St. James Episcopal
Church
Leesburg, Virginia
A
vision for the future
January 2006
Introduction
Where We Are Now
Where God Is
Calling Us
What We Are
Called to Do
In Summary
Introduction
The Vestry and clergy of St. James Episcopal
Church spend a significant portion of our time together discerning Gods call
for our parish community. Through Vestry retreats, parish gatherings,
Vestry-sponsored dinners, and forums, we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
asking individually and collectively,
What is God calling us to
be?
Where is God calling us to
go?
In order to answer those questions as
faithfully as possible, our planning process consists of three steps:
First,
we take an honest look at the present, asking, What are we doing well now?
and What can we improve upon? Since we do not minister in a vacuum, but in
the midst of a local community and a wider culture, we also ask, What is our
local situation now? and What are the implications for our ministry?
We
then consider where God is calling us in the future. Well aware of the fact
that we are beneficiaries of the vision and generosity of people living 100
years ago, we make it a priority to wrestle with the question, What kinds of
decisions are we making now, for which people 50 to 100 years from now will be
grateful?
Finally,
we seek to build upon and systematically revisit a three to five-year plan
with goals and objectives that will move us to the future that we believe God
envisions for us.
We offer this
vision to you, realizing that the work of discerning Gods vision is ongoing
and that each of you is in a different place in your life. Please read this
document prayerfully and carefully. Give us your opinion. We continue to listen
and pray, and we ask you to do the same, so that all our works, begun,
continued, and ended in God, may glorify his Holy Name.
Where we are now
The first step in creating a vision for the
future is to look at the present.
In determining Gods plans for us, we look at
St. James itself, asking the questions, What strengths we should celebrate?,
and What areas need improvement?
During the spring and summer of 2005, a
parish survey was conducted to answer those very questions, determining our
current strengths and areas in need of improvement. Overwhelmingly,
parishioners responded that their experience at St. James was spiritually
fulfilling and personally satisfying. They are particularly happy, they
say, with the quality and nature of worship, the spiritual and organizational
leadership of the rector, and the fiscal management of the church. They have
found a spiritual home and a sense of community at St. James.
Thanks be to God, we are blessed with worship
ministries and a beautiful facility to continue doing what we do so well.
As we move forward, however, we are seeking ways to extend that worship
experience beyond Sunday morning and beyond the doors of the sanctuary.
We know we are people sent out into the
world to do Gods work therefore, we need to consider how the state of our
community and current societal trends affect the way we minister, and to whom.
First, we live in rapidly changing times. For
better and for worse, our landscapes are changing not just the literal
landscapes of our towns and county, but the mental landscape of our worldview.
With every advance in communication, our world seems to both grow and shrink. With
every advance in science, medicine and technology, we greet new possibilities,
but also new dangers. The pace of life seems to be increasing, as well as its
complexity. Sometimes it seems that the
only constant in life is that things will change.
At this time in its history, Loudoun County
is a particularly dramatic example of a community in transition: between 1990
and 2000, its population doubled; between 2000 and 2003, it increased another
30 percent.
This growth has tremendous implications for
St. James parish, not only in the number of parishioners it serves, but in the
newness of many of its current parishioners. St. James long history, as well
as its historic location in downtown Leesburg, positions the parish as a bridge
between Loudoun Countys past and its future, and shapes how the church
functions within and ministers to a rapidly changing community.
This rapid change has great implications for
how we develop programs within the parish, as we seek to ensure that both
long-time members and newer members feel truly a part of the St. James
community. In the Parish Profile survey, concerns emerged about the unity of
the parish, given its rapid growth over the past few years. In this vision
document, you will see a renewed emphasis on inclusion and inter-generational
programs that can reinforce our unity within the body of Christ.
Second, we minister in a community and a
culture that is increasingly busy and transient. Adults and children today are increasingly overscheduled,
overstressed, and over-committed. Understandably, they are reluctant to take on
yet new responsibilities and commitments, particularly when they do not see
either the need or the benefit in making such commitments. In 2000, for
example, the average commute for Loudoun County residents was 30 minutes; as
both distance to work and traffic congestion increase, the commuter culture
of Loudoun County will undoubtedly affect religious and cultural life. As
affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce in Loudoun County, yet rising
wages and newly created jobs attract workers, the nature of the county changes
as well. Immigration to Northern Virginia both from within and outside the
United States also affects our parish community.
Again, the transient nature of Loudoun County
affects St. James in a number of areas. We are fortunate that this parish
serves as an anchor for many in the midst of transition; it offers spiritual
sustenance, fellowship, and a community that provides an essential sense of
connection in a busy world. Yet, given the fact that for most of our
parishioners we are not a generational church (with three generations of the
same family sitting in the pew together on Sunday morning), how do we develop
relationships between and among long-time members and newer members? Between
young families and elderly members? How do we unite as a faith community?
Third, we minister in a
culture that is increasingly superficial. The cultural trend is toward a faster pace,
characterized by shorter messages increasing in frequency and pitch.
We believe that modern people, people who are
wearied by the changes and chances of this life, are hungrier than ever for a
church that can acknowledge the complexity of life, welcome questions and at
the same time center itself in Gods eternal changelessness.
At St. James, our current parishioners have
told us that they have found an antidote to the busyness, transience and
superficiality of our current culture. Our worship services, in particular,
have helped our parishioners hear Gods voice in the midst of their busy lives.
They have connected with God and with each other to form a community of faith
in an historic setting that sustains them throughout the week.
We must examine our responsibility as
faithful witnesses when we step out of the church after a satisfying Sunday
morning worship service. How can we extend this sense of a spiritual home
into our local and regional community, as well as into the wider culture and
the society in which we live and work?
Where God is calling us
We believe God is calling St. James to live
out this mission:
Nourished by Word and
Sacrament, we are sent out to do the work God has given us to do, to love and
serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
We begin our mission by remembering that God
nourishes us. As one of our Eucharistic prayers reminds us, Gods love is not a
secret. God makes his love known to us, in concrete ways, in creation, in
the calling of Israel to be his people, in his Word spoken through the
prophets, and above all, in the Word made flesh, Jesus his Son.
We are beneficiaries of that love, but we are
also stewards of it, as our baptismal covenant reminds us to continue in
the Apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers. Therefore, we are to proclaim that love. We are people sent out
to do the work God has given us to do.
God nourishes us in Word and Sacrament not
for solace only, but for strength, and not for pardon only, but for
renewal. As the church is the body of Christ, we are to help each member
of the body discern and then use his or her own particular gifts. We use our
gifts to love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
To be a faithful witness of Christ our Lord
therefore means to proclaim, by word and example, the Good News of God in
Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as
ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all persons, respecting
the dignity of every human being.
Properly prepared and motivated, the
Episcopal Church in general, and St. James in particular, is uniquely poised
to accomplish this mission. We believe
that God is calling us to extend our community both deeply and broadly and to
extend Christs love to the world. This vision springs from roots that are
timeless, creates effects that are lasting, and provides a scope that is
significant not only to current members of St. James, but to the greater
community, the nation, and the world.
What we are called to do
With Gods help,
over the next three to five years we hope to:
I.
Ensure that each parishioner of St. James is inspired, equipped and empowered
to serve as an active disciple within the Christian community of St. James.
Why: St. James parishioners
deeply value the sense of Christian community within our parish.
Worship experiences inspire us as we see,
hear and feel Gods beauty, grace and power. Christian formation and education
programs equip us with the knowledge and resources we need to grow as
disciples. And outreach, pastoral care and fellowship activities empower us as
we support one other on our spiritual journeys.
We are already planning and carrying out a
strong program of Christian formation and education for children, youth and
adults. We need, however, to renew our focus on adult discipleship:
articulating our faith, integrating our faith with everyday living, and
ministering as disciples of Christ.
How: Over the next three to five
years, we will seek to build on the current strength of our programs by engaging
all parishioners in experiences that inspire, equip and empower them as
disciples of Christ. We will make an effort to reach out and engage
parishioners beyond the Sunday-morning experience, welcoming and encouraging
them to join in the vibrant life of our Christian community.
II.
Further extend Christs love to the world by enabling and encouraging each
parishioner to become involved in hands-on service projects in the local community,
the nation and the world.
Why: In focus groups conducted as
part of the Parish Profile survey, parishioners indicated a willingness, even
an eagerness, to extend themselves beyond their own interests and concerns by
offering their time and talents to the world in Jesus name. We hope to help
them use their gifts to love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our
Lord. Because love manifests itself in deeds more than in words, we cannot
separate love and service: To love God is to serve him, and to serve him is to
love him.
How: Over the next three to five
years, we plan to increase parishioners participation in inter-generational,
hands-on service opportunities in Loudoun County. We hope to unite long-time
members and newcomers, young families and seniors, in working toward a common
goal in Christs name.
Current outreach programs should be
continued, and new areas of exploration encouraged. Possibilities include
partnering with other churches and agencies in the creation of an after-school
ministry; exploring with the diocese the ministry needs of Loudouns rapidly growing
Hispanic population; or partnering with other organizations or churches to meet
the hunger, housing and social needs of the community.
III. Plan and execute a
mission-driven expansion and renovation of the churchs facilities.
Why: To fully realize our vision
of Christian community at St. James, we must update and expand our physical
plant. Our current meeting and classroom space, music rehearsal and organ
facilities, and worship space is fully utilized, and space is at a premium. We
must attend to our historic structures and grounds, ensure adequate and
well-maintained space for current programs, and anticipate future needs. If we
are to expand our outreach efforts, for example, we must have facilities that
enable us to cook meals, assist children and teens, and serve others. If we are
to gather together as a parish, we need sufficient space for fellowship and
formation events.
How: Over the next three to five
years, we will develop a long-term facilities plan that considers the churchs
needs over the next 20 to 30 years; based on this plan, by 2009 we will also
undertake a significant renovation and expansion of current facilities.
In
Summary
What is God calling us to
be?
We are
called to be faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord, dedicated to restoring all
people to unity with God and each other.
Where is God calling us to
go?
Nourished
by Word and Sacrament, we are called to go out to do the work God has given us
to do:
To proclaim by word and example the Good News
of Christ;
To
seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves;
To
strive for justice and peace among all persons, respecting the dignity of every
human being.
God is calling us beyond what is readily
apparent, or easily achieved. God is calling us not only to minister to
ourselves, but also to be good news to people we will never meet people
outside our community and nation, and people not yet born.
Over 100 years ago, parishioners of St.
James had the vision to not only build a church structure that would last, but
to engage in ministry with a dedication and faithfulness that continues with us
today.
We, too, are called to participate in efforts
that are timeless, lasting and significant efforts that will serve the
greater community now, while forming a foundation for the next 100 years of
ministry.
While each objective in this vision may seem
quite reasonable, taken as a whole, this vision is quite ambitious: God
willing, and with dependence upon him, within 3-5 years, St. James Church will
be
Gathering
in expanded, renovated, and restored facilities;
Pro-actively
engaged in expanded outreach ministries that are focused on service projects
within our local community;
Creatively engaged in small group ministry, pastoral
care, Christian education, and service.