PARISH PROFILE ST. ANN S EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS

PARISH PROFILE ST. ANN S EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS

WHO WE ARE At St. Ann s, all find acceptance, belonging, and the enrichment of a diverse and friendly spiritual home. Our deep desire is to return again and again to the love and transformational energies of God in Christ and to make this visible and available to our broader community. Generally, we are socially progressive, but enlivened by our ancient faith and the stunning beauty of Anglican seasons and liturgy. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 2

OUR PEOPLE We love our fellowship time after the Eucharist and the wonderful foods and coffee provided by dedicated volunteers. Did we mention that potlucks here are amazing? We are blessed with many folks who love to cook and bake! St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 3

WE WORSHIP TOGETHER During this interim between full time rectors we have only one Sunday service, but have traditionally held two Eucharistic services on Sunday an early meditative service without music and a later service with bells, processions, and our bright, energetic, professional level choir. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 4

OUR WORSHIP SPACE We worship together and connect with God, and one another, within a soaring sanctuary and nave of wood beams and brick, while we enjoy a mix of traditional and contemporary furnishings. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 5

OUR CHOIR We are blessed to have our choir lead by long time member, Terree Shofner Emrich. Terree is a pianist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a piano & voice instructor at Northpark University in Chicago she even coached rock star Sting for a day. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 6

OUR EDUCATION For adult education we currently have a Bible Study group after the 10AM service and a Centering Prayer group that meets every Saturday morning. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 7

OUR OUTREACH We have a large community vegetable garden that has supported the local food pantry for years and is now being made available to the broader community for family gardening. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 8

Apple Tree and Angel Tree are seasonal ministries for collecting school supplies, Christmas gifts, and other items for local families with children and nursing home residents. We have a book club & a bridge club. We have a regular reverse collection during our services to further stock the local food pantry. Our Lobster Fest is a popular annual fundraiser. Proceeds are split between parish programs and community needs. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 9

OUTREACH FOR PEOPLE IN NEED Woodstock has a homeless community, with some folks living year-round in the local woods. The Woodstock Area Community Ministry (WACM) addresses some of these needs. St. Ann s supports WACM with contributions to the food pantry, monetary funds, and volunteer work. The Pioneer Center for Human Services meets broader individual and social needs in the community, including the area PADS which provides overnight shelter during the winter months. St. Ann s supports PADS with food and volunteers. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 10

OUR CHALLENGES We recognize several challenges. We wish for more direct, visible connections to the broader community. We have ideas, but need help developing them into sustainable forms that fit our gifts. For the last several years we have had few small children in our church community, although this appears to be changing. While we have several activities to make children feel welcome and keep them engaged during our Sunday morning service, maintaining specific programs for children has been difficult. We have also experienced the loss of several long term families who have moved away. With a mix of hope and concern, we look forward to meeting these challenges in the coming years. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 11

OUR HOME: WOODSTOCK, IL Woodstock, Illinois, was founded in 1844, buoyed by farming and small industry. Woodstock (pop. 25,000) is the picturesque county seat of McHenry County. We offer easy access to Chicago and beautiful Lake Michigan by car or commuter train. O Hare Airport is only 50 minutes away by car or taxi. The idyllic small towns surrounding Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, are just 20 minutes away. There are several hiking and biking trails as well as parks of all shapes and sizes. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 12

The movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray was filmed here. Paul Newman and many others got their start acting with the Woodstock Players in the historic, beautifully preserved Opera House. Orson Welles began theater as a student at the Todd School for Boys. Christmas on The Square in Woodstock Woodstock features a boutique-filled town square, a few big box stores, several coffee shops, many restaurants, a great library, an excellent farmer's market, and numerous bed and breakfasts. The historic Opera House hosts a wide variety of concerts, lectures, and plays. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 13

Woodstock is still surrounded by open farmland and occupies a sweet spot between small town atmosphere and openness to a diverse world culture. Woodstock has many churches, a Jewish congregation, and a Buddhist temple. It is home to highlyrated schools, a local hospital, Aurora University s Woodstock campus, and nearby McHenry County College, a two-year community college. There is a dynamic art and music community including an active gallery in the Old Courthouse building, several jazz nights a month, outdoor summer band concerts, and the annual Midwest Mozart Festival. The nearby city of Harvard has a large artist community with regular events. Parishioner David Orth is a sculptor with a passion for liturgical art. St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 14

To the east of Woodstock, McHenry County is generally more developed. To our west, the county becomes largely rural. There was extensive early Native American activity in this region and the county has several significant archeological sites. It is believed that the Underground Railroad ran through this area. The county also features the McHenry County Historical Society and Museum as well as an active Conservation District that oversees several nature centers and growing nature preserves. Links: Centering Prayer: www.centeringprayer.com Woodstock Area Community Ministry (WACM): www.wacmgroup.org P.A.D.S.: www.pioneercenter.org Underground Railroad Article: www.articles.chicagotribune.com/1997 04 11/news/9704110148_1_slaves depot crystal lake The City of Woodstock: www.woodstockil.gov St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 15

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 complete the Clergy Information Form for Transitions found on the diocesan website: https://episcopalchicago.wufoo.com/forms/m1poxgz40cwsj2w/ For more information about this position, please contact: Andrea Mysen, Director of Ministries, at amysen@episcopalchicago.org St. Ann s Episcopal Church Woodstock, IL 16