PAUL S Welcome to St. Paul s! St. Paul s outreach programs for both adults and youth, aimed at serving the needy, are extensive and robust. Our three choirs and music program are top-flight and are led by a superb organist on an exceptional pipe organ. The well-kept church campus has an inspiring sanctuary and a spacious rectory. Our thriving pre-school, St. Paul s Day School, serves 220 students, has an all-day kindergarten, and is considered one of the best in the community. Westfield is a vibrant town with outstanding schools and has easy access to New York City. 4
THE MISSION OF ST. PAUL S Our mission is to serve Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, study, and service in the tradition of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican communion. We warmly welcome all persons to join with us in Christian worship and fellowship. Our calling as a congregation is to live our faith as deeply and devotedly as we can and to be a house of prayer for all people. VISION FOR THE FUTURE Our congregation envisions a larger and more diverse membership with increased participation within St. Paul's and throughout the surrounding community. Going forward, our parish overwhelmingly wishes to maintain the style of worship that has been a pillar of life at St. Paul s. And yet we wish to explore the possibilities of adding alternative, more flexible ways to involve individuals and families for whom Sunday attendance is challenging and further promote diversity and acceptance of all who wish to attend. 5
OUR HISTORY The Episcopal Church in Westfield dates back to the spring of 1867. In the course of its development it has had three different names: Grace Church, Christ Church and St. Paul s Church. The current building was constructed in 1952 with additional buildings added in 1960, including a chapel, 15 classrooms, a lounge, choir, office and staff rooms, cloister, and garth. The creation of St. Paul s Day School in the 1950s has been an important feature of the parish. The day school is thriving and currently serves over 220 students with 18 teachers and 12 staff members and operates with an annual budget of over $1.2m. Our rector is relied upon to be a visible link between the school and our church. The future of our church depends on bringing the Word of God to our children. The day school continues to be an excellent source for introducing new members to St. Paul s as the parents meet and interact with the rector and St. Paul s staff as a natural part of their day. 6
MUSIC has been an integral part of the history of St. Paul s including a choir of men and boys which existed for nearly a century. From the 1980s on, the choir has consisted of men and women supplemented with professional singers. For the past three decades, an annual concert has been given, often with orchestral accompaniment by members of the New Jersey Symphony. Under organist/ choirmaster Charles Banks, who just celebrated his 30th year at St. Paul s, two children s choirs have been created and perform on special occasions and feast days. In 2003, a significant capital campaign led to a broad church renovation that included the installation of a worldclass pipe organ, highlighting and enhancing the importance of the musical program at St. Paul s. Moving back into our sanctuary after the renovation was a deeply meaningful experience for our congregation. We were fortunate on so many levels. We had reached our financial donation goal and were able to renovate. And we were blessed by the opportunity to temporarily move into an unused church. We were a strong church spiritually, and we had very talented people, some who volunteered working almost full time, to handle the restoration. But still - we were displaced. Our temporary sanctuary was unfamiliar, our inspiring music program was stifled, our weekday services took place in a regular room in our own building, everything was in flux. But then we moved back! The new sanctuary was - and is - breathtaking. We have a beautiful new altar and altar rail and an amazing new organ. To come home again is a wonderful experience. But to come home again to your church with your church family is entirely different. We had worked hard to endure the transition, to donate to the cause, and to get through it together. 7
WORSHIP St. Paul s has two services each Sunday at 7:45 and 10am. In both, we celebrate the Eucharist in a way that is warm, inviting, and yet liturgically formal and rich using the Anglican qualities that make the Episcopal Church unique. Our traditional worship is led by forward-thinking leaders who honor sacred traditions and celebrate critical thinking and intellectual inquiry. The early service is a quiet and formal celebration of the Holy Eucharist according to Rite One. A small congregation enjoys the early-morning quiet. Music is added at Christmas and Easter. The 10:00am service is a dignified and yet accessible celebration of the Holy Eucharist Rite II, reflecting the modern English usage of the 1979 Prayer Book revision. This, our main service of the day, is frequented by people of all ages, including families with children. There is also a healing service on Thursdays where the Eucharist is celebrated. Overall, the worship style is Broad, and leans toward Anglo-Catholic expression. Our church is unusual in that much like a large metropolitan church, Morning Prayer is offered weekdays and most saints days are celebrated with the Eucharist.
MUSIC Music plays an essential role in our church services as we have our excellent choirs leading hymns, psalms, and the other sung portions of the liturgy. Our outstanding music program has drawn many individuals to St. Paul s and many parishioners strongly feel encouraged to participate in the worship of God through the church s music. SUNDAY SCHOOL The co-op based (parent volunteer driven) Sunday School and youth programs have more than 120 young people involved. We recently started a 10-session program for middle school children that focuses on the Ten Commandments and how they relate to our lives today. School-age children have the opportunity to enjoy Sunday School starting at 9:45am and then join their parents for Holy Communion after the sermon and announcements. Children also have opportunities to assist through our primary and junior choirs, acolyting, and reading lessons on special youth Sundays.
MINISTRIES St. Paul s has a long history of serving the community and the Diocese of New Jersey. St. Paul s has continued to grow and thrive, serving God s people and purpose here in Westfield. Grace s Kitchen. Monthly, parishioners help prepare and serve lunch to approximately 120 individuals in Plainfield, NJ. Mission Kitchen. Monthly, St. Paul s parishioners prepare, provide and serve lunch meals to those in need at St. John s Church in Elizabeth, NJ. The Sunday school and youth group are involved in preparing and serving the meal. Mission Trips. Annually, the church s youth group spends a week helping a needy community on the East Coast. Monthly Collection. Parishioners collect specific items to donate to various social service organizations in the area. Bread Run. Seven days a week parishioners are either picking up bread from various local stores or delivering it to various venues feeding the needy in the area. 10
Angel Tree. The parish provides gifts for parents who are incarcerated to give their children and to other organizations. Family Promise of Union County. Together the youth group and adult parishioners participate in providing meals, recreation for children, and overnight supervision with helpers from the host church for homeless families. Angels for Action Blanket Night. Parishioners make blankets for those in need. Episcopal Relief and Development. Parishioners contribute to a variety of ERD programs throughout the year. Boy Scouts Troop. Sponsored by St Paul s. Caring for the Garth. St. Paul s is fortunate to have a beautiful courtyard memorial garden, the Garth, for the burial of loved ones. St. Paul s volunteers care for this sacred space: cutting the grass, planting flowers, and caring for the little recycling pool that lends the sound of murmuring water to this serene place. Souper Bowl Sunday. Annually, canned goods are collected from the parish for the local community s needy families. 11
STEWARDSHIP You are stewards. Did you know that? Do you think of yourself as a steward? A steward is a person employed to manage another's property, especially a large house or estate. A steward is a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something. We are stewards of our time, our talents, and our money. Now, we can be faithful stewards or unfaithful, but either way, we are still stewards. It is not a matter of choice. These above words from our current priest-incharge, Fr Nathan, kicked off this year's Stewardship campaign and eloquently describe stewardship at St. Paul's. Stewardship is not a yes/no answer to the question, "Do I participate or not?, "Have I pledged or not?" Instead, it is, "How involved am I?, "To what degree am I acting as a faithful steward of my time, my talent and my treasure?" Stewardship at St. Paul's is recognizing that our talents are gifts from God and appropriately should be given back in his service. To encourage participation in our ministries - faithful stewardship - St. Paul's runs periodic ministry fairs where all the ministries and committees advertise what they do and encourage parishioners to join. 12
Stewardship is also recognizing that devoting our time to St. Paul's is not only rewarding, but an act of faithfulness. Every Sunday, parishioners volunteer their time to help teach Sunday School. On Saturday mornings in the spring and fall, we are volunteer gardeners. We drive fellow parishioners to church if they can't make it on their own. We are the Altar Guild and Flower Guild. We are bookkeepers, website copy editors, treasurers, vestry members, lay ministers, and Christmas pageant and picnic organizers. We know that we join ourselves and our families to St. Paul's when we commit our time. And, finally, stewardship is realizing that our monetary pledges and donations to St. Paul's are a critical step, a mark of commitment, and an affirmative statement that says I belong to the family of St. Paul's. This year's primary stewardship campaign goal is to receive a pledge commitment from every member of the St. Paul s community: "every pledge, of every amount, from everyone" is important. The congregation heard heart-felt and moving messages from members of the congregation who express what St Paul's means to them. As Fr. Nathan adds, Being a faithful steward means that we live faithfully. It means that we spend our time, use our talents and our money faithfully, in God pleasing ways. At St. Paul's, we recognize that we are all stewards, we have no choice in the matter. It is up to us to determine whether we are good stewards or bad, faithful or unfaithful. The lessons, ministries and programs at St. Paul's encourage us and help us to make wise choices. 13
HOW WE ARE PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE The Church of the future will be one that appeals to people today. Responding to the evolving needs of the congregation, celebrating and promoting the church s strengths, and meeting the needs of future members is essential. At St. Paul s, we work to remain relevant to our members today by improving our online presence, placing a focus on attracting new members, seeking feedback from current members, staying involved in the community, and highlighting the strengths of our programs. We believe that a rector should share God s message using all available tools and engage with parishioners of all ages. To appeal to a broader demographic, St. Paul s has spent the past year improving our online presence, including our Facebook page. Our congregation also strives to bring new members to church services and introduce them to our St. Paul s community. Our Marketing and Newcomers committees are coming together to create welcoming programs. We make it a point to introduce ourselves to new people when they arrive and when they sit near us. The vestry is also creating nametags for the congregation. We look to our new rector to enthusiastically lead St. Paul s in these kinds of welcoming traditions. 14
CHANGE At first glance, St. Paul s has experienced a long period of stability. Our most recent rector joined St. Paul s in 2000 and retired this past year after 16 years of service to our congregation. The congregation experienced moderate changes upon his arrival: a more formal service, with chanting, saying the Angelus during morning prayer, and sparse decorations during Advent and Lent. Soon the congregation adopted the new rich liturgical tradition. Beneath the surface, though, change is always occurring. Four different curates have served over the past 10 years, each of whom has brought unique strength and their own way of doing ministry. With each departure, the congregation had to process change. One of the more striking changes we ve observed over the past 15 years has been an increase in the competing time commitments on Sunday mornings that traditionally were reserved for religious observance. The unwritten rule that youth sporting events don t start until noon on Sunday disappeared years ago. With it, regular Sunday attendance declined for a portion of our congregation. Recognizing the many other demands on our members time, we realized the need to make our presence more visible in the community. 15
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we ve expanded our online presence, expanded our musical offerings, and now participate in the town s twice yearly Spring Fling and Festi-Fall townwide events. We also now better utilize the tremendous asset we have in our well-regarded Day School as a means to spread the word about upcoming church activities and to highlight that Christians of all denominations are invited to participate at St. Paul s it remains an excellent source for new members. Still, while some changes and adaptation has occurred, we recognize the need to continue to try new ideas to appeal to our membership. Multiple parishioners have suggested a more informal Saturday or Sunday evening service. While our congregation nearly unanimously loves our traditional 10am Rite II service with the full choir present, an additional service would allow for alternate styles of worship and respond to the competing demands on our members' time. As we look to our future, these are areas where we hope to work in close partnership with a new rector who is inspiring and innovative. As we consider the various changes that have occurred at St. Paul s, we ve learned the importance of remaining proactive and non-defensive and perhaps most importantly, to listen to each other and remain open to different ideas. 16
FINANCIAL DATA 2015 Total income $739,794 Clergy and Personnel Expenses $541,571 Operations Expenses $116,314 Outreach Expenses $70,347 Building Expenses $23,473 Other Expenses $2,274 Total Expenses $753,979 Excess Income ($14,185) *The St. Paul s Memorial Endowment Trust funds any operating loss 2016 -- Budgeted Total income $700,040 Clergy and Personnel Expenses $543,570 Operations Expenses $118,700 Outreach Expenses $73,200 Building Expenses $28,220 Other Expenses $6,120 Total Expenses $769,810 Excess Income ($69,770) *The St. Paul s Memorial Endowment Trust funds any operating loss 17
WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION In October 2016, the St. Paul s Discernment Committee invited the entire parish to a Congregational Conversation to hear their voices and take note of their needs. During this well-attended workshop, every attendee was asked four questions and the responses were presented to those attending. Every response was collected and recorded. We compiled the responses into the following four Word Clouds. Please note that the scale of the words indicates the frequency that particular response (or one very similar) was recorded. We have shared this information with you to highlight who we are, our strengths and needs and what we aspire to be as a church community. Thank you! 18
WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION How do you view our current status? 19
WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION What experiences here most help you grow in Christ? 20
WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION What are your desired changes over the next 5 years? 21
WORDS FROM OUR CONGREGATION What qualities do you desire in our next rector? 22
WELCOME TO WESTFIELD Over 300 years ago, pioneers from Long Island came to the "west fields of Elizabethtown" to settle what is now our community of Westfield. With a bustling downtown that is walking distance to St. Paul's and a population of just over 30,000, Westfield marries urban characteristics with suburban benefits and has a real community feeling. Students in Kindergarten through 12th grade attend the Westfield Public Schools. The district has a central kindergarten, along with six grade 1-5 elementary schools, and two grade 6-8 middle schools divided by a "North Side / South Side" boundary, as well as a single high school. The downtown is a nice mix of national chains and mom-and-pop stores as well as several outstanding restaurants. Explore the resources below to find out why Westfield was cited as one of the "happiest cities in New Jersey": New York Times: Westfield, NJ, Where Small Town Meets Urban Wikipedia: Westfield, NJ Downtown Westfield Corporation Town of Westfield (official government website) 23
THANK YOU! More information regarding the calling of a new rector for St. Paul s can be found via the following links: 1. Office of Transition Ministry (OTM), Ministry Portfolio (user login required) 2. Transition Ministry Conference 3. The Episcopal Digital Network 24