Inclusive, Active, Adaptable
ALL ARE WELCOME. That sign above the double doors leading to Saint Mary’s church and parish hall exemplifies our congregation. We embrace individuals of all ages, lifestyles, colors, creeds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Many members of our congregation have belonged to other Christian denominations (including Roman Catholic and Lutheran), some during their early years and others more recently.
Once they arrive, new members join a congregation marked by high energy and widespread involvement in all aspects of the parish’s worship and pastoral service. Members do so despite the fact that many of them belong to an older demographic. This is far from being a negative factor; it means, instead, that we are blessed with an abundance of leadership talent among retired or semi-retired members. That energy level and talent lead to widespread involvement in all aspects of the parish’s worship and service life. St. Mary’s often benefits from the activities of self-starters willing to create and nurture new ministries.
Theologically, we take a progressive approach; we’re liberal, flexible, and adaptive. Our style is that of the “Magi culture”—the wandering, searching, intellectual exploration embodied in the Three Wise Men who sought the newborn Christ Child. Whatever their faith background, our members generally seek a more meaningful spiritual life, which we feel they find at St. Mary’s. We believe that our worship services, refined by recent rectors and interims, are exceptional in quality and spiritual content.
Energetic, Healthy, Happy
We base this description of our parish on two sources. One is a Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) administered by Holy Cow! Consulting of Westerville, Ohio that surveys parishes for a variety of characteristics. In March 2023, we invited 275 members of St. Mary’s aged 16 and above to participate in the 98-question online survey. Nearly two-thirds –171 individuals – completed the survey. That high proportion represents 161% of the average weekend worship attendance over the past three years. It illustrates our congregation’s elevated interest and excitement in the quest for our next rector. The second basis for this description stems from our ongoing experiences in the congregation.
The CAT survey told us that we are a very active and healthy parish with high collective energy and member satisfaction. Five key characteristics emerged from the survey as indicators of high satisfaction:
- We view individuals serving in leadership positions in the congregation as representative of the entire membership.
- We regard worship services as exceptional in both quality and spiritual content.
- Being part of St. Mary’s has given members new meaning to their lives.
- The parish usually provides our members with ample opportunity to consider different approaches when making important congregational decisions.
- St. Mary’s provides opportunities for its members to engage in active ministry, within the congregation and in the world at large.
Significantly, the survey did not uncover any major internal issues in the congregation that need to be addressed. This suggests that our leadership can direct its attention to strategic options, such as congregational growth, expanding programs, additional mentoring of prospective leaders, and increased external impact.
Regional, Mature, Progressive
We are a regionally-focused congregation with over two-thirds of the survey respondents living five or more miles from the church campus. We celebrate and benefit from the wide professional, educational, and cultural diversity of our members. The congregation is built upon a foundation of 527 baptized “communicants in good standing” from across the Cape. St. Mary’s is blessed with sound financial support from its members.
We have an aging membership, reflecting the demographics of Barnstable County (Cape Cod), the most elderly county in Massachusetts. This is consistent with a national trend in other Christian denominations. High housing costs and limited employment opportunities pose problems for young families. Many of our new members are thus retirees coming from other parts of the country.
Survey results classify St. Mary’s as progressive or liberal theologically and flexible or adaptable in its life and worship. Our main goals for future growth are to attract families with children and youth, reach new people and incorporate them into the life of St. Mary’s, provide more opportunities for Christian education, and further develop ministries to nurture those who suffer broken lives.
Sources of Strength
The survey shows that our members regard hospitality, morale, conflict management, governance, readiness for ministry, and worship and music as strong aspects of our mission. We are especially blessed with an outstanding music program with high quality musicians.
Asked what they like about St. Mary’s, members often mention the congregation’s strong focus on a wide array of internal and external ministries. Committees and groups provide members with opportunities to show their love and concern for fellow members in particular through pastoral care, including support during times of grief and bereavement. We express similar concern for outside individuals, groups, and organizations through a variety of outreach services. Individual members also support outside groups through volunteering and financial contributions. Fellowship through such activities as men’s breakfasts, Bible studies, sewing and knitting groups, and the like help to foster our welcoming spirit, support, and friendships among members.
Challenges to Come
The survey revealed that, like Episcopalian churches everywhere, we would hope “to attract more families with children and youth to our church.” Certainly, our church school has thrived in the past, offering such programs as monthly Joy Masses. However, financial and sociological realities in recent years have meant that the average age of St. Mary’s members has precluded significant numbers of young children. Fewer young families have settled on Cape Cod in recent years. Nevertheless, young people continue to make up a large proportion of the membership of confirmation classes.
Our significant challenge, then, is to seize the opportunity presented to us in the retirees who have chosen to make their new homes on the Cape and who seek a new faith life in a vibrant congregation like St. Mary’s. The CAT survey identified three aspects of that challenge:
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and integrate them into the church’s life.
- Providing more opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life.
- Developing ministries that work toward healing those broken by life’s circumstances.
We hope that our new rector will welcome these challenges and enthusiastically partner with the congregation in addressing them.
We have been blessed in recent years with outstanding, joyful, and loving styles of preaching, administration, pastoral care, and leadership by both the previous rector and the current interim rector. We now look forward with positive anticipation to the ministry and gifts brought by a new rector.