Church of the Holy Innocents...Church of the Holy Innocents Parish Profile 2018 Page 1 Introduction...

Church of the Holy Innocents

Parish Profile

Calling our Rector September 6, 2018

Church of the Holy Innocents Parish Profile 2018 Page 1

Introduction We are a welcoming, loving and diverse congregation of souls in West Orange NJ, housed in an historic and picturesque wooden church built in 1872.

The people in this small, vibrant congregation care about each other and the surrounding community. We practice “radical hospitality,” generous outreach and creative fellowship, and we celebrate worship with beautiful music every Sunday. There is a thirst for Christian education for all ages, and a desire to make the Word relevant so we can live it every day.

We seek a part time rector who preaches engagingly, is open-minded and collaborative and who can lead us into the wider community to love and serve, as we live God’s message in our daily lives. We are looking for someone who can preach with relevance and cultivate our faith community.

We want to find the rector who is truly called to us.

Our self-study over the last few months has helped us draw out the voices of the members of our congregation. The Discernment Committee conducted an online and print survey of our congregants and followed up with discussion and inquiry. Parishioners were candid and generous with their comments. This Profile is written using their own words.


Our Mission The CHI Mission Statement was last revised in 2009. With the help of our new rector, we would like to refine and articulate it more clearly and succinctly. The 2009 Mission Statement is:

The mission of the Church of the Holy Innocents is to answer God’s call to love, to service and to discipleship by cherishing all those who share in our worship, exercising our ministries consistent with the values of the Gospel, and extending the teachings of Christ and the Episcopal tradition to all those who wish to be partners in mission with God. To that end, we pledge ourselves to reaching out in love to each other in our parish family, community and world.

We hope our new rector will inspire us to discern and carry out our vision and mission. As part of our survey, we asked parishioners to tell us their experience of the Mission of CHI. Here are some responses:

− To be active members for Christ; helping others and living by example not just sitting in a pew.

− To worship God and provide supportive community, for each other and the larger community.

− To be a welcoming place of worship, serving its members and community, carrying out the Great Commission.

− As I see it, we spend Sunday worshipping and learning about God and supporting each other, then we go out to show God's love to our families, neighbors and the world.

− Hospitality and inclusion.

− A place that lives "Love one another as I have loved you."

− To reach out into the local neighborhood and to deepen faith and relationships.


Who We Are Holy Innocents is a small congregation of 82 members. We celebrate our diversity of ages, cultures and orientations. Average Sunday attendance is 45, with most parishioners attending 3-4 times per month. We gather for lively fellowship at Coffee Hour in the undercroft weekly after worship.

Of the survey respondents, the majority have attended Holy Innocents for over four years, and many over ten years. Parishioners range in ages from 0 to 96, more than half of whom are over 50. About one-third reported they have children under the age of 16 in their households. For more stats, see our Diocesan Report for the year 2017 and Survey Results.

It is hard to convey through words in this Profile the joyful, loving atmosphere at our church. Each of our guest priests has commented on what a special place it is. Here are some ways parishioners describe CHI and their view of its mission:

− I experience CHI as a family of committed Episcopalians who are loving, respectful and supportive of each other and the community. We worship with appreciation of music and devotion to prayer and scripture. We celebrate milestones and achievements and we share challenges with each other. We value the scripture and how we can carry the love of Christ into the world through outreach by supporting the food pantry, Hope Garden and many other projects.

− CHI is a warm, welcoming environment that is very inclusive and comforting. In today’s world, the importance of what CHI offers its congregants should never be underestimated. Outreach to our fellow neighbors and supporting causes is important, no doubt, but nourishing the souls of the congregation is what is most important about us.

− The Spirit dwells here.


Fellowship Hospitality reigns at Holy Innocents. As one survey respondent said, “we practice Radical Hospitality.” We enjoy our time together. The Spirit is present in our fellowship, such as:

Coffee Hour

Our coffee hour after service on Sundays is popular and lively. Parishioners volunteer to host, serve and clean up. Sometimes we gather for adult education or other meetings during coffee hour, but mostly we talk and catch up.

TGIF

“Thank God It’s Friday” events are held on Friday nights a few times a year in the undercroft. These family gatherings are hosted around fun activities, such as game night or a movie to watch together, with snacks and refreshments.

Hope Gardens

Our warden, Patti Neil, saw great hope in a scruffy, neglected patch of dirt on the church property a few years ago. With sheer determination, she and a group of hard working parishioners tilled, cleared, enclosed, planted and cultivated a beautiful garden. It is thriving. Beds are raised and access is cleared so that older parishioners can easily access and participate. Clematis vines full of flowers invite people to see the abundant vegetables and flowers that grow so well under their care. The bounty of Hope Gardens is in itself a celebration of God’s love. The harvest is shared with parish and with the community.


Stitch and Craft Club

Many of our parishioners love to knit, crochet, weave, make jewelry, paint rocks, and all manner of crafts. They collectively launched the Stitch and Craft Club, which meets bi-weekly for a fun night of fellowship and crafting. Anyone can attend, whether they craft or not. Some members bring their latest project, some bring Legos, coloring books or crosswords, and others just hang out.


Our Ministries The areas of greatest enthusiasm expressed in our self-study are Worship, Music, Christian Formation and Outreach. Parishioners unanimously voiced their desire to expand the roles of children and teens in worship, education and parish life. They also overwhelmingly responded that music is an important part of worship for them.

Worship

Weekly Sunday worship at 10 a.m. brings together our faithful members and guests. We are spiritually revitalized through liturgical celebration of the Eucharist, led by visiting clergy and the Ven. Archdeacon Christine McCloud. We have heard engaging sermons by guest clergy and Deacon Chris. Our worship is beautifully enhanced by inspiring music. Looking forward, we hope more children, teens and adult members take active roles in the liturgy.

Parishioners concur that our services, sermons and special worship celebrations have been spiritually uplifting, Scripture based, relevant and reflective of the times in which we live. During our transition period, Deacon Chris has provided insight and continuity, as well as welcome support for visiting clergy.


Music

We love to worship and be inspired in faith through music. Our Music Director and Organist, Gretchen Bilson-Chiverton, has led spirit-filled music at Holy Innocents since 2013. She directs the Choir, Music Scholars, Bell Choir and Special Concerts and works collaboratively with celebrating clergy.

Gretchen encourages worshipful expression through music. Her selection of hymns balances familiar favorites with new hymns, including Spirituals, Gospel, Renaissance and Contemporary. Occasionally choir instrumentalists and vocalists perform highlighted pieces. Special services are augmented with guest instrumentals such as brass, winds, strings, percussion and bells.

Please enjoy a short video of our choir and instrumentalists here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HbhVU9NqnZq8Lsgb7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HbhVU9NqnZq8Lsgb7


The congregation enthusiastically supports and appreciates these aspects of music ministry:

Holy Innocents Choir

Our 16 dedicated Choristers sing gloriously every Sunday from September through June. Their commitment includes weekly rehearsals and study of new music. During the summer, Gretchen leads a Pickup Choir, which is open to all. The only requirement is to arrive 30 minutes before the service begins and join in. This is a wonderful way for members to join the choir with spontaneity.

Music Scholars

The Music Scholars program encourages students from local schools and colleges to participate in the Anglican Music Tradition. Participants are selected to augment and balance choir sections.

Bell Choir

Gretchen teaches and leads adults and children to play bells. The Bell Choir perform on special Sundays throughout the year.

Moller Pipe Organ

Holy Innocents treasures its Moller Pipe Organ which was installed in 1969 in memory of Alice Lee Chubb. Its rich, full sound is being enhanced with a 5-year project to maintain and restore this remarkable instrument. Gretchen oversees this project, which was made possible by generous donations from members of the Chubb family.


Special Concerts

Holy Innocents hosts special musical concerts, inviting the community and congregation. In addition to our annual Christmas Carol Sing concert, we have enjoyed voice recitals by sopranos Elizabeth Engelberth and Maxime Long, as well as a piano recital by Paul Bolles-Beaven. Donations collected at concerts help offset music expenses such as music scores, instrumentalists and Music Scholars.


Christian Formation Church School

Our Sunday morning church school is held in the undercroft during the academic year. This past school year, 6 children ages 5-13 regularly attended, with visiting children welcomed to join them. The curriculum includes study, discussion, videos and activities around Bible stories. Children’s ministry activities include serving at the Soup Kitchen, hosting coffee hour, raising money to purchase a goat through Episcopal Relief Services, filling food boxes for Lent, and participating in the liturgy. The curriculum is based on lessons from R4 Ministries.

Adult Christian Formation

Archdeacon Christine McCloud led our first adult Christian Formation class during Lent 2018. So many parishioners signed up that we had to re-order the book selection, “Your Faith Your Life, an invitation to the Episcopal Church” by Jenifer Gamber. Participants enjoyed the teaching and lively discussions so much they asked for another series. We’d like to establish a book club this fall.

It is clear from this experience, as well as the survey responses, that adult parishioners are thirsty for more Christian education.


Outreach

Outreach is enthusiastically supported by the members of Holy Innocents. In our self-study, it was by far the highest priority for the majority of respondents. Members lovingly support fellow parishioners who are ill or grieving with visits, cards, phone calls and other needs. We hold well-supported drives on behalf of recipients in the local community.

Our focus for the future is

to be present in our community,

to extend ourselves beyond the walls

of the church, and to see what we are

called to do.

Parishioners wrote that they want to see our congregation broaden its outreach to:

- Share the Love of Christ with each other and the world - Love one another - Be active members for Christ - Set an example - Interact with and be of service to the community - Partner with other congregations and organizations


Outreach of giving has included offerings to:

Christine’s Kitchen at Holy Trinity West Orange: − Parishioners join with Holy Spirit church to

provide and serve meals twice a year − On-going food collection for the food pantry

Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Verona:

− Our Lenten offering of 24 boxes of food in a “40 items for 40 days” drive

− Food items donated by parishioners year-round

− Fresh produce grown in our own Hope Gardens

Servant’s House Shelter of Turning Point services:

− Christmas offering of clothing and gifts to the mothers and children

− Blankets and pajamas collected annually − Special collection once a year for financial

support Trinitas Hospital:

− For the National Heart Month “Hats for Hearts” program, talented parishioners hand-knit and crocheted over 140 red baby hats. We had them blessed and presented them to Trinitas neonatal unit for Valentine’s Day.

Interfaith Hospitality Network: − Parishioners assist our neighbor, United Presbyterian Church, when they host families

North Porch Women and Infants’ Center:

− Baby items drive for Mother’s Day


Events for Veterans and First Responders

We seek ways to engage and recognize the local veterans and first responders in appreciation for their service. We have held special services to honor veterans, taken homemade pies to the local firehouse at Thanksgiving and other events. Speakers Series

We are planning to host a series of events that will draw the surrounding community to hear professional or distinguished speakers on topics that are compelling. This Speakers Series is expected to begin in late 2018 or early 2019. Some of the possibilities include presentations by the West Orange Town Historian, the Turtle Back Zoo, and the Edison Museum.

Fundraising Activities

Fellowship and fundraising go hand-in-hand at Holy Innocents. Annual events include our “CHI Men Cook” event and the “Silent Auction and Wine Tasting.”


Our History and Location Our property located at Prospect Avenue and Old Indian Road in West Orange NJ houses the historic church, the rectory, cemetery, Memorial Garden and Hope Gardens. These are all served by a paved parking lot with three driveway entrances.

The Church Building

The historic wood-frame church was built as a little chapel in 1872 and named “Holy Innocents” to honor the memory of Mary Douglas Robinson, the daughter of Fanny Monroe and Douglas Robinson, who died in infancy. Over the years, the building was moved to its current location, enhanced with stained glass, expanded, and the cemetery was established. For our detailed church history, including clergy leadership, please visit http://www.holyinnocentschurchwo.org.

Graveyard and Memorial Garden

Adjoining the church is a small peaceful cemetery with low grave markers. The Memorial Garden is a stone terrace nestled between the church and cemetery, lined with flowers and plants. A stone wall is inscribed with the names and dates of the interred. Both are available for burial of cremains.

http://www.holyinnocentschurchwo.org/


West Orange, New Jersey

We are located atop a mountain in the Township of West Orange, New Jersey. West Orange is a tree-lined residential suburb twelve miles west of New York City. In the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains, our community of about 46,000 people is ethnically, economically and religiously diverse.

This year, West Orange was voted New Jersey’s “nicest” town by Reader’s Digest. Our town is home to the Thomas Edison Museum, the Eagle Rock Reservation and 9/11 Memorial, the Turtle Back Zoo and South Mountain Recreation Complex, and is the doorway to South Mountain Reservation, a 2,000 acre nature reserve. For more on the town and some of its features, please see:

West Orange Township: http://www.westorange.org South Mountain Recreation Complex https://www.essexcountyparks.org/south-mountain Thomas Edison National Historic Park: https://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm Eagle Rock Reservation: http://www.eaglerockreservation.org/

Diocese of Newark

Holy Innocents is one of 99 churches in the Diocese of Newark, which serves over 26,000 Episcopalians in 206 municipalities in northern New Jersey. This is a dynamic diocese with a passion for diversity and inclusion. This passion called our diocese to be among the first to ordain women and gay clergy. For more about the Diocese of Newark please see https://dioceseofnewark.org/.

Our journey as a diocese is based on the belief that “God is inviting us into a new way of living together in the world – one that is loving, liberating and life-giving for us and for the neighborhoods where God has placed us. God is calling us out of our churches and into the world – to see what God is up to. To listen to what God is up to. And to join God there.” Holy Innocents embraces this outlook. Please see https://dioceseofnewark.org/joining-god.

Welcoming our New Bishop

As the diocese transitions to new leadership, the parishioners of Holy Innocents wholeheartedly welcome the Rev. Carlye J. Hughes as the 11th Bishop of Newark, who will succeed Bishop Mark Beckwith, who has served since 2007. Rev. Hughes will be consecrated the 11th Bishop of Newark on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at NJPAC in Newark, with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry officiating. The diocesan announcement regarding the historic election can be found at: https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/weve-elected-new-bishop-now-what and regarding the Consecration at: https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/consecration-xi-bishop-newark.

https://dioceseofnewark.org/

https://dioceseofnewark.org/joining-god

https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/consecration-xi-bishop-newark


Our Clergy and Lay Leadership

Pastoral Associate: Venerable Christine L. McCloud Parish Administrator: Susan Martignoni Music Director: Gretchen Bilson Chiverton Senior Warden: Patti Neil Junior Warden: Robin Lisa Vestry: Janie Carson, Bob Chiverton, Elizabeth Engleberth, Elaine Loveless, Arlene Morris, and Tarz Palomba Altar Guild: Lucie Walton Buildings & Grounds: Mike Lisa Christian Education: Lisa Johnson Discernment: Tarz Palomba Finance: Janet Hager (leaving 9/9/18) Fundraising: Arlene Morris Outreach: Elaine Loveless Scholarship Fund: Arlene Morris Treasurer: Dave Carson Worship: Elaine Corrao

During our Discernment period, guest clergy have preached in a variety of styles, introducing our congregation to new ways of listening. We recognize and appreciate Archdeacon Christine McCloud, who has graciously and consistently guided us with her presence, teaching, worship and pastoral care. Archdeacon McCloud will be leaving us on September 9, 2018 to take up her new role as Canon for Mission in the Diocese of Maryland.


What We Seek in a Rector Members envision an engaging preacher, who knows and can preach from scripture and relate it to our everyday lives. We value the capacity for our new rector to collaborate with us, with our parish ministries, our community and diocese. We need someone who can work with us to develop and implement a vision for our parish and its mission. We seek and hope for someone who can be with us long-term.

We are an easy-going, loving parish. A kind, approachable personality with a sense of humor and open-mindedness would fit right in. We seek a spiritual person with a social conscience, who can help us engage the larger community, cultivate our desire for outreach and inspire our faith.

Position Description

The Rector position is currently part-time (20 hours). It is also a long-term position, with room to expand (through additional hours or by inviting a deacon or hiring an assistant priest) if our parish grows and flourishes over time under our Rector’s leadership.

Key Responsibilities

− Lead us in Worship, celebrating the Eucharist, special holidays, baptisms, weddings and funerals. Our Sunday Eucharist celebration is held at 10 a.m. (9:30 a.m. during the summer months);

− Preach engagingly in weekly sermons. We want to learn and be inspired by the Word in relation to current events and our daily lives;

− Work with our congregation to develop our vision and mission for the future;

− Provide pastoral care to congregants in need;

− Support and develop our Outreach efforts, an important area of focus for our congregation;

− Join us in fellowship at coffee hour, parish activities, fundraisers, and community events;

− Involve children in worship, church school and parish life;

− Develop and support the Church School and Adult Christian Formation;

− Handle day-to-day church administration, supported by our capable Parish Administrator OR

− Work with the Parish Administrator, Vestry, and Wardens, in handling day-to-day church administration

− Actively participate in the stewardship of our church by leading vestry meetings held monthly; and

− Partner with vestry and finance committee to oversee budget and investments responsibly.


Financial Overview Please see attached Excel documents:

− Church of the Holy Innocents Budget 2017-2018

− Church of the Holy Innocents Budget & Overview FY 2017

− Clergy Compensation Proposal

Church of the Holy Innocents...Church of the Holy Innocents Parish Profile 2018 Page 1 Introduction...

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