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Transcript of Saint John's Cathedral Parish Profile
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PARISH PROFILE 20
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SAINT JOHNS CHURCH
IN THE WILDERNESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
MISSION, VISION,
AND CORE VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
OUR CORE VALUES IN ACTION Welcoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Signs and Portents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A More Welcoming Welcome. . . . . . . . . . 5
Annual Ministry Celebrations. . . . . . . . . 6
Serving
Faith in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Missioner-in-Residence . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Serving Those Who Are Homeless . . . . . 8
Serving Those Who Are Hungry. . . . . . . 8
Serving the City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Celebrating
Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Worship Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Giving
Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Anemic Pledging: A Brief History . . . . . 15
Annual Stewardship Campaign . . . . . . 15 Major Gifts and Planned Giving . . . . . . 15
Time and Talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Nurturing
Fellowship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Formation for Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Formation for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Formation for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Pastoral Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Respecting
Spiritual Inventory of a
Diverse Congregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans,
and Queer (LGBTQ) Inclusion . . . . . . . . . 21
Reconciling
Interfaith Initiatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Reconciling in a Time of Transition . . 24
DENVER AND CAPITOL HILL. . . . . . . . . . . 25
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
IN COLORADO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 About The Rt. Rev. Rob ONeill,
Tenth Bishop of Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Our Hopes for the Tenth Dean . . . . . . . 28
Our Rectors and Deans:
A Short History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Early Women Leaders of Saint Johns. . . 31
SAINT JOHNS CHURCH
IN THE WILDERNESSFinances and Demographics . . . . . . . . . 33
Membership Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Geographic distribution by ZIP code . . . 33
Balance Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Operating Revenues and Expenses. . . 35
Statement of Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
APPENDIXES
Worship Services: A List . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Cathedral Chapter and Staff. . . . . . . . . 36
201617 Vestry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Dean Search Committees, 20152017 . . 37
Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Interview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Hospitality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Dean Search Listening Sessions, 2015. . 37
Bibliography and Useful Links . . . . . . . 38
Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Photos courtesy of Samuel Lucas Gove
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SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1860,
SAINT JOHNS CHURCH IN THE
WILDERNESS HAS REPEATEDLYRISEN TO CHALLENGES AND
EXPANDED MINISTRIES,
FULFILLING ITS MISSION
STATEMENT, TO KNOW CHRIST
AND TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN.
Our tradition of faithfulness andcivic engagement dates to the GildedAge, when the congregation playeda central role in creating a city out ofthe wilderness. In the 19th century thecongregation built its first cathedral,
then it built a great hospital (twice)and helmed movements that wroughtchange for great good. In the 20thcentury the congregation built asecond cathedral, after the first onesuccumbed to arson, then it built aparish hall, a chapel, an educationbuilding, and established nonprofitsand mission churches to meet postwar
demand then surging in the suburbs.Since then, of course, the religious
landscape in the United States hasaltered dramatically. Yet a 21st-centurySaint Johns bustles with the energyfirst shown by its founders. Eachweek the cathedral hosts dozens ofcommunity and parish meetings andevents. More than 30 music concertsare held each year (sjcathedral.org/Concerts). Twenty-six nights a year,volunteers turn the parish hall intoa dormitory for women who arehomeless.
Demographic trends in Metro
Denver would seem to favormembership growth at the cathedral.Our own membership losses sincethe year 2000 track those seennationally across the Mainlinedenominations. Statewide, 64percent of the population considerthemselves Christians; 2 percentidentify as Episcopalians, which is
close to the norm nationally.1Butthe nondenominational, ethnically
diverse churches are drawing thelions share of Millennials. We are aninclusive, beautiful cathedral in thecity. Vital Hispanic neighborhoodsare just a stones throw west, but wehave yet to develop plans for directoutreach to one of the fastest-growingdemographics in The EpiscopalChurch.2Around us the city is awashwith new residents, most of themyoung and religiously unaffiliated.These exceedingly well documentedNones (as in none of the above) are
poised to form households, marry,and raise children downtown.3Can wegrow our membership? With the rightleadership we believe we can.
SAINT JOHNS CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS
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Saint Johns recognizes the needto revitalize. A longtime parishionerhas observed in a recent MustardSeeds post, We have closed in onourselves.5
Hard words. But we hear voicesof encouragement, too. In 2014we instituted formal and facilitatedconversations called the DreamTogether conferences. In 2015,
on the heels of our second annualconference, we held dozens oflistening sessions as part of ourSearch process. People said they sawa congregation filled with potential.We have caught glimpses of thispotential over the past few yearsin new ministries of outreach andof engagement. For example, ourcampus will soon build supportivehousing for more than 50 individualswho have been homeless. Workingwith community partners and the
City of Denver, Saint Johns is poisedto construct a 17-plot learning gardenon its grounds. A missioner-in-residence, hired in 2015, engages usin theological reflection and action.Our leaders, ordained and lay, andour historic connections with the city,point to a future that builds on theoriginal vision for the parish, To knowChrist and to make Christ known.
In this, our season of discernment,the congregation has seen the needto commit to:
basic Christian formation advocating for systemic change increasing our giving forging a shared identity surrendering anxiety for joy
Finally, our bishop has told us thatwe must embrace mission.
There is no mystery in Jesusparable of the fig tree: A man had afig tree planted in his vineyard; and hecame looking for fruit on it and foundnone. So he said to the gardener, Seehere! For three years I have comelooking for fruit on this fig tree, andstill I find none. Cut it down! Whyshould it be wasting the soil? Thegardener replied, Sir, let it alone forone more year, until I dig round it and
put manure on it. If it bears fruit nextyear, well and good; but if not, you cancut it down. Luke 13:69
We seek a new deana gardenerwho can help us tend our cathedralparish, for we want to bear fruit, andfor it to be said of us, well and good.
Death and Rebirth: An Uptown ChurchThe death and likely rebirth of a neighboring church, Saint Pauls UMC,
is instructive. The Rev. Paul Kottke, superintendent for the metro district ofthe Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church, recentlyannounced that Saint Pauls would close in May:
In the 80s and 90s, it was hard to find LGBT-inclusive churches, Kottkeexplained. People would drive from far outside Denver to attend, hesaid. But things changed. The need to drive 20 miles to find an open andaffirming congregation? They dont need that. They can drive 2 miles tofind an open and affirming congregation.
Kottke says the influx of Millennials and Generation-Xers in Uptown (aneighborhood just north of Capitol Hill) creates opportunities for progressivechurches because they value diversity, they value justice, they value integrity,and we need to figure out how to help them make that real in their life. Inpoint of fact, a young pastor at Trinity UMC downtown is said to be moving hisyoung congregation into Saint Pauls in 2017.4
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MISSION
Saint Johns Cathedral iswelcoming and inclusive of all.Our mission is to know Christ andto make Christ known.
VISION
Saint Johns Cathedral seeks to bea vibrant, growing, diverse spiritualcommunity, a house of prayer andworship for all, where seekers arenurtured and transformed by Godslove and led to reach out in serviceto others.
CORE VALUES
Welcomingto open our doorsto all and invite others to join inour Eucharistic community asliving witnesses to the good newsof God in Christ.
Servingto put our faith into
action by ministering to the needsof the sick, the bereaved, the poor,the homeless, and those most inneed in our community.
Celebratingto celebrate ourlove of God joyously in worship,music, and art in the Anglicantradition.
Nurturingto be a communitywhere children, youth, and adultsknow each other by name andare supported through education,fellowship, and pastoral care.
Givingto be faithful stewardsof our Cathedral both now and forgenerations to come through gifts of
our time and treasure.Respectingto honor the dignity of
all persons and embrace diversity asessential to the body of Christ.
Reconcilingto seek commonground with each other and withthose of other faiths and work towarda society of justice where Gods love isreflected in the healing and restoringof relationships.
OUR MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES
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WELCOMING TO INVITE ALL OTHERS TO JOINUS IN OUR EUCHARISTIC
COMMUNITY AS LIVING
WITNESSES TO THE GOOD NEWS
OF GOD IN CHRIST.
We say we are Welcoming andInclusive of All at Saint Johns. It
is a fundamental statement of ouridentity, and we can be a welcoming,inclusive, warm placeonce you findthe doors that open to let you in.
Communicating that welcome tothe stranger (and to the sometimes-bewildered newcomer) has been achallenge. For more than 100 yearsthe cathedral has dominated oneof the great blocks in Capitol Hillneighborhood. We are boundednorth and south by two of the citys
busiest thoroughfares, 13th and 14thAvenues. Commuters daily hurtlepast the church, on 13th Avenueheading westbound, hurtling home inthe evening on eastbound 14th. Thetraffic is just as prolific on Clarksonand Washingtonour north- andsouthbound boundary streets.
OUR CORE VALUES IN ACTION
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SIGNS AND PORTENTSIn 2006 an enterprising sub-dean
had a novel idea: why not erect signssaying we were a church? SaintJohns had in fact been a signlessplace of worship for about a century,lacking even the traditional EpiscopalChurch Welcomes You signs, whichhave extended Episcopal welcome formore than 55 years. The new signswould say, the sub-dean explained,Saint Johns Episcopal Cathedral
and even provide the times of ourservices. He submitted a proposal tothe design and historic-preservationpeople at Saint Johns who act asarbiters of the cathedral aesthetic.Why would we need signs? theyasked, Everyone knows who weare! There was more conversation.But after a year of meetings andincreased amity, everyone agreedthat, yes, signs were a good idea. Adesign was approved, and the signswere installed on our landscape,
visible to all manner of passersby.6
We recently installed signageindoors. Newcomers can now findthe parish hall for coffee or thechapel for prayer. They can locatethe Nursery and a restroom. Fully
integrated members recall their earlywayfinding difficulties at Saint Johns.I feel like a perennial newcomer,
confessed one longtime parishioner,who now serves on the vestry.
A MORE WELCOMING WELCOMEA 2014 spiritual inventory captured
this challenge of welcome at SaintJohns (for discussion, see pp. 21).Upon the recommendation of a lay-leddata-analysis team, the vestry votedto approve a full-time welcome-and-integration coordinator. The positionwas filled in September 2014. Thecoordinators office is off the WelcomeCenter, just as one enters Saint Johnsfrom the parking lot. He is also present
for the Sunday services and onWednesday for Cathedral Nite, greetingand welcoming people. After filling outwelcome cards, visitors receive a phonecall and email within a week. They arethen invited to a monthly gathering.In creating this new staff position,Saint Johns hopes that newcomers,and former parishioners too, will findtheir way eased into community.
We recently installed the Blackbaudcongregational tool,used to track both membership
and financial data.
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ANNUAL MINISTRY CELEBRATIONSToward this goal of improving
welcome and integration, SaintJohns recently instituted annualministry celebrations. These are actsof thanksgiving for those who haveresponded to Gods call to seek andserve Christ in all others. This year, onPentecost Sunday, an all-day eventcelebrated the gift of the Holy Spiritthroughout the day. The cool springweather drove us indoors, to the parishhall. It was a packed and joy-filled day,with live music and great food. Thecelebration was also an invitation todiscern new forms of service.
It is a truism in corporate churcheslike Saint Johns that every memberof the congregation is essential to
the living ministry of the community.We aspire to be one body, of manypartsall of them necessary. Yet busy,well-run churches like Saint Johnscan seem more self-sufficient thanthey are. We could be more ardentin asking parishioners to support thestaff in the work of the churchto stepforward both for their own spiritualgrowth and for the health of thechurchs wider ministry.
Individuals intent on finding theirway to deeper spiritual practice and
growth will be met at Saint Johns bycompassionate and bright clergy, staffmembers and fellow parishioners. Butif Saint Johns is to become a placeof genuine welcome and inclusion,the parish must master new, moreintentional behaviors of outreach,invitation, welcome, and integrationinto community.
E
Welcome & IntegrationEWelcome Center reception
ECathedral tours
EMinistry celebrations
EMosaic Muse concerts
EUshers (youth and adult)
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SERVING
TO PUT OUR FAITH INTO ACTION
BY MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS
OF THE SICK, THE BEREAVED,
THE POOR, THE HOMELESS, AND
THOSE MOST IN NEED IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
FAITH IN ACTIONSaint Johns has seen and
responded to human sufferingoutside its doors from the beginning.The city was enmeshed in a tangle ofrelief problems, writes Allen D. Breck,just as parishioners were building thefirst cathedral.7The so-called climatecure for those with lung ailments,particularly tuberculosis, broughthordes of health-seekers, many ofthem penniless, to Denver. Theydied on sidewalks and in makeshiftboarding houses. The 19th-centurymatriarchs at Saint Johns (see pp. 31)
responded by building, staffing, andmanaging a great hospital, the first incity limits, to meet this urgent humanneed. But there is still suffering justoutside our doors.
Parishioners were asked in the2014 parish survey how Saint Johnsmight respond to need outside its
walls. Homelessness and hunger wereamong their chief concerns. Yet howwould the congregation organizeitself around mission and outreach?It was agreed that the best wayforward would be to identify and hirea missioner-in-residence. This staffposition was approved by vestry in2015 and filled in the fall.
Missioner-in-ResidenceThe job responsibilities for this
new post were built from the groundup, as the missioner developedrelationships within the communityand began to discern the gifts anddesires present. His position took formaround the responsibility to provokeand support theological reflectionwithin the parish, and then to helpdevelop this reflection into practice.
The missioner divides his timebetween the cathedral and theDenver community, spendinghalf his time serving and building
relationships with the cathedralsmission partners, including MetroCaring, Saint Francis Center, andNetwork Cafe (among others).He also works to foster newrelationships and looks to aidthose who arrive at the cathedralin need of immediate and vital
assistance (see sjcathedral.org/Serve/TheMustardSeedsBlog/PostID/604 ).
The other half of the missionerstime is used to support spiritualdiscernment and relationship buildingwithin the cathedral community.The most public example of this isthe Mustard Seeds blog, whichhas garnered a steady readershipsince it was launched in November2015nearly 5,000 pageviews todate. It provides a platform for
diverse voices from or connected tothe Saint Johns community, voicesthat both challenge and supportus as we put our faith into action.
On a more intimate level,the missioner facilitates groupdiscernment. At present, this isfocused on the Imitation Book Club(which took its name from the firsttext it studied, The Imitation of Christ).The book club meets weekly todiscuss the fundamentals of Christianfaith and how they might be put into
practice. In doing so, the group isfostering a community that can serveas a spiritual basis for advocacy andservice. The missioner writes up anddistributes meeting summaries sothat those who are unable to attendcan still benefit from discussions andlearn of opportunities for work.
EFaith in Action at Saint Johns
ECathedral Co-operative of Gardeners
ECathedral Learning Garden
EGrants Committee
EMissioner-in-Residence
EImitation of Christ book group
EMustard Seeds Blog
EDays of Service
EWomens Homeless Initiative
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SERVING THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESSOrganized five years ago by a
canon at Saint Johns, the WomensHomeless Initiative is a coalitionof 16 communities of faith thatprovide overnight shelter for up to25 homeless women, 365 days ayear. As the Monday-night site onalternate months26 nights a yearvolunteers transform the parishhall at Saint Johns into a dormitory.What can I bring? partners alwaysask the organizers, and Can I domore? People prepare supper, keepcompany and then keep vigil, and, inthe morning, provide snack-bags to-go as the women are shuttled back toSt. Francis Center (sfcdenver.org).
Parishioners know about Monday
night WHI at Saint Johns and citeit with pride when speaking of ouroutreach. People outside the parish,and often outside of any formalchurch affiliation, participate init, bringing needed items for thewomen and helping in other ways,like laundry and shopping. Groupsfrom across the city participate. Oneorganization donated funds as partof its own commitment to helpingwomen. One group prepared giftbags at Christmas, and then showed
up to prepare a dinner. A local schoolprepared and served dinner onenight. The grade-school childrenwrote notes of love on Valentines Day.The students had a good time andhave asked to come back.
SERVING THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRYSince it was formed in 2011, the
Cathedral Co-operative of Gardeners(CCG) has grown, gleaned, anddelivered about 10,000 lbs. ofproduce. During the growing season
(JuneOctober) volunteers take freshfood to Metro Caring (metrocaring.org), an agency that assures timely,safe distribution of food and servicesto people who are hungry andseeking to return to self-sufficiency.Each summer the congregationtakes part in Loaves & Fishes, acitywide event that raises awarenessabout local hunger. Last year SaintJohns collected 3,000 pounds of
nonperishable food items.Early in 2016 the Mayors Office of
Economic Development approved thecongregations $30K grant requestto build a 17-plot learning garden oncampus. A collaboration with DenverUrban Gardens (DUG) and MetroCaring, the landscaped area will feature17 raised beds for groups of guestgardeners and interested parishioners.It resembles a traditional communitygarden, except guest gardeners will beearning a job-training credential in whatis in essence their outdoor classroom.
We offer Days of Service formembers wanting to serve on a drop-in basis. By grounding these servicedays in theological reflection (see p.8), parishioners find they are helped in
making sense of their service to others.
SERVING THE CITYIn 1966 Saint Johns formed
the Clarkson Corporation to holda block of land between 14th andColfax Avenues, calling it CathedralSquare North. The congregationthen looked for ways to develop theparcel to further the mission andministry of the cathedral. After fitsand starts over the decades, thevestry commissioned the Clarkson
Community task force in 2010 todevelop a plan. Using a parishionersgenerous gift in 2011, the cathedraldeveloped a memorial park as a quieturban space for contemplation andtransition to worship as membersof the congregation approach thecathedral from the north parking lot.
In 2013 the task force helpedto forge a partnership betweenSaint Johns and Wartburg College(Waverly, Iowa) to locate the WartburgWest program on Cathedral Square
North and in the buildings on thecathedral campus. The young menand women who participate in theprogram serve at Denver nonprofitsand engage with the parish. The taskforce also helped to establish thecathedrals relationship with SewallChild Development Center, whichuses classroom and play space on theSaint Johns campus to provide
Grant recipients, agencies,
parishes, ministries, andorganizations supported by orconnected with Saint Johns
Abrahamic Initiative
Capitol Hill United Ministries(CHUM)
Denver Catholic Worker
Colorado Episcopal Foundation
Colorado Episcopal Service Corps
Foundation Campus Ministry,University of Denver
Diocese of Colorado (EpiscopalChurch in Colorado, or ECC)
Episcopal Relief & Development
Everding Lectureship
Family Promise
General Theological Seminary
Giving Tree
Habitat for Humanity
High Plains Region (ECC)
Inner City Health
Interfaith Alliance
Loaves & Fishes
Metro Caring (an ECC institution)
Network Caf
Our Merciful Savior EpiscopalChurch
Project Angel Heart
Rainbow Alley Drop-in
SafeHouse Denver
St. Francis Center (ECCinstitution)
St. Martins Chamber HomelessChoir
32nd Ave. Jubilee Center (ECCinstitution)
Urban PeakWork Options for Women
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instruction for preschoolers fromDenvers Public Schools (DPS), a thirdof whom have special needs. Sewallhas been a test program. We hope tocontinue to explore ways to leverageour resources and relationships tomeet the changing needs of our city.
When he met with the members
of the Profile Committee on January7, 2016, Bishop Rob ONeill told themthat vital and dynamic parishesare those in which 1 out of every 4members are engaged in hands-onministry to the poor, the marginalized,and the otherwise disadvantaged,isolated, ailing, and alone. Becausethe proportion of Saint Johnsparishioners who serve in thesecapacities is well below 1:4, the bishopcalled the congregation to take upthis work.
The tenth dean of the cathedral willlikewise want to be prepared to equipthe saints for the work of ministry, forbuilding up the body of Christ, untilall of us come to the unity of the faithand of the knowledge of the Son ofGod, to maturity, to the measure ofthe full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:12).
CELEBRATING
TO CELEBRATE OUR LOVE OF
GOD JOYOUSLY IN WORSHIP,
MUSIC, AND ART IN THE
ANGLICAN TRADITION.
WORSHIP
The charism of the early churchwas joy. At Saint Johns we offertraditional, transcendent, joyfulcathedral worship, suitable to ourGothic Revival structure and space.Worship here has been in line boththeologically and liturgically with thevision of the 1979 Prayer Book sinceabout 1982.
Since the 19th century, most ofthe Episcopal clergy in the diocesewere formed at Nashotah HouseTheological Seminary, a school
founded in the 1840s as a centerfor Christian formation in whatwas then the Wisconsin wilderness.Influenced by the Oxford movement,the founders hoped to form layand ordained leaders who wouldpropagate the faith in frontiercommunities.
The Saint Francis Apartmentsat Cathedral Square North:Permanent Supportive Housing
In 2015 the Clarkson taskforce announced that SaintJohns and the St. Francis Centerhad formed a partnership todevelop permanent supportivehousing for those previouslyhomeless. A 52-unit apartmentbuilding will rise on Cathedral
Square North on propertyowned by Saint Johns/ClarksonCommunity. The project wasapproved for funding by theColorado Housing and FinanceAuthority (CHFA) and theColorado Division of Housing.The contracts are signed. Theproject will break ground in June2016 and be completed about15 months later. Residents willbe assigned a case managerwho will help them set goals,
obtain financial benefits, andstay healthy both mentally andphysically. The apartmentswill bring relief to some of ourneighbors and, for Saint Johns,an opportunity for service.
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An early and steady infusion ofNashotah House clergy lent thechurch in Colorado a theologyand liturgical style that leanedtoward ritualism. Not so at SaintJohns. Perhaps because thecongregation saw the cathedral asthe sole cosmopolitan outpost in thediocese, not suitable for Nashotahsfrontier-trained mystics, it resistedthe importunings of the liturgicalmovement. Today the cathedral isboth theologically and liturgically in
line, as we say above, with the visionof the 1979 Prayer Book.
The 7:45 a.m. Sunday service isa quiet Rite I Eucharist with organand usually one hymn. At 9 a.m.a Rite II Eucharist overlaps youngchildrens formation; members ofour youth group (middle and highschoolers) serve as ushers duringthe school year, and children of allages participate in the choirs eachweek. At the Peace, young children,who have just celebrated a Godly Play
service in the Saint Francis Chapel,join the rest of the assembly. Theythen take part in collecting the almsand gather close to the altar forthe Eucharistic prayer.8While thisEucharist is inherently connected tochildrens formation, and childrenexercise particular roles in it, it is not a
childrens liturgy.The Eucharist is celebrated againat 11:15 a.m. according to Rite I.Evensong is celebrated once a monthat 3 p.m. and draws a congregationfrom around the diocese, as well asmembers of other religious traditions.They are attracted as much by theEnglish choral tradition as by thespirituality of the Divine Office (seepp. 36 for a list of worship services).
The later Sunday morning Eucharists(9 and 11:15) enjoy the ministry of a full
choir. Occasionally, especially on majorfeast days, the choir sings a choralmass setting. But for the most part, allthe music, with the exception of theanthems, is congregational. In general,Saint Johns celebrates according tothe principles of progressive solemnityso that in the course of the liturgicalyear, the parish draws upon expressionsfrom the restrained to the exuberant,not only in music but also in ceremony,decoration, and vesture.
On Sunday evening at 6 oclock the
parish celebrates according to AnOrder for the Eucharist. Called TheWilderness, this service holds an echoof the congregations patronal saint,John the Baptist (see pp. 13). Perhapsthe most striking element is theprotracted time of prayer after thesermon. Participants move about the
church from prayer station to prayerstation in what is at once active andcontemplative. Many who regularlyattend The Wilderness identify thistime spent in focused reflectionas the root of their life of prayer.Effervescent, ceremonial, sensual,mysterious, The Wilderness pointstoward something true more broadlyof the cathedralalthough SaintJohns is formed by tradition, it is notbound by traditionalism.
The Eucharist celebrated at 5:30
p.m.; on Wednesday the Eucharistis celebrated twice, at 7:00 in themorning and 5:30 in the evening.Noonday Prayer is offered Mondaythrough Friday. The noon servicereplaces Evening Prayer. The midweekservices are well attended. The early-morning Wednesday liturgy draws afaithful group of regulars who meetto study scripture afterward. In theevening, many of those who takepart in Cathedral Nite events, likethe catechumens, come first to the
Eucharist. The parish leadership, bothordained and lay, has recognizedthat the evening liturgy in particularpresents an opportunity to broadenthe congregations liturgicalexperiencean opportunity not yetfully explored.
A view from the pewsA Sunday service at Saint Johns in the Wilderness is always a little bit
different. There are four services during the season, and each is tailoredto the needs of a different group of parishioners. Having been to all four,the appeals of each are evident. The commonalities of the services are aclearer indication, however, of what binds the parish together. One sensesan intentional balance being maintained, preserving the informal, personaconnections among parishioners and between the parishioners and theclergy. This balance of relationships is supported by the critical formalityof liturgy and its connection, through time, to all ages.
From the rustling sounds of older parishioners being helped to theirfeet by younger members, to the squeaks and squawks of childrenwrestling with their impatience and the kind looks of recognition andunderstanding of those in the pews, the love of God is celebrated,recognized, and felt as the clergy guide our worship.
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WORSHIP SPACESWhen the second cathedral was
built (190611), the plans drawn upby Tracy and Swartwout, a NewYork architectural firm, called fora much larger structure than waseventually built. During construction,the walls collapsed, and the failureof the congregation to prevail in alawsuit against the builders led thecongregation to begin again, butonly the first portion of the plannedchurch was ever built. Even then, thecathedral is 185 feet long. The rooftowers 65 feet above the floor.
The nave is Indiana limestone. Forthe chancel, the builders defaultedto a matching and more economicalbrick after the wall collapse. The
Romanesque style of the chancelallowed the builders to incorporatethe rounded windows salvaged fromthe first cathedralpredecessor ofthe current churchwhich had beendestroyed by arson in 1903. Thenave is a fine example of the GothicRevival style. The two styles and thetwo building materials, limestoneand brick, coexist harmoniously, andmost people notice the disparitiesonly when they are pointed out. Thenave and chancel are separated by a
wrought iron and brass rood screen,which, like the chancel windows, thecarved wooden reredos, and thehigh altar, was salvaged from theformer cathedral after the fire.
The history of those elements, aswell as of the 45 aisle and clerestorywindows, is documented in AnnJoness Glory in the Wilderness (see
Bibliography, p. 38). Most of the glasswas created in England in the studioof Edward Frampton and, in Boston,by the Connick Studio. A smallwindow above the central (liturgical)west door is Tiffany.
In 1927 the congregation addeda detached parish house to holdclergy offices, a meeting hall, thewomens guild room, now the library,and a chapel. The architecture ofthis building reflects the effortsof Elisabeth Spalding, a daughterof Colorados first bishop, andMarion Hendrie, a Colorado artistand philanthropist. Together theypersuaded the diocese to establishthe Commission on ChurchArchitecture and the Allied Arts
to encourage and guide parishesand missions in obtaining the bestpossible design in buildings andfurnishings. Named for Martin ofTours, the chapel is considered oneof the finest buildings producedby the American Arts & Craftsmovement. Designed and executedby Colorado artists, the chapelincludes works by Hendrie, JohnThompson, Josephine Hurlburt, andArnold Rnnebeck, the first directorof the Denver Art Museum.9
Today the chapel is used forthe Noonday Office and the dailyEucharist at 5:30 p.m., and for smallweddings and funerals.
In 1956 a three-story building,intended primarily for education,was built to connect the cathedralto the parish house. It includes achildrens chapel dedicated to Saint
Francis of Assisi. That chapel hassince been altered. The forward-facing pews were removed, and afolding partition, which separatedthe chapel from a sizable narthex,was taken down. The room is, inthe style of the time, spare. Thecinderblock walls are inlaid withVenetian glass mosaics and fittedwith stained-glass windows designedby Mina Conant and Edgar Britton.The Saint Francis Chapel continuesto be used for the childrens Liturgyof the Word during the 9:00 a.m.Sunday Eucharist and for otheroccasional services. It is the onlyliturgical space at Saint Johns that isalmost entirely flexible.
The cathedral grounds encompass
two outdoor liturgical spaces. Tothe left of the north doors is a largeplaza, beneath which are vaultsfor the burial of the ashes of thedead. All Souls Walk is fitted withpaving stones and brass plaquesidentifying the saints whose remainsrest there. Across the street alabyrinth, a replica in brick of theone at Chartres, fills an area calledDominick Park. In view of the crimeon Capitol Hill, this devotional spaceis kept locked most of the weekan
unfortunate, and we hope short-term, solution since it renders thisdevotional space unusable andtherefore cries out for change.We are working with the Wartburgstudents and others to determinehow best to use these spaces in viewof the security challenges commonto an urban parish.
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MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE MADE SAINTJOHNS THEIR CHURCH HOME COME FROMOTHER FAITH TRADITIONS. During ourlistening sessions this past fall, these newerEpiscopalians named beauty as a chief draw,citing our liturgy, music, and architecture.They also invoked the peace they experiencedduring meditation and worship. Parishioners
also approvingly cited the diversity offered atSaint Johns, marveling at different liturgiesand the implied freedom, observing that no onewas telling them what to do.
The Wilderness was singled out (It changedmy life was a refrain during listening sessions),in addition to the acceptance parishionerssaid they experienced in being able to choose
among diverse worship offerings.Like the Episcopal Church more broadly,Saint Johns is home to former RomanCatholics and Mormons, former Presbyteriansand Evangelicals, former no-church and some-church, high church and low. Many of our newermembers are LGBTQ refugees from their less-inclusive church families of origin.
The diocese is large and varied as well, andit is a humbling responsibility to be a placewhere Episcopalians from across the church inColorado can worship in the beauty of holiness.
Our Diversity
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MUSICThe music program at Saint
Johns began in 1872 and consistedof a decent boy choir and anefficient organist. Since then thecongregation has committed itself toexcellence in church music. Today thechoir program is divided into threeyouth choirs who train accordingto a scheme devised by the RoyalSchool of Church Music, with whichthe cathedral has been affiliated fordecades. Saint Johns has a total ofsix choirs designed to overlap acrossgenerations. The choirs sing at
regular Sunday morning services.
The Cathedral Choir sings monthlyEvensong; a guest musician playsa 25-minute prelude. This serviceattracts a number of worshipers fromother parishes. The choirs also sing atannual services, among them AdventLessons & Carols, Christmas Lessons& Carols, and five Christmas Evemasses.
Saint Johns is home to one of thefinest and largest pipe organs in thewestern United States. Built by theKimball Company of Chicago, the
organ was given to the cathedralin 1938 by Mrs. Lawrence C. Phippsin honor of her father Platt Rogers,Denvers mayor from 1891 to 1893.
Mrs. Phipps asked in return thatall of the cathedrals organ recitalsbe free to the public. The cathedralhas faithfully honored this request,a gift to the city. After a 30-monthrestoration, the Phipps organ wasrededicated in 2011. With 96 ranks,
the organ comprises nearly 6,000individual pipes, some the size ofdrinking straws and others that are 32feet high. It plays 61 harp notes and 25chimesall powered by a 25-hp motor.To complete the original design of theKimball, an antiphonal organ will beinstalled this year, a gift to Saint Johnsfrom parishioners.
Concerts and recitals are heldthroughout the year and feature local,regional, national, and internationalperformers. These events havebrought innumerable choirs, includingthose from Canterbury, Gloucester,
and Westminster Abbey. Chamberchoirs sing here, among them theTallis Scholars and Anonymous4. Important organists performhereMarilyn Keiser and Ral PrietoRamirez, to name but two. Manyconcerts are free. The public iswelcomed by staff members, clergy,and the many music-programvolunteers.
In listening sessions and informalconversation with parishioners,members of the Profile Committee
have heard people say they areinterested in hearing an expandedrepertoire of church music.
EChoir SchoolSaint David,Saint Cecilia, Probationers
EChoir School Parents Association
Cathedral Choir
EParish Choir
EOrgan task force
ESaint Cecilia Music Guild
Music of The WildernessOur Sunday evening community,
The Wilderness, is supported byprofessional musicians who providea distinctive worldbeat sound. Themusic changes seasonally, drawinginspiration from the 1982 Hymnal,and also from root, folk, andpop standards and everything inbetween. Songs are rearranged andset with the meditative and mysticalWilderness service in mind. A leadvocalist helps the congregation withthe melodies, while instrumentationranges from piano and keyboard, to
percussion of all sorts, upright andelectric bass, electric guitar, zither,and other specialty instruments.Recent seasons have featuredmusic from the film soundtrackto Interstellar, modern Syrianrhythms with spoken word,ancient Chinese instruments, Celticmelodies, Simon and Garfunkeltunes, and more. The musictransitions smoothly betweenthe liturgical seasons under theattention of our lead musicians
and liturgist. After more than tenyears, the music of The Wildernesscontinues to draw people toworship on Sunday nights.
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GIVING
TO BE FAITHFUL STEWARDS
OF OUR CATHEDRAL BOTH NOW
AND FOR GENERATIONS TO
COME THROUGH GIFTS OF OUR
TIME AND TREASURE.
TREASURESaint Johns in the Wilderness
enjoys significant assets in both itsphysical structure and its financialendowment. The congregation mustnevertheless address the physicalmaintenance needs of an aginghistoric-landmark structure and thereality of an aging congregation,both crucial steps if the cathedral isto survive beyond the 21st century.The congregation therefore hassome internal work to do, foremost
in addressing its perplexingly below-average annual pledging. We will needthe next dean to be a confident andaccomplished fundraiser.
Owing to the extraordinarygenerosity of some benefactors, SaintJohns has an endowment of about$25 million. While the endowmentcontributes to the financial security of
the parish, we believe the existence ofthe endowment wrongly conveys themessage that Saint Johns primaryneeds are covered and that pledgeand plate merely augment ouroperational costs. Nothing could befurther from the truth.
In 2013, responding to the
congregations request for morecare and support, the churchleadership made a decision to investin human capital. The vestry decidedto increase the number of full-timeclergy to five. It also filled the then-empty positions of canon steward,himself a priest, and director offinance and administration. (N.B.: Asthis Profile goes to press, our curate,whose term of service was threeyears, is departing, and our directorof finance and administration
has taken a position elsewhere).The goal in 2013 was to revive thecongregation and then to challengeit. The goal in 2016 remains thesame: to revive and challenge thecongregation. This investment isbeginning to show returns, if noton our bottom line yet, then in ourcongregational life.
The Big Bang of 2013In listening sessions in
2015, we began hearing anew phrase, the Big Bang,bubbling to the surface ofconversation. I remember
the flow of energy, onelongtime parishioner recallsNow in her 90s, she isteacher of centering prayer.It was as if the wind of theHoly Spirit blew into thechurch, gracing us. Therehad been something of aslow and stagnant sense,she added, for sometime. Then these dynamic,diverse, talented men andwomen suddenly appeared,
and it seemed to me wecame alive again.
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ANEMIC PLEDGING: A BRIEF HISTORYIn 2015 the average pledge to Saint
Johns increased by $700 to $2,500from 526 pledging units. Seventy-twoof those 526 pledging units were new.To be clear, this level of pledging at$2,500 represents a breakthrough.The congregation has historicallygiven, on average, only about $1,800per year. Among Episcopaliansnationally and in Colorado, the averageis closer to $2,800 annually. Ouranemic giving was the subject of atleast two powerful sermons in the fall.
While national averages tell usthat most churches have as manyattending families as pledging families,Saint Johns has a much higher-than-average number of pledging units. We
are still analyzing this unusual patternand weighing possible responses. Atthe same time, targeted giving hasgrown. Parishioners recently gavegifts that have paid for state-of-the-artaudio and teaching technologies, inboth the nave and the parish hall. Giftsand grants for mission and outreachhave made significant impacts onwhat we can do to serve the poor inthe city, to improve the facilities, and toexpand our music and liturgy.
Gifts and grants have not been able
to bridge the gap in funding, however,and steep rises in health insuranceand other staff expenses consumed alarger portion of the budget than wehad planned for. Meanwhile, we knowwe want to increase the budget foroutreach and servicethat fig tree,and the gardener, mentioned in the
introduction. As a general matter,the cathedral has not made a capitalreserve fund a priority. The 2016budget includes such a fund, whichwe hope to maintain going forward.Possible grant monies from theColorado State Historical Fund wouldcover the costs of some of the near-term repairs. But the congregationmust pledge more to cover the
balance so Saint Johns can pay itsoperating expenses and augment areserve fund. (See pp. 33 for a fullerdiscussion of our finances.)
Four new stewardship groups have
been formed since the arrival of ournew canon steward in 2013.
Planned Giving, which securesbequests and planned gifts.
Invitation team members, whoface out to the city to promotecongregational growth.
The Art of Hosting group, whichtrains members in facilitation anddiscernment.
Major Gifts, which matchespotential givers with missions andministries.
The 2015 stewardship campaignhad to maintain existing giving duringa search for a new dean, a time oftransition when giving generally dips.
And while Saint Johns saw pledgesdip, new pledging units filled the gap;more than $1.3 million was raisedin 2015 from a total of 526 donorfamilies and individuals. In doing so,Saint Johns was able to maintain onelarge gift while increasing the averagepledge to nearly $2,500up from the2012 average of $1,800. Our leaders,lay and ordained, also asked for, andreceived, six major gifts in 2015. Thesegifts have allowed Saint Johns toinstall a new sound system for the
nave and new technology for teachingin the parish hall. Gifts to support thenew antiphonal organ will make SaintJohns a preeminent host for eventsin Denver. More than 200 membershave included Saint Johns in theirwills. The intent is to encourage moreparishioners to give in this way.
GivingStewardshipand Governance
Building & GroundsStanding Committee
Art & ArchitectureArchivesLibrary
Artisans GroupGreen InitiativesLandscape & Gardens
Cathedral BeesSafety
Vestry and Its Committees
ExecutiveFinanceInvestmentPersonnelStewardship
Art of HostingInvitationLegacy Society
Major Gifts
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Cathedral Work DaysWhat does it mean, really,
to take care of something?To loved ones, we give care.No mysteries in the whysand wherefores of that. Butwhen 50 or 60 people gatherto take care of a buildingso immense in their lives,interesting things happen.Saint Johns in the past yearhas instituted Cathedral WorkDays to help the ArtisansGroup with its ministry ofrepair and upkeep. They havebeen a huge hit.
What is so striking at firstglance is the level of effortevery participant puts forth.
The amount of expendedelbow grease is amazing.But then other telltalesigns indicate this is a goodday: halting introductionsand forging of friendships;occasional outbursts ofcheer and laughter; amiableconversations over lunch;sharing of personal stories.
Cathedral Work Days atSaint Johns offer solutionsthat parishioners know they
themselves have the power toprovide. In a large, old facilitythat daily taxes both staff andbudget, an army of membersgiving one days work reducesthose burdens while alsobuilding bridges betweenclergy, staff, and members. Inthe three Work Days held overthe past year, volunteers haveperformed well over $35,000worth of cleaning, painting,repairs, and odd jobs. Whats
more, by performing simpletasks together in fellowship,those members have investedmore deeply in Saint Johnsthan their checkbooks aloneever could. They understandhow the care they put intotheir church is the care theyalso get back.
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TIME AND TALENTThe work of the church at Saint
Johns requires more than generousannual pledging. Also essential arethe ministries of welcome, hospitality,and compassion (see PastoralCare, p. 20) that help to make thechurch One Body. Maintaining ahistoric-landmark structure, likewise,requires well-populated ministriesof preservation, upkeep, and beauty.These are challenges at Saint Johns.A few do most of the hard work
of maintenance, and they admitto needing time for refreshment.Most parishioners freely offer theiradministrative and governanceskills. But we need artisans andtradespeople too.
There is percolating the idea thatleaders, both lay and ordained, couldset an expectation that everyoneneeds to lend a hand instead ofassuming it will be taken care of bysomeone else. So the new dean maywant to lead by example, getting their
hands as dirty on Cathedral WorkDay as everyone else. Pitching in, likefamily, no matter ones ability, is anethic most homeowners understandwhen faced with the need to keeptheir house in order. Given the rightleadership at Saint Johns, we couldchange assumptions about how bestto care for our buildings and grounds.
The pro bono work of the manywhite-collar professionals at SaintJohns is also a vital ministry.
Pro Bono Time and TalentSaint Johns did not simply coin a
motto, welcoming and inclusive of
all, and let it go. The congregationhas been called to create and securethat welcome, sometimes underharrowing circumstances.
Saint Johns was the target, forover a decade, of organized, graphicprotesting on Palm Sunday andEaster. A local group of anti-abortionand anti-gay protesters gathered atthe cathedral at least twice a year toexpress their views. They preferredprotesting during Palm Sunday andEaster services because they knew
they would benefit from exceptionalattendance numbers and a captiveoutdoor audience, including manyyoung children holding Easter baskets.
The protesters gathered along thesidewalk, on the street, and on top oftheir cars, holding aloft 4x6 postersthat portrayed images too horribleto describe here. It was unrelenting.Inside the cathedral walls, theprotesters shouts drowned out theservice.
In the spring of 2004 a group of
attorneys in the congregation resolvedthat Saint Johns had endured enough.On behalf of the cathedral and itsparishioners, and with the bishopssupport, they sought an emergencytemporary restraining order againstthe group.
After months of argument andfilings with the Court, culminating ina weeklong trial, the Court granted
Saint Johns a preliminary injunctionthat restricted protesters ability tointerfere with religious services at
Saint Johns. The Court ultimatelymade the preliminary injunctionpermanent. On two separateoccasions, the protesters appealedthe decision to the Colorado Courtof Appeals, the Colorado SupremeCourt, and the Supreme Court ofthe United States. At each stage, thecourts affirmed the injunction. Duringthe summer of 2013, the SupremeCourt of the United States declinedto hear the protesters final attemptat appeal. The permanent injunction
that allows all the parishionersof Saint Johns to freely worshipremains intact today.
Throughout the nearly ten-yearprocess, a number of attorneys gavefreely of their time and talent. Thematter was tried and defended, on apro bono basis, through all appealsby dedicated parishioners and friendsof Saint Johns working at some ofDenvers most prominent law firms.
This litigation was a substantialrisk for the cathedral. The case, in
all its twists and turns, could havebeen decided differently. The courtscould have simply added fuel to theprotesters angry fire. But one thingdrove Saint Johns to march onall ofthose attending Saint Johns shouldbe able to freely worship, regardlessof their age, or gender, or sexualorientation. That care for the entirecongregation ultimately won the day.
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NURTURING
TO BE A COMMUNITY WHERE
CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND ADULTS
KNOW EACH OTHER BY NAME
AND ARE SUPPORTED THROUGH
EDUCATION, FELLOWSHIP, AND
PASTORAL CARE.
LISTENING SESSIONS
RESONATED WITH APPEALS
FROM PARISHIONERS FOR MORE
CHRISTIAN FORMATION, THE
GREATER NURTURE OF OUR
YOUTH, AND PASTORAL CARE
FOR OUR ELDERLY. BUT STAFF
CHANGES AND BUDGET CUTS
HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF
STAFF WORKING WITH YOUTH.
THE HOPE IS THAT A NEW RECTORWILL BRING ENERGY TO AND
PASSION FOR YOUTH MINISTRY,
DEMONSTRATING THAT SAINT
JOHNS IS A WELCOMING HOME
WHERE FAITHFUL FAMILIES CAN
GROW TOGETHER AND WHERE,
TOO, LATER IN LIFE OUR ELDERS
WILL HAVE CONNECTION AND
NURTURE THROUGH FAITHFUL
COMPANIONING, COMMUNION,
AND PASTORAL VISITS.
FELLOWSHIPThe fellowship extended at Saint
Johns, especially in smaller groups, isevident on Sundays, as parishionersand friends infuse coffee hour andother community events with thenurture of friendship. But fellowshipis evident throughout the week,not least every Wednesday, whenparishioners gather for CathedralNite. Parishioners arrive at 5 p.m. orso in the parish hall and congregatein twos and threes, with coffee, whilevolunteers set up tables. A 5:30 p.m.Eucharist in Saint Martins Chapelprecedes the blessing and supper,when tables fill with parishioners.
The parish survey found that thisministry of nurturing, one of our core
values, could be strengthened. Thewelcome and integration coordinatororganizes social events by ministryinterest and demographic. But justas Jesus disciples struggled with thedefinition of neighbor, we too needmore discernment around whom wewelcome and how we welcome them.(See pp. 21 for a fuller discussion ofthe 2014 parish survey.)
Cathedral Nite and theKitchen Crew
On most Wednesdaysduring the program yeara fellowship of cooks andkitchen helpers convenesin the Saint Johns kitchen.Their mission? Prepare a
Cathedral Nite supper for asmany as 150 souls attendingformation classes thatnight. This midweek kitchenministry is an entry point fora number of newcomers.
The group is organized bythe lead cooks, who plan,shop, and coordinate theirfood-prep and cooking teamsLead cooks mostly learn onthe job. The Nursery is open,so young parents are able
to join us. People bring theirjoys. Sorrows are shared.Food is on the buffet tableby 6:15 p.m., and everyone,including the children, sitsdown to eat together. Thenits time forclasses and,finally, cleanup.
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FormationAll-parish, womens, and
youth retreatsCatechumenateCathedral CampCathedral Nite formation
classes
Deans ForumEducation for Ministry (EfM)Godly PlayNurserySunday School, children and
youthFellowshipCathedral Kitchen Crew
Cathedral Nite14th & Clarkson
(intergenerational)Saint Marthas GuildSOAR (Seniors on a Rampage)20s & 30sWilderness Community
Health & Wellness ministriesBlood-pressure screening/
Parish NurseLiving Compass coursesRecovery groupsSaint Lukes Health/Wellness
FairPastoral Care
Blessings for newborns andfamilies
Cathedral BakersClergy home communion
visitsGrief groupsLay Eucharistic Visitors
Nursing-home massesPastoral counseling24-hour emergency pastoral
on-call priest
FORMATION FOR ADULTSIn addition to offering
an adult formation houron Sunday mornings (theDeans Forum, which hasbeen thronged this year),clergy and lay leaders alsooffer Education for Ministry(EfM), book clubs, parishretreats, and instruction onscripture, prayer, and theChristian life throughout theyear, usually at our midweekCathedral Nite. The recentresurgence of interest inteaching was foreshadowedin the 201415 program year,when we together readand studied The Story
during the week to discusson Sunday at the DeansForum. Our parish hall was packed every Sunday and tableshummed with conversation and excitement.
Saint Johns also has a well-loved library stocked withmore than 4,500 books. It is open weekdays and Sundaymorning and has a number of works on church history,prayer, spiritual life, the Bible, other religions, and art andarchitecture. It is a quiet place to study and meditate as well.
We have recently offered a series of three- to six-weekclasses, with two or three class options. We also offer aCatechumenate program for adults preparing for Baptism,Confirmation, or Reception that runs September to May.
Combined attendance for the Sunday and Wednesdayprograms is between 250 to 300 adults.
A number of fellowship groups offer church-basedactivities by demographic (see them in the text box,
below). These include anannual all-parish retreat atCathedral Ridge, the campand conference center ofThe Episcopal Church inColorado. See cathedralridge.org
FORMATION FOR CHILDRENYounger children,
preschoolers, and kids(K3d grade) are taughtin small sections throughGodly Play, a curriculumthat reveals God invitingus into, and pursuing us inthe midst of, scripture andspiritual experience. GodlyPlay sessions are offered
on Sunday mornings andWednesday afternoons.This is an important subcommunity at Saint Johns.
SOWhAT (Stories, Outreach, Wonder, Arts, & Theology)is a program for fourth- and fifth-graders that wasdeveloped at Saint Johns. It builds on the Godly Playstories, helping children to respond artistically andunderstand themselves as part of the parish community.The children engage in service and create legacy projects.
Concurrent with the Liturgy of the Word during the 9a.m. Sunday Eucharist, children ages three through grade3 may attend Childrens Chapel, which offers a lesson andan age-appropriate homily, a modified Creed, and Prayers
of the Children. Many children stay with their parents forthe adult service. The others rejoin their parents in thecathedral shortly after the Peace to take part in worshipwith the rest of the community.
SOWhAT Mural
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FORMATION FOR YOUTHOn Sunday mornings, middle-
school youth transition to discussion-and activity-based learning aboutGod, with an emphasis on communaland personal rules of life. High-schoolyouth engage in separate discussions
that address questions of faith, theBible, and Episcopal identity andprepare them to leave home forcollege. Our bishop confirms youthaged 15 years and older. In recentyears we have merged preparationfor Confirmation with our regularSunday formation.
One of our strongest programs forchildren and youth is Cathedral Camp,offered every summer for a weekat Cathedral Ridge, the camp andconference center of The Episcopal
Church in Colorado. Cathedral Camphosts up to 65 children, in additionto the approximately 20 youth whoserve as junior and senior counselors.Cathedral Camp has been calleda magical week when reality issuspended and some of the bestconversations of our lives take place.Many of our teens stay engaged atSaint Johns because of CathedralCamp. This is a week that builds
community and involves children indaily prayer.
Recent listening sessions withmembers of the youth grouprevealed their desire that churchbe a safe place for young peopleto talk about the hard stuff of life.
They want clergy who are there forthem no matter what. And theywant recurring service opportunities.In the past few years Saint Johnshas responded by offering moremission trips and participating morein diocesan mission and retreatactivities. The youth describe theseas valuable experiences, and they
have expressed a desire for increasedfunding and staffing for mission trips,pilgrimages, diocesan retreats, andyouth programming.
Pastoral CareWe are called as Christians to visit
with our neighbors and memberswho are ill, convalescing, or elderly.We have 17 Lay Eucharistic Visitors(LEVs) who take up some of this workAfter reviving a moribund program in2010, a lay leader administers it still,with clergy oversight. We are able tobring communion once a month toour parishioners in need.
Children and Youth FormationThrough Singing and Music Education
The formation of children andyouth lies at the heart of the choirschool at Saint Johns. They areformed as Christians throughsinging and education. They readscripture and theological texts.They learn to deal with failures andsuccess. They learn to strive forexcellence, together.
An adaptation of the RSCMtraining scheme teaches youngsingers to use their voices andgradually master music theory.Through their increasing mastery ofskills and knowledge, the childrengrow in confidence and the esteem
of their fellow singers. They arevalued as contributing members ofthe community.
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RESPECTING
TO HONOR THE DIGNITY OF
ALL PERSONS AND EMBRACE
DIVERSITY AS ESSENTIAL TO
THE BODY OF CHRIST.
SPIRITUAL INVENTORY OF A DIVERSE
CONGREGATION
In the fall of 2013, Saint Johnsbegan to discuss the need to committhe congregation to an exploration ofits spiritual practices. Leaders foundRenewalWorks, a planning tool thatprovided a process for:
Assessing the spiritual vitalityof a congregation;
Training a task force ofcongregational leaders tointerpret the results;
Examining the life of the congregationin light of the survey results todetermine how better to meetcongregants spiritual needs; and
Challenging the congregation tosupport its spiritual health throughpractices such as regular worship,study of scripture, personal prayer,and service to people in need.
The inventory went live two yearsago and garnered a response rate ofmore than half the congregation51percent, or 350 members. Largecongregations generally haveresponse rates of 20 percent.During the weeks-long process, thecongregation hummed with energy,some of it critical, as respondentsobserved that the survey language
was suited more for an evangelicalmegachurch. With the excellentresponse rate, however, lay leaderspersisted in forming a strongcommunity. They shared their faithstories and trained together toanalyze the data coming in.
What We Mean When We Say DiversitySaint Johns is a church like no other. It is a church
like any other. It attracts different people seekingdifferent things. In our Sunday bulletin, we say we are aCommunity of Communities.
This range of people and interests is a kind ofdiversity. Does it make us stronger? We dont know.Does it make us more interesting? Certainly. Someof us participate in a number of church-based socialactivities on top of our regular attendance. Otherscome only on Sunday, attend their service, and leave
immediately afterwards. Still others pursue their faithmore deeply through study, prayer, or service, andsometimes all three. Some experience their faiththrough our choral music. Others come for the cloudsof incense and rising chantexperiencing with theirsenses the beauty of the divine presence. Others seesmoke and head for the door, coughing and mutteringinto their handkerchiefs.
We wrangle about liturgical issues, and we come froma number of different placesspiritually, income levels,and neighborhoods. Some of us live on Capitol Hill and
walk to church, while others drive in from their suburbanhomes. We have parishioners whose great-greatgrandparents worshiped at the first cathedral. The presentwriter is one of those parishioners. Others are new tothe Christian faith and to church and were baptized lastEaster. Some folks speak up boldly and expect to be heard.They sit on the vestry and hold powerful committee posts.Some sit in the back pews, say little, and expect not to beheard when they do speak.
We all want to worship, though, in this beautifulcathedral in its scruffy neighborhood among an
interesting congregation.For as in one body we have many members, and
not all the members have the same function, so we,who are many, are one body in Christ, and individuallywe are members one of another. We have gifts thatdiffer according to the grace given to us: prophecy, inproportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher,in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, ingenerosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, incheerfulness. Romans 12:48
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Saint Johns has a spiritually youngcongregation, according to theinventorys continuum for spiritualdevelopment. Nearly 20 percent ofthe cathedrals members said theywere exploring a life with God, whilenearly 60 percent responded thatthey were growing that life. Nineteenpercent of the respondents saidthey were deepening their life withGod, while only 4 percent of thecongregation replied that God was atthe center of their lives. In short, 77percent of the respondents said theywere in the earliest stages of theirfaith journeysexploring or growingtheir lives with God.
It may be important to note, inthis context, that it was not clear to
the congregation how these termswere developed and statisticallynormed for this particular inventoryof our spiritual practices. In otherwords, our data may not mean quitethe same thing as in an evangelicalcongregation. For example, exploringmay not be associated with quite thesame spiritual profile when appliedto Episcopalians, where challengingauthority and being encouraged toquestion are seen as spiritual andpersonal strengths. Maybe were not
young Christians at all. Perhaps wesee exploring as a sign of spiritualmaturity.
In any event, the inventorydetermined scores across a dozenbeliefs and attitudes on faith. In 9 ofthe 12 categories, the percentage ofthose at Saint Johns who stronglyagreed with the listed beliefs andattitudes was below the norm forThe Episcopal Church. For example,according to the matrix, strongagreement with the phrase, I
am willing to risk everything thatis important in my life for JesusChrist, is considered the bestindicator of spiritual health. Only 10percent of Saint Johns respondentsexpressed strong agreement with thisstatement.
The 80 Percent Challenge:
Basic Christian Formation
We have said this elsewhere, but there is emphasis in
repetition: Our new dean will need to be an accomplishedteacher of basic Christianity. We need help, too, in
developing a culture of listening, encounter, and dialogue
as a way of being better and more loving Christians.
This was clear from the listening sessions during
the fall of 2015, which revealed a church terrain with
significant obstacles to conversation, only some of the
difficulties rooted in the size of the congregation. A rea
obstacle to conversation is the lack of basic knowledge
of our Christian faith. When nearly 80 percent of
respondents in a parish survey say they are in the
earliest stages of their faith, then we have a significant
teaching and formation challenge.10
The good news is that the congregation has
demonstrated a hunger for learning, as evidenced by
its recent and doting attendance at the Sunday adultformation hour (the Deans Forum), where our interim
dean has this past year taught basic Christian doctrine
(for example, on baptism and the Eucharist) and
Anglican history and liturgy.
We hope, in fact, that this season of discernment
and transition will continue under our new dean with
a continued and sustained period
of teaching and learning, andhelp to inaugurate a new culture
at the cathedral enjoining the
congregation to a new culture
of encounter, dialogue, and
transformation.
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Respondents expresseddissatisfaction with the followingareas at Saint Johns:
Helping me feel like I belong. Helping me in my time of emotional
need. Church leaders modeling and
reinforcing how I can growspiritually.
Prioritizing my spiritual growth overmy church membership.
Church leaders being authenticabout their own struggles.
The respondents expressedsatisfaction with the following
statements about Saint Johns:
Encouraging me to be respectfuland welcoming to people of otherfaith traditions.
Engaging me in the sacraments inways that help me grow spiritually.
Providing liturgy that encouragesencounter with God in worship.
Providing liturgy and music thatfeeds my spirit.
Providing worship that is
challenging and thought-provoking.In their self-assessments, members
talked about wanting to rootthemselves in a relationship withJesus Christ and with one another tostudy scripture and to cultivate skillsto help them think more theologicallythrough both action and reflection.
The following programmatic shiftswere undertaken to support thecongregations spiritual growth:
Large-group study Outreach (Faith in Action) Personal spiritual practices Small-group study
In addition, the All-Parish Weekend,held at Cathedral Ridge every August,now focuses on one spiritual theme.In 2014 retreat-goers focused onprayer; forgiveness was the themein 2015. The arrival of the heritageedition of The Saint Johns Biblein 2014 gave the parish a yearlongopportunity to encounter theBible in imaginative ways. Therewere workshops on manuscriptillumination. Seeing the Word
visio divina studies were held onCathedral Nite (Wednesday) and
after the Sunday night Wildernessworship service. Saint Johns alsoreencountered scripture in aparishwide study of The Story at theDeans Forum, an undertaking thatroutinely packed the parish hall. Finally,responding to the expressed need forgreater engagement in outreach, theparish added a missioner-in-residenceto develop the Faith-in-Action ministryof service and Christian formation.
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS, AND
QUEER (LGBTQ) INCLUSION
Saint Johns affirms and welcomeslaity and clergy who identify asLGBTQ, embracing their full inclusionas members of Christs Body andsharers in Christs eternal priesthood.
The road to full inclusion at SaintJohns has a more than 30-yearhistory, dating to the late 1970s withthe acceptance of openly gay andlesbian individuals as members, andto some degree as couples. During
the 1990s, the then-dean encouragedLGBTQ members and friends to helpraise awareness of their presence andministry in the church. The ensuing,facilitated dialogue spurred on theprocess toward full inclusion. Therewere setbacks and recalibrationfollowing the consecration of Bishop
Gene Robinson, when Saint Johnsleadership assumed a more cautiousapproach to building a base forfull inclusion. Since the turn of the21st century, however, Saint Johnshas consolidated its policies of full
inclusion. LGBTQ individuals areactive in a variety of Saint Johnsministries. They serve in leadershippositions as clergy, committee chairs,and members of the vestry, and theyare now married in the cathedral inaccordance with the laws of the Stateof Colorado.
The congregation couldnevertheless benefit from greaterawareness around its majority-cultureassumptions about people who aremore fluid in expressing their genderor cultural identities.
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RECONCILING
TO SEEK COMMON GROUND
WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH
THOSE OF OTHER FAITHS AND
WORK TOWARD A SOCIETY OF
JUSTICE WHERE GODS LOVE IS
REFLECTED IN THE HEALING AND
RESTORING OF RELATIONSHIPS.
INTERFAITH INITIATIVESThe mission of The Abrahamic
Initiative (AI) is to foster mutualunderstanding and appreciationamong Abrahamic faith traditionsthrough education, dialogue, andaction. It was founded in the spring of2001 by parishioners who noted theisolation of Denvers growing Muslim
community, while the cathedralsonce-strong friendship with theJewish communities had frayed.After 9/11 the program was thereforepositioned to convene adherents andreligious leaders from the three faithtraditions for dialogue, advocacy, andgood works.
AI became a resource not onlyto Denver but also to statewideorganizations, then nationallyand internationally as religiouscommunities, nonprofits, and
government leaders began to askAI leaders for help in developingprograms in their own communities.
With time it was agreed that aninterreligious steering committee,rather than cathedral staff andparishioners, should assume AIsleadership. The program flourished,and the steering committeeappointed an imam to serve asits first director. Major Denver
foundations funded the work of AI,which also attracted new parishionersbecause of our leadership in thisarea. In view of the sometimes-hateful rhetoric surrounding religiousidentity and recent immigrants,Saint Johns is investigating waysto reconnect parishioners with thework of the Abrahamic Initiative. Seeabrahamicinitiative.orgto learn more.
ADVOCACYReconciliation involves doing what
is just and what is right, says ourPresiding Bishop Michael Curry, andreordering the way we live togetherso that none has need. . . .
A group of parishioners has beenmeeting to see how Saint Johns might
make reconciliation, advocating whatis just and right, a part of the parishsfaith practice. The groups discernmentinvolves study, prayer, and communityconversations, led in part by themissioner-in-residence. The grouphas marched as a parish in Coloradosannual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade,which in Denver is called The Marade,attended advocacy-group meetings,and taken part in interfaith actions.Saint Johns could accomplish manythings through a more active ministry
of advocacy, including the deepening ofour faith; renewing our sense of urgencyabout the need for justice, engagement,and hope; addressing systemic problemsin Colorado; empowering lay leaders;and partnering with other parishes,churches, and interfaith groups. Finally,we could develop a greater awarenessof our social location as a people of, forthe most part, privilege.
RECONCILING IN A TIME OF TRANSITIONOur catechism states that the
mission of the Church is to restoreall people to unity with God and eachother in Christ (BCP, 855). Our interimdean, The Very Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy,has exemplified the call to restorethe community to unity with God,accomplishing this through pastoralpresence, thoughtful conversation,and teaching focused on thefundamentals of the faith. We have noalways had the opportunity, at SaintJohns, to engage in community-wideconversations regarding our commonlife and our spiritual lives. Imaginelifting the lid off a steaming pot ofwater and watching the escaping,rising energy. You have imagined Saint
Johns over the past year. During thattime we have move toward each otherwith more compassion. Our interimdean has focused us on the basics ofour faith: baptism, liturgical practice,and the theology of the Eucharist.With teaching and through facilitatedconversations, the congregationhas practiced being in conversation,practiced respectful disagreement,and asked questions arising fromgenuine curiosity. By revisiting thefundamentals of our Christian
faith in the Episcopal tradition, thecongregation is coming to master acommon lexicon. With this sharedlanguage, working with our nextdean, we believe we might continueto recognize Christ in one another,joyfully, in spite of, and through, ourdifferences.
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CALLED THE MILE-HIGH CITY
AND QUEEN CITY OF THE
PLAINS, DENVER, TO THE
PEOPLE OF SAINT JOHNS
CATHEDRAL, IS SIMPLY HOME.
AND IT IS BOOMING.11
At first a forlorn supply town tothe gold camps in the mountains, a
days ride west, Denver has grown tobe more than a frontier depot, morethan a state capital, and more than aplace to spend the night before thefamily camping trip in the mountains.Denver is the regions supply town forarts and entertainment, the hub forgovernment, commerce, bio-tech, oiland gas, education, and, of course,urban-ag innovation rooted in a legal,billion-dollar cannabis industry fillingthe citys tax coffers.
Denvers sunny economy has been
brightening U.S. business news for thepast few years:
Colorado hit bottom in the mid-80s when energy prices collapsed.Nearly a third of the office space indowntown Denver, the states oil-and-gas headquarters, sat empty. Many ofthe citys cultural institutions teetered,and a cloud of brown smog smearedthe horizon. Now the brilliant blue
skyline is punctuated with red cranes,and Denvers soundtrack includes thesteady thrum of power drills operatedby hard-hatted construction workerswho are putting up office buildingsand housing at a feverish pace. . . .What Denver and its surroundingcities share with other boomtownsis an appealing environment for
a skilled workforce, which hasincreasingly meant the differencebetween prosperity and stagnation.12
Integral to Denvers history andidentity, Saint Johns is many thingsto the city: cool Gothic structure,neighborhood chapel, host for statefunerals. Dogs chase balls on theshaded lawns, people sit quietly,remembering the departed interredat All Souls Walk. Others hurry intotheir recovery groups, retrieve theirCSA shares (Community-Supported
Agriculture), attend $5 yoga classes,go to free concerts, run into friends,and make new ones. Despite cityordinances that ban camping onsidewalks and private property, andour own cathedral security protocols,the Saint Johns lawns are also hometo impromptu encampments ofpeople who are homeless.
DENVER AND CAPITOL HILL
The City and County ofDenver has a diverse ethnicpopulation including 11.1%
African American; 31.7%Hispanic; 2.8% Asian and1.3% Native American.Metro Denver has an ethnicpopulation of 5% Black; 18%Hispanic; 3% Asian; 1% NativeAmerican and 3% multiracial.(See hometodenver.com/stats_denver.htm)
Denver, Colorado.
The view from
City Park.
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The campus sits on nearly twocity blocks, called Cathedral Square(bounded to the south by 13th Ave.and the north by 14th) and CathedralSquare North bounded to the northby Colfax (15th) Ave. and by 14th Ave.to the south. The Office of the Bishopand the cathedral complex occupyCathedral Square. The WartburgWest Apartments sit at the southeastcorner of Cathedral Square North.The St. Francis Center Apartmentswill rise from the parking lot alongWashington Street; Slice Works Pizzaand Argonaut Liquors front on Colfax.
Saint Johns is located on historicCapitol Hill, in 2015 ranked one of theten most beautiful neighborhoodsin the United States.13Extending
east from the steps of the statecapitol building, just five blocksaway, the neighborhood includesstate government office buildings,coffee shops and diners, grocerystores, apartment buildings, Victorianmansions, halfway houses, andrestaurants, and, of course, the tattooparlors, liquor stores, comedy clubs,strip joints, and entertainment venues
along Colfax., a block north of SaintJohns. Also known as U.S. Route40, Colfax is said to be the longestcontinuous commercial street in theUnited States, celebrated in JackKerouacs On the Road.
Mixed in with the old Denver arenewly arrived Millennials who havebrought a hipster arts-and-culturevibe to the neighborhood. Thereis also blight and suffering. In 2012the City Council passed a campingban that criminalized homelessness,mentioned above. The offenderswere moved east, away from the16th Street pedestrian mall wherethey were close to service providers.Saint Johns and our neighbors onCapitol Hill have had to accept the
brunt of this movement of people.Tensions in the congregation, and theneighborhood, have grown aroundthe need for Saint Johns to be a safeplace for those who worship, work,and serve at the cathedral whilebeing welcoming and inclusiveof all, including our neighbors whohave been dispossessed of nearlyeverything.
A message chalked on the east wall
of the Roberts Building, perhaps after
a spigot people were using to shower
with was deactivated.
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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN
COLORADO HAS 114 WORSHIPINGCOMMUNITIES COMPRISING
30,000 ACTIVE MEMBERS.
We take our call to God throughJesus Christ seriously, with joy andcuriosity, exploring the truth ofour faith in community, togetherproclaiming that:
We are followers of Jesus in ourlives, every day.
We are here to bring the Kingdom
of God to the complex anduncertain world.
We look for common ground fromour different places on a commonspiritual path.
We are open to and we welcomedifferences in their manymanifestations; we stand, as Jesuswould, with the world.
Our way is discipleship,servanthood, and proclamation.
Being Episcopalian means beingengaged with each other in love.
It does not mean we agree oneverything or are perfect in everyway. We dont agree on everything,and were not perfect.
THE RT. REV. ROB ONEILL,TENTH BISHOP OF COLORADO
The Right Reverend Robert (Rob)J. ONeill came to Saint Johns inJune 1982, where he was ordaineda transitional deacon. In Decemberof that year he was ordained as apriestalso at the cathedral, which isnow his seat. He served here for 10years as canon educator before beingcalled as rector to the Parish of theEpiphany in Winchester, Mass.
ONeill is the tenth bishop of TheEpiscopal Church in Colorado. Electedas Colorados bishop coadjutor onJune 21, 2003, he was consecrated onOctober 4, 2003.
During ONeills tenure as bishop,The Episcopal Church in Coloradohas established a number of JubileeMinistries, the CongregationalDevelopment Institute, two chaptersof the Colorado Episcopal ServiceCorps (Denver and SteamboatSprings), and a disaster preparedness
and recovery office.Bishop ONeill was the driving force
in 2011 behind the acquisition ofCathedral Ridge, the churchs camp andconference center in the mountainsnear Pikes Peak. A capital campaign willfund its development and expansion.Most of the cathedrals summerprograms take place at Cathedral Ridge.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN COLORADO
Presiding Bishop MichaelCurry tells us:
We are part of the JesusMovement, and he hassummoned us to makedisciples and followers of allnations and to transform thisworld by the power of theGood News, the gospel ofJesus. I dont care who youare, how the Lord has madeyou, what the world has to
say about you. If youve beenbaptized into Jesus, yourein the Jesus Movement andyoure Gods.
What if you dont callyourself a Jesus follower? Wewelcome you here to explore,participate, learn, and grow.Your formation matters tous. Although discipleship toJesus defines who we are, wewelcome everyone to join in theconversation and the journey.
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OUR HOPES FOR THE
TENTH DEANAT SAINT JOHNS CHURCH IN
THE WILDERNESS WE BELIEVE
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF
GOD AND THAT HE ROSE FROM
THE DEAD AND THAT HE OFFERS
US NEW LIFE NOW AND THE
PROMISE OF RESURRECTION.
FOR TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE,
AS SAINT PAUL TELLS US,
WOULD MEAN WE ARE OF ALL
PEOPLE MOST TO BE PITIED
(1 CORINTHIANS 15:19). WE FULLY
EXPECT THAT OUR NEW DEAN
WILL PREACH THE FULLNESS OF
THIS LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH.
In our listening and praying duringthe transition, we learned that thecongregation is craving spiritualleadership, a pastor who will guide usto a clearer, deeper understandingof our baptismal covenant and astronger commitment to living thatcovenant among ourselves and inthe world beyond the parish walls. Weneed our next dean to be primarilya parish priest and then the dean ofthe cathedral. We expect that the nextdean will see how these two roles can
nourish each other. We need our nextrector (and dean) to be ambitious forus and for our formation into matureChristians. Our next dean will be kindto everyonekind to themselves, kindto their staff, and kind to the volunteerin the hallway. It is a long hallway.
The next dean will enjoy working withour bishop and engage with civic andreligious leaders, working to promotemercy, justice, and reconciliation.
We have significant financialchallenges, which we describeelsewhere in the Profile (see pp. 33).The next dean will therefore need tohave embraced stewardship as partof their ministry and will possessexperience with leading a capitalcampaign. The next dean will wantto work with the canon stewardto raise these monies annuallyand to help secure major gifts forcapital-improvement projects. Andthe next dean will have to workwith the vestry and staff to exhortparishioners to increase their giving.Asking for increased giving is at rootthe work of relationship.
To thrive as a leader at Saint Johns,our next rector (and dean) will have and
demonstrate a well-developed sense ofself and have and be accountable to aspiritual director. We have heard fromthe congregation that it desires a rector(and dean) who both likes and knowshow to plan and delegate. This meansknowing how to assemble and bringout the best in a team.
The next dean will be skilled athosting safe, loving conversationsthat yield growing relationshipsand growing Christians, even whenthose conversations are difficult. The
next dean will have done personal,spiritual, and emotional work. Thenext dean will be able to demonstratesuccess in bringing together a diversecommunity of believers, fosteringindividual and personal spiritualgrowth, and helping to build a strongercommunity of faithful Christians.
The next dean may find itnecessary to address our need forcongregational formation, which
is to say that the worshipers atour three morning services, alongwith the Wilderness congregation,manage to avoid each other. Itsnothing intentional and is perhapsthe inevitable sprawl of a largecongregation. But we do not seem tohave a common language or sharediconology. And so we are what wesay we are in our Sunday bulletin, ACommunity of Communities, ratherthan a congregation with a clear,shared identity.
Most of all, we want our next deanto be present with us, placing theneeds of the parish and its peopleabove a desire to be active in thebroader church. This is not to say thetenth dean of the cathedral will not or
cannot be connected to the broaderchurch. Rather, we believe the nextdean will know how to strike a balancebetween being present with us andbeing connected, elsewhere. Werecognize that this balance may shiftwith time. What is right in the firstyear of the next deans ministry maynot be right in the tenth year of theirministry. We will find the right balancewith experience and dialogue.
Finally, our next dean will have thegift of priestly leadershippossessing
that ability to call together a diversebody of the faithful so they hear andrespond to the Word of God and offer,with joyfulness and hope, their owngifts. Our longing is that our many giftscan be paired with Gods great offeringin Christ and consecrated for thefeeding and service of the holy peopleof God who are everywhere around us
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OUR RECTORS AND DEANS:
A SHORT HISTORYTHE CONGREGATION HAS
CALLED NINE DEANS SINCE
BISHOP JOHN FRANKLINSPALDING DECLARED SAINT
JOHNS A CATHEDRAL CHURCH
IN 1879. IN 1860 THE DENVER
FLOCK HAD NO CATHEDRAL,
NO BISHOP, AND NO DEAN.
ON JANUARY 29, 1860, THESE
VENTURESOME EPISCOPALIANS
HAD ONLY A LOG CABIN IN
WHICH TO WORSHIP, EACH
OTHER, SOME PRAYER BOOKS,
AND A SHARP-FACED PARISH
PRIEST WHO HAD JUST
STEPPED OFF A STAGECOACH.HE WAS JOHN H. KEHLER, OF
SHARPSBURG, MARYLAND,
FATHER OF THE COUNTY
SHERIFF.
Surveying the High Plains to theeast and the Rocky Mountains to thewest, vestry members agreed theirnew church would be Saint Johns inthe Wilderness, meaning John theBaptist. Nineteen years later, whenthe bishop