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Parish Profile 2006 | ||
   
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church PARISH PROFILE 2006
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 2310 N. 56th Street Phoenix, Arizona 85008 602-840-0437 Our Mission
We attempt to live out of the Baptismal covenant that says
Our Vision The Vision of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is that of a Christ-centered community rooted in, and formed by, the Anglican traditions of Scripture, experience, tradition and reason. United in worship and Eucharist, grounded in the Scriptural messages of wisdom, mercy and justice, we provide place and opportunity for God’s people to engage in co-creation through a nurturing environment. We are committed to providing experiences for the celebration of God’s gifts through the practice of kindness and hospitality. H I S T O R Y St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church began as a mission in 1962, funded initially by St. Barnabas on the Desert, Paradise Valley, to establish an Episcopal presence in the City of Scottsdale. After meeting in a Scottsdale mortuary for about a year, we purchased a permanent site of almost five acres of desert land across the street from the western most edge of Scottsdale. The property contained an adobe house, circa 1925, and an artist’s studio. The adobe house served as Rectory and services were held in the studio. On May 5, 1963 we held our first Eucharist at our permanent site. Building of the present sanctuary began in 1964. In the mid-1960’s, a lower courtyard was added, surrounded by an L-shaped complex designed by renowned architect Bennie Gonzales. These buildings housed St. Stephen’s Parish Day School from 1967 until 1973. The buildings were remodeled over the years to provide classroom areas, a spacious kitchen, a dining room and a parish hall. The buildings are used regularly as part of the church’s community outreach by groups such as A. A., Al-Anon, art classes and seminars. In the early 80’s, at the insistence of the Diocese, we were asked to seek property within the City of Scottsdale and to consider merging with the Church of the Resurrection who was coexisting on property owned by Lutherans. After much discernment coupled with the fact that no affordable property was available the decision was made to join both congregations on the existing St. Stephen’s property. In 1984, a Renewal Center was opened, using the original adobe building and the cottage in the upper courtyard. They were fitted with sleeping accommodations, showers and bathrooms. The Renewal Center was used regularly for Cursillo Weekends by Episcopal, Lutheran, and Catholic Movements; all of which later moved into their own facilities. The Renewal Center has again been remodeled and is currently the site of a Montessori middle (junior high) school. In 2001, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (our neighbor to the west) was closed as an English speaking parish and became San Pablo, a Spanish speaking mission church. Many of the parishioners from St. Paul’s came to St. Stephen’s, including their entire choir, effectively doubling the size of St. Stephen’s traditional choir. The parish is located in East Phoenix and borders the City of Scottsdale. The grounds contain the adobe building, now known as St. Stephen’s house and home to the Montessori school, and occasionally used as sleeping quarters for retreats held at St. Stephen’s. There is a building now known as the cottage across a desert landscape courtyard from St. Stephen’s house and is used as a classroom. The sanctuary sits just west of the Cottage with entrance on the south side of the building. West of the church is an Memorial Garden at the north end of a grass lawn, with a children’s playground on the south end. At the west end of the property is an L-shaped building which houses Christian formation classes, parish offices, the small commercial kitchen, and the parish hall.
Aerial view
of property C L E R G Y H I S T O R Y There have been nine rectors (including three interims) at St. Stephen’s since its inception. The clergy: 1962-1970 Richard Westcott, vicar and rector 1970-1972 Richard Beekman, rector
1972-1975 Dr. Arthur Rudolph, rector;
1976-1980 Leland Jones, rector
1980-1981 Bill Pottenger, interim rector
1981-1998 David Bailey, rector
1998-1999 Kerry Neuhardt, interim rector
1999-2006 Elizabeth Huskey-Simmons, rector
2006-Present Nicholas J. Romans, interim rector
Note: Will Stewart was assistant from 1988 until his death in 2005 THE PEOPLE OF ST. STEPHEN’S The information for this section came from the surveys and the house meetings. Copies of the summaries and survey data are available on our website, or you may call the church office to have one mailed to you. DEMOGRAPHICS In describing the makeup of the people of St. Stephen’s, the information used was provided by the parishioners in the first part of the survey from the Search Committee. Since almost eighty percent (80%) of the people regularly attending St. Stephen’s responded to the survey, the following descriptors are reasonably (not absolutely) accurate. Also, the word “parishioners” will be used instead of “survey respondents” because of the overwhelming majority of parishioners who responded to the survey. So while there is no such thing as “the average parishioner”, the following is a description of such a person should that person exist. The average age of the people at St. Stephen’s at the current time is almost fifty five years old, while approximately twenty percent (20%) of our parish family are sixteen (16) years old or less. Adult women outnumber adult men, and more than half of us have at least a bachelor’s degree and half of those have advanced degrees, with an almost even division between the number of people who are single or married. The average time in Phoenix (meaning the metropolitan area) is almost thirty (30) years. Four out of ten parishioners are employed full time, two out of ten are employed part time, and two and a half out of ten (one in four) are retired A very large majority of the parishioners live less than fifteen (15) minutes travel time from St. Stephen’s, with most of the rest living in north Scottsdale and Tempe with less than a thirty minute drive to get here. A few parishioners travel thirty (30) or more minutes to get here. There is one parishioner living in Sun City, some in Chandler, and some in Mesa. Overall, parishioners are more involved in church activities this year than last year. Almost all of us attend worship services weekly if possible, with about half of us having provided service at a worship service within the last year, such as usher, reader, choir, chalice bearer, acolyte, etc., and we attend at least one non-worship function every month. A majority of us came to St. Stephen’s for one of, or a combination of, the following reasons: the priest, friends, and the worship services, and we stay here for those same reasons. A majority of us have some or even many of our friends here, and a strong majority of parishioners invited at least one friend or family member to St. Stephen’s in the past year. Half of us have worshipped here for ten years and have attended church for twenty years before coming to St. Stephen’s, with a very strong tendency to have come from other Episcopal churches. Nearly half of us spend time daily in private devotional activity such as prayer, meditation, reading, Bible reading, etc. and we have a strong preference for sermons that are based on the Bible and lectionary, while being applicable to our daily lives. Our need for pastoral care increased approximately twenty percent (20%) over last year, primarily due to family and health concerns. From five broad views of the Bible presented in the survey, parishioners overwhelmingly selected the following two views: one half chose the view that the Bible is a record of many different peoples’ responses to God and its basic moral and religious teachings must be interpreted; the other half chose the view that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and its basic moral and religious teachings are clear and true, even if it reflects some human error. As a group, we believe outreach is best accomplished by spending our treasure to help needy St. Stephen’s families and to help other poverty stricken people. We believe that in the area of outreach, our time could best be used in support of our food pantry, which provided approximately one thousand (1000) food boxes to individuals and families for each of the last two years. SOCIAL ISSUES More than ninety percent (90%) of the people at St. Stephen’s support the ideas, either strongly or somewhat; that St. Stephen’s should have a strong role in the Diocese of Arizona, that the Diocese of Arizona should have a strong role in the national church, and that the national church should have a strong role in the Anglican Communion. A very strong majority of more than eighty percent (80%) support either strongly or somewhat that St. Stephen’s should have an evangelical ministry and a social action ministry as its two primary purposes. A strong majority or more than seventy percent (70%) strongly support or somewhat support the blessing of same gender unions, and also the use of an inclusive language prayer book. On the topic of aid to prevent death of undocumented aliens crossing the desert, fifty-five percent (55%) support aid to that population, while forty-five percent (45%) do not. Arizona has a very long border with Mexico, and a large percentage of people entering the country from Mexico without documentation come through Arizona. Several workshops and discussion groups on this topic have taken place at St. Stephen’s for the purposes of education and values clarification. CHURCH IDENTITY More than ninety percent (90%) of us strongly support or somewhat support that there is a sense of excitement among members about the future of St. Stephen’s. That same near unanimous group believes that we help each other in times of trouble, that our spirituality has been deepened by being here, and that we are comfortable with St. Stephen’s current identity. A very strong majority of more than eighty percent (80%) believe that it is easy to summarize to visitors and non-members how St. Stephen’s differs from other congregations, and that the morale at St. Stephen’s is high.
CONGREGATIONAL IDENTITY We have a STRONG PREFERENCE (meaning a very large majority believe) in the following ideas: (preference listed first) ? St. Stephen’s gives strong expression to Episcopal tradition versus it being difficult for a visitor to know we are Episcopalian ? The approach to salvation here emphasizes education and nurturing versus conversion and a born-again experience. We have a PREFERENCE (meaning a relatively strong majority believe) in the following ideas: (preference listed first) ? The congregation is more influenced by contemporary ideas versus history and tradition. ? St. Stephen’s feels like one large family versus a loosely knit association of groups and individuals. ? We act on social issues versus only providing education ? St. Stephen’s strives to create partnerships with other local churches versus work alone. The people of St. Stephen’s are nearly EVENLY DIVIDED in the following ideas: ? Are primarily oriented toward serving the members of our congregation versus serving the world beyond St. Stephen’s. ? Have prestige versus that we have a minimal status in the Diocese. ? Have prestige versus that we have a minimal status in the greater community. ? Are involved in the greater community versus not involved. M I S S I O N A N D M I N I S T R Y To define where we are now as a parish is one of the goals of a parish profile, and a second goal is to define where we would like to go in the future. This section is an attempt to summarize these two goals. The information used comes from the surveys and house meetings, so by their very nature, the summaries here are not totally inclusive, but are a compilation of the majority opinions expressed during those formats. Spirituality is very much a part of the life of the community at St. Stephen’s. It is to be found in many forms and varied expressions, and the paths that bring the community together in worship are manifold. A major focus of the parishioners as a whole is to find new ways in addition to the old to further explore and strengthen that spirituality. Liturgy is a primary focus of worship, as is music. Both the liturgy and the music are varied in format and kind to match the changes in the church seasons. New liturgies are acceptable if they are not surprises, and different styles of music are encouraged. In conjunction with liturgy, parishioners prefer preaching which is Biblically based and made relevant to living life today, helping us understand how to face the daily challenges of being Christian in today’s world. Most hope for a rector who will share personal history concerning the path the rector followed to reach his/her decisions concerning those challenges. The ministry of hospitality is strong at St. Stephen’s. There is a very strong sense of community here and some say there is a feeling of family. As in any community, not everyone belongs to every group, and that group identification sometimes interferes with the ability to welcome new faces. There is a strong wish to improve on our hospitality and welcome of newcomers. Pastoral care for one another is a noticeable part of our community. This care, coupled with a strong clergy role of leadership by example, is very strongly expected to continue. Most of the parishioners at St. Stephen’s are involved in one way or another with one of the many groups and activities to be found here. A consistent wish is that still more groups will form to provide an even greater chance for variety of experiences and learning. As used here, the word “groups” includes meetings, youth, education, study, social, multi-generational, focus, ministry, etc. Growth of the parish is a strongly voiced wish by many, with a concomitant wish to retain the small parish feel. The growth must be coupled with financial responsibility and stability.; FAITH FORMATION YOUTH: The curricula for education of children and youth include: ? Sunday Nursery Coop run by volunteers (parents and other caring adults) to provide safe and nurturing care for our youngest parishioners ? Godly Play for children from age four through third grade. The children’s worship time includes a parable, sacred story, or liturgical story, followed by a time for wondering, sacred play, and a shared feast that mirrors the celebration of Holy Eucharist. ? On the Edge for fourth through sixth grade is a lectionary based curriculum (Living the Good News) and serves as a bridge from Godly Play to Journey to Adulthood. ? Rite 13 - for seventh through ninth grade is the beginning program for the Journey to Adulthood curriculum. ? Journey to Adulthood - continuation of the program and is for high school aged students. ? During summer, there is no weekly Sunday education/formation. For the last three years a Vacation Bible School for youth has been held with different curricula each of the three years.
ADULT: This program consists of a class between services on Sunday morning, and has in the past included a weekday morning book study and a mid-week morning class. Topics of study have included: Bible study (especially the gospels); prayer book; church history; faith; our relationship with God and how to deepen that relationship; contemporary theology; contemporary social issues; current events in spiritual living; speakers from other faiths; and women in the church. A number of parishioners have shared their gifts and experience as facilitators of these classes. A large number of parishioners believe it is very important to offer adult education in a variety of times and formats and topics. W O R S H I P St. Stephen’s is eucharistically centered. Most worship services normally include Eucharist (including marriages, baptisms, and funerals) with exceptions being made at the request of the participants in those services. Also, our tradition has been to offer the Eucharist to all, regardless of where they may be in their spiritual walk or of their abilities to understand the nature of the Sacrament. The weekly order of service contains that invitation. Persons who are unable to attend may request communion and will receive that communion from the clergy or specially trained lay members of the body. There is also a Worship Committee which meets quarterly, led by the Rector, and populated by parishioners with a special interest in worship and liturgy. The members of this committee, under the guidance of the Rector, have provided the homily for services and have become sub-deacons, responsible for oversight of the services (insuring the right people are in the right place at the right time). Times of service: Saturday evening at 5:00 PM Sunday morning at 8:00 AM Sunday morning at 10:30 AM (in summer changes to 9:30 AM). Coffee and snacks are provided after both Saturday and Sunday Services. Special Liturgies Special liturgies have always been used at the discretion of the Rector. They have included a yearly blessing of the animals (a tradition at St. Stephen’s), a sunrise Easter service, a service on Easter Eve after sundown, and a Tenebrae service. Special liturgies from other sources, such as other Anglican Communion Prayer Books, and for observation of special days like AIDS Sunday, Addiction Sunday, Children’s Sunday, and some special Feast days in celebration of various Saints have also been utilized. Altar Guild The Altar Guild is a small group of experienced and dedicated people who insure that the church is ready and who help the people serving the altar get vested prior to and divested subsequent to service. They also ensure the vestments are properly arranged before those wearing them leave the Sacristy. Music
Lay Readers/Chalice Bearers There is a growing contingent of youth who also serve the altar in the positions of torch bearers, crucifers, and acolytes. Several parishioners in their late teens have trained as and serve as chalice bearers, joining the adults and older adults who do so. Some chalice bearers have served since the founding of St. Stephen’s. Lay reading is also alive and well, with a relatively large group providing for the late Sunday Service, a smaller group for the early Sunday Service, and a few dedicated readers for the Saturday evening Service.
O U T R E A C H And S O C I A L J U S T I C E
There are a number of outreach programs at St. Stephen’s, each providing services to disenfranchised people: homeless, mentally ill, domestic violence victims, poverty stricken, children, and also immigrant programs in cooperation with other organizations. · Food Pantry - in 2004, St. Stephen’s gave out 1,039 food boxes to feed over 3,500 people. The number of people served declined slightly in 2005. After Hurricane Katrina, some survivors came to the Phoenix area and referrals to St. Stephen’s Food Pantry increased due to food shortages at the major food banks in town. In response to requests by the Food Pantry, parishioners responded by providing thirty-six complete Thanksgiving dinners in 2005 and 20 dinners in 2006. · Holiday Outreach Projects - Holiday Outreach allowed St. Stephen’s to share with 10 children, one disabled adult, 20 Safehaven (agency serving the homeless and mentally ill) clients , several clients in Star Shine Academy (charter high school for teens with children), and clients of Maggie’s Place (home for expectant mothers who are alone or homeless). · Shoebox Ministries - for Mother’s Day, parish members collected and filled purses for distribution to women in domestic violence shelters. · No More Deaths - as a Lenten Outreach Project, the parish gathered materials for desert survival packs. The packs were assembled by Journey to Adulthood teens for distribution to people found in distress in the desert borderlands of the state. Social Justice Projects in 2005 included:
P A S T O R A L C A R E How Do We Care for Ourselves? The clergy at St. Stephen’s have always been available to provide visitation and Eucharist for those unable to attend due to illness and/or injury. Clergy also provide care and counsel for the terminally ill/injured and their families and friends. In the education/formation program on Sundays, parishioners provide child care for the very young, and they, with all the other educators/ facilitators and the youth minister, provide support to each other. Lay Eucharist Ministers are parishioners trained for taking Eucharist to persons unable to attend for whatever reason. Under the aegis of the Rector, trained parishioners have occasionally been used as counselors and/or mentors for others. Vestry Committees were formed under the last Rector and each Vestry member is assigned the oversight of one or two areas of interest. Currently, the committees are: Parish Life, Marketing and Publicity (new), Pastoral Care, Building and Grounds, Stewardship, Newcomers, and finally, the Worship Committee. (see Ministries Section) Outreach and Social Justice is overseen by Deacon Martha Seaman. Youth and Children’s Ministry is overseen by our Youth Minister. The Episcopal Church Women is a very active group which hosts several Ladies’ Luncheons each year (men are welcome), the Advent Dinner on the first weekend of December, the “Souper Suppers” on Wednesdays during Lent, and the Rummage Sale, recently gone from a very large annual sale to several weekend sales in addition to the large annual sale. They also run the parish book and gift shop. Proceeds of their fundraising activities are used to support children’s attendance to Episcopal Church Camp summer programs, the annual Parish Camp, purchase of children’s vestments, and various parishioner needs. They also provide for receptions following memorial services. There is currently no active men’s group. Two parishioners have hosted Thanksgiving Day at St. Stephen’s for the last three years, providing turkey, stuffing/dressing, and gravy, with all who wish to attend providing side dishes or a dessert to share. Average attendance has been thirty five to forty people, infants to elderly. A number of people have brought friends. All are welcome. P A R I S H L I F E Life in the Parish of St. Stephen’s is widely varied, with many different interests being pursued and many different activities provided by the parish itself and by parishioners in pursuit of these interests. Perhaps the best way to describe what life is like as the Parish of St. Stephen’s is simply to list activities and/events of the last five years. Having said that, please note that some will not be mentioned due to faulty memories of those compiling the list. (In our monthly newsletter, our church mouse, Stefen, attempts to list the monthly activities and acknowledge those who serve in providing them. He always apologizes for missing some. Stefen is a very smart mouse.) Apologies in advance to anyone or anything missed in this list. In no particular order: May Fiesta / Silent Auction Christmas Faire (Arts and Crafts Sale and Silent Auction) Softball Team – has been active for more than 25 years St. Stephen’s Players (perform musicals bi-annually) Parish Camp at Chapel Rock (Episcopal Church Camp) after Easter Thanksgiving Potluck Groups to athletic events, shows/plays Mexico shopping trips Parish Sleepovers (for youth) Parish Retreats Pool Parties Car Washes by the youth, with interested adults, for outreach relief projects “Souper Suppers” on Wednesday during Lent, providing a Lenten series (study, formation, etc.) and Eucharist
Pancake Breakfast Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Christmas Caroling Easter Egg Hunts Groundhog Day Golf Tournament Newcomer Dessert Party Parish Clean-up Days "Reverse" Potlucks Candlelight Advent Dinner ECW Ladies Luncheons Annual ECW Rummage Sale St. Stephen’s is also home to a number of activities originating outside the congregation: 12-step and 12-step related meetings Oil Painting Classes Bodiheart (Buddhist worship group) Detour Company (a theatre group of mentally disabled young adults) Political memorabilia group Life at St. Stephen’s is a rich and varied activity. If anyone does not find something of interest on this list, new ideas and/or new activities are welcome. E V A N G E L I S M A N D R E N E W A L There is currently no formal program of Evangelism at St. Stephen’s. However, our parish survey stated a strong desire for an evangelical ministry at St. Stephens. There is an established protocol for contact and providing information and/or guidance to newcomers. The only growth experienced in recent years has been the addition of mostly young families with children, and their arrival has been a blessing in many ways. Overall, the number of people attending regularly has decreased over the last few years. Renewal training is generally found in various education/formation classes. St. Stephen’s operates a Renewal Center that provides a nurturing desert setting for weekend retreats for various groups. We have welcomed, among others, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Buddhist monks. The Center is capable of sleeping 50-plus people and is available for both day use and/or overnight accommodation. We are wheelchair accessible. In addition to St. Stephen’s House, we also have the ‘Cottage’ and a modular sleeping unit. Frederickson Hall, located in the lower courtyard area, is a large meeting room that accommodates up to 120 people as well as adjacent areas for break-out groups. Persons using the facilities are welcome to meet either indoors or on our outdoor patio area. Quiet contemplation is available in any of the garden areas. Our Sanctuary is available for worship when not in use by the parish. Volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, and a children’s playground are the recreational opportunities available for guests.
The following is a listing of areas defined by St. Stephen’s as:“areas of ministry” - a group of people participating in the process within a defined area incorporating at least one member of the Vestry acting as chairperson or facilitator.
Youth and Children’s Ministry – This ministry offers Christian Formation and youth activities which have included: overnight retreats, called lock-ins; trips to theme parks; trips to other Diocese; bake sales; car washes; sporting events; open discussion forums; and participation in the search process for a new rector. (This list of activities is not a complete list.) Parish Life – This group’s purpose is to enhance, where possible, the life of St. Stephen’s and its parishioners. It includes such things as the monthly newsletter and various functions like the May Fiesta. Newcomers Visitors are asked to sign a Guest Registry, and can indicate at that time how much follow-up such as a phone call or visit from the priest or member of the Newcomers Committee, if any, they wish. There have been “meet and greet” functions for newcomers. Greeters at the doors for Sunday services welcome all who come, direct visitors to the guest registry, answer newcomer questions, and, if possible, introduce the newcomers to some members of the parish. Outreach and Social Justice Outreach covers a number of activities and projects which are written about in other areas of this profile. Social Justice is currently overseen by Deacon Martha Seaman, who helps coordinate our involvement in East Valley Interfaith. The Social Justice Committee is involved with immigration issues, mental health issues, service to persons with special needs, etc. Pastoral Care This group is involved in helping to meet the pastoral concerns of the parish at large and includes some fundraising to help meet parishioner needs. Building and Grounds The campus at St. Stephen’s has a variety of different landscaping as well as undeveloped open desert. The buildings were built at different times over many years and are, therefore, of different styles and functions and were built to different standards. This group is involved in planning and maintenance for the campus. Activities have included Parish Work Days for landscape upkeep and minor repairs. Christian Education This is currently overseen by our Youth Minister and is described elsewhere in this document. Briefly, it includes Godly Play for pre-school to 3rd grade, On the Edge for 4th through 6th grades, Rite 13 for middle school ages, and Journey to Adulthood for high school ages. Adult formation varies by facilitator/instructor. Worship The Worship Committee is involved in helping to plan, set up, facilitate, and participate in the various worship services. Under the last Rector, many of the Worship Committee were commissioned as sub-deacons and became responsible for insuring the various positions such as lay reader, acolyte, chalice bearers, etc. were filled. Marketing and Publicity This is a new activity with the purpose of increasing the community’s knowledge of our presence and purpose. We want people to know that St. Stephen’s is a place of welcome and of spirituality.
For more information about St. Stephen's ministries contact the church office 602-840-0437.
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