I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1

“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’.” Psalm 122:1 Welcome To All Saints Episcopal Church • 333 Tarpon Drive • ...
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“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’.” Psalm 122:1

Welcome To All Saints Episcopal Church • 333 Tarpon Drive • Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 954-467-6496 • www.allsaintsfl.org

All Saints’ Mission In his letter to the Church in Corinth, St. Paul sets a sacred foundation under those who gather in community in the name of Christ “… we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed…”(2 Corinthians 3:18). We have adopted Saint Paul’s teaching as the guiding vision for the mission and ministry of All Saints Episcopal Church:

We are being called to transform our community in the image of Christ, made visible to all people, by the way we live our life in faith.

Rector Search Guided by the following prayer, All Saints Episcopal Church invites you to consider joining us in fulfilling our parish mission and vision:

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your church, and so guide the minds and hearts of those who shall choose a rector for All Saints that we may receive a faithful Pastor and Priest who will join us in ministry in our parish, town and diocese through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2

All Saints’ Vestry and lay leadership have taken several steps to ensure that parishioners have had opportunity for input during this transition period. Based on the results of the 2014 Parish Assessment Survey, the four main priorities from parishioners completing the survey were: • Make changes to attract families with children and youth; • Develop/implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of All Saints; • Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life’s circumstances; and • Provide more opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life. The survey was followed with a series of focus groups from which three priorities emerged: • Communications; • Outreach/Evangelism; • In-Reach (Christian education/pastoral care). • In these focus groups, Worship and Music were identified as areas of excellence. Additionally, at a Vestry Retreat in May 2015, the areas of focus for immediate action were: • The expansion of the welcome program; • The increased visibility of and programs for youth; and • The improvement of vehicles for communications. In early November 2015, approximately 45 parishioners participated in a visioning session in thought-provoking and often lively discussion to discern a vision for All Saints’ future. Please see page 9 for commentary on our vision. With God’s grace, during this transition period, All Saints has become a more unified parish with a more engaged congregation, and we seek a pastor and priest who will help us continue to heal old wounds and shepherd us into a new era and dynamic future. 3

Therefore, we seek a Rector who will: • Be a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, faithful in prayer, study, and witness. • Relate the teachings of Jesus Christ to our modern life through thought-provoking sermons, prayer, meditation, and Christian education programs, as we search for a deeper spiritual relationship with the living God. • Value and honor our Anglican/Episcopal tradition. • Lead us toward innovative and creative ways to achieve our mission to be a dynamic, transforming community in Christ as we move from being a rector-focused to a truly collaborative community and model of leadership. • Lead us in achieving a larger presence and visibility both in the greater Fort Lauderdale community as well as in ecumenical fellowship with other denominations and communities of faith. • Grow our congregation in numbers and commitment, including our lives of community, discerning our gifts, and working toward our vision to provide for a vital children’s and youth ministry. • Relate to a diverse parish and have the ability to engage people of all ages, races, gender, and sexual orientation. • Provide pastoral care and nurture for parishioners of all ages and others in the community, as well as provide guidance to the congregation, as a whole and individually, in their spiritual journeys. We understand fully that in all these areas of our common life we are called to be partners in ministry with our Rector.

Who We Are – An inclusive and caring family of faith in Jesus Christ Our ministry began on the Feast day of All Saints, November 1, 1912, in fledgling Fort Lauderdale. Eight women of the faith met in a private home in the historic area of downtown Fort Lauderdale to form the All Saints Guild and bring the Episcopal Church to the newly-incorporated municipality of Fort Lauderdale. Subsequently, services were held in private residences, downtown businesses, or community halls until in 1921 when a wood-framed church building was donated by St. Martin’s in Jupiter and transported by rail to Fort Lauderdale. 4

All Saints evolved from a mission church to a full parish and enjoyed continued growth through postWorld War II. In 1949, the parish relocated a short distance to our current location on the historic New River. For over 100 years All Saints has served the greater Fort Lauderdale community and has been instrumental in the development of the parishes of St. Mark the Evangelist in Oakland Park, St. Martin’s in Pompano Beach, St. Ambrose and the Church of the Intercession in Fort Lauderdale, and St. Benedict in Plantation. All Saints continues to enjoy a close relationship with nearby parishes, particularly with cooperative outreach projects. All Saints has been described as a “destination” church, as our membership includes not only those who reside in neighborhoods in close proximity to the church but also those who travel from nearby cities and adjacent counties to worship. We are known as a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community of faith comprised of both newer and long-time parishioners, including some multi-generational families. Over 50 percent of our parishioners are considered to be in the empty-nest and older categories, and a significant number are members of the LGBT community. Additionally, our location attracts a number of seasonal members as well as tourists and visitors who join in our worship and parish life. The number of active communicants in good standing on record as of December 31, 2015, was 630. The average Sunday attendance during 2015 was 214 with Easter Sunday attendance being 541 and Christmas attendance, 527. We are growing because of who we are — welcoming and open. All Saints is working to develop stronger relationships with our community, our Deanery and the Diocese of Southeast Florida (www. diosef.org). We have a history of 5

making a difference in our community from planting the five aforementioned parishes to the feeding of and assisting with housing for the homeless and striving for social justice within South Florida. In recent years, a collaborative ministry, the New River Regional Ministry (NRRM), was undertaken with the rector of All Saints co-responsible, along with the Diocese, for nearby St. Ambrose and its programs with a specific focus on outreach to children and a LatinAmerican ministry. With the retirement of the former rector, the two parishes once again operate independently but continue to cooperate with respect to some outreach programs. Many lessons were learned from the joint venture with St. Ambrose. The program, lasting over seven years, brought both challenges and successes. As a worship community, All Saints gained invaluable experience in forming partnerships and ministering to others outside of our physical space. The greatest result of this collaborative ministry, apart from the direct benefit to the children and an underserved community, was the camaraderie and sense of joint purpose it brought to the members of All Saints, which has laid a solid foundation for future outreach endeavors. We are excited to welcome the Right Reverend Peter Eaton, our new Bishop, as he begins his South Florida ministry. Bishop Eaton has pledged his full support to our rector search, as well as to our future rector and our parish to assure continued good works and growth of All Saints, with these words: “I see the Diocese as all of us, and my job is to help to ensure that each congregation and its rector have the resources that they need to support the growth of each congregation as we make Christ’s presence real in the community.”

Worship, Liturgy, and Music Liturgy and music are a focus of our time together as a faith community. All Saints is a Rite II parish. We have an active cadre of Adjunct Clergy, Vergers, Acolytes, Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors and Healing Ministers, Altar Guild, Lectors, Prayer Leaders, Welcome Ministry and Ushers. Our liturgy and worship are enhanced by an extraordinary sacred music program led by a dedicated organist and liturgical choir, including the RiverSounds 6

Music Series, a music ministry. Additionally, All Saints is a venue for world-class music concerts throughout the year, which are attended by parishioners and the greater South Florida community.

Outreach Ministry We share our blessings with others. For 2016, the Vestry recently approved three areas of focus for outreach ministry: children and families, seniors, and the hungry. The outreach ministry, which is partially endowed, includes the ongoing collection of food for nearby St. Ambrose’s food pantry. We also partner with Hope South Florida, an organization now housed in one of our facilities that provides services to homeless women and children during daytime hours. Additionally, Beds Around the Altar is a hospitality ministry that provides on-site respite shelter several times during year. We also are active in programs for those in need that are provided by St. Laurence Chapel in northern Broward County and the Jubilee Center of South Broward. Another outreach activity is the continued volunteerism by All Saints parishioners in the after-school tutoring program at St. Ambrose. Many of our parishioners devote hours of service and value the opportunity to participate in this program, which serves primarily Latino children. We also share our blessings through the Episcopal Church’s annual United Thank Offering (U.T.O.) and locally through the Towards Relief of Urgent Emergencies (T.R.U.E.) Fund.

In-Reach Ministry All Saints maintains several active pastoral ministries, including Eucharistic visitors and healing ministry, and Prayer and Hospitality ministries. Christian formation is provided through our children’s ministry and adult Inquirers’ classes, and two Education for Ministry (EfM) groups meet weekly throughout the academic year. A new Advent program, contemplative meditation and prayer, will be expanded. The ministry of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), a vital part of our parish life, is ongoing. Fellowship and social activities 7

include quarterly senior luncheons, new member luncheons, book reviews, and parish dinners. All programs are a valued and integral part of our parish life together.

Finances The 2016 operating budget is approximately $670,000 and includes a long tradition of commitment to fund outreach activities that support our mission to the extent possible using current resources. For the past several years, we have worked diligently to increase the total amount of pledges and the number of pledging household units with the aspiration that annual pledges will completely fund operating expenses, which will enable the Endowment Fund to provide funding of more outreach activities. Each year we must prayerfully make difficult decisions regarding the projects that we are able to undertake. In addition to the annual pledge campaign to support the operating budget, the parish maintains the All Saints Episcopal Church Permanent Endowment Fund having a current balance of $2,506,508. All Saints maintains membership in the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP). Additionally, our Legacy Society was formed to encourage and recognize generous parishioners who include the Endowment Fund in their estate planning. The Vestry recently has explored the opportunity for a capital campaign in the near future to provide funding for repayment of our Diocesan debt, as well as various facilities maintenance projects and other “wish list” items. Our parishioners are generous in giving both time and talent in addition to their treasure by collectively donating several thousand hours of their time annually to one or more of All Saints many ministries, including facility maintenance, building 8

and grounds, assistance in the church office, and other support activities.

Parish Vision All Saints is a welcoming place bringing people from different backgrounds together into an open relationship with God and each other and into an exploration of faith in God and Jesus Christ through service, liturgy, music, and prayer. We will continue to attend to our own parish needs and nurture those within our community of faith, attempting to ensure that no parishioner feels neglected, overlooked or disenfranchised To this extent, we will find ways to expand our offerings of Christian formation to all members, including children, youth, the elderly, and the whole All Saints family. It is our hope that these offerings will contribute to attracting additional growth in our faith community. Having made recent improvements in the area of communications and transparency, this focus will continue, and input from parishioners will be monitored. Additionally, we will continue efforts to encourage new lay leadership emerging from our parishioners as we move toward a program-focused parish. The openness of All Saints to welcome and engage all people in a faith journey will continue to grow in joy, forgiveness, and love as we live out our life in accordance to Christ’s teachings by loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We will explore additional programming, including expanded worship services and parish life to serve the needs of both our congregation and community, in the hope of continued growth and service. With God’s grace, we will work to make Fort Lauderdale a better community because of the service and leadership of those whose spiritual growth is deepened and inspired by the ministries of All Saints. We will nurture the empowerment and development of existing and new leadership as we work toward reviving a stronger interfaith consortium in our area. We shall not forget our focus on the beauty of our physical presence and will be proactive in ensureing that our structural as well as financial stability is 9

assured well into the future. We commit to creating and maintaining a strong community of giving, reinviting our membership to commit volunteer time, professional talent, and financial resources through giving annually, for the long term through our Legacy Society and endowment.

Applicant Contact Information: Our Parish Profile offers basic information about All Saints Episcopal Church as we view it at this time. Applicants desiring more information may access our website, www.allsaintsfl.org. If you feel called to enter into a discussion about a mutual ministry, we invite you to contact us with the following general information about yourself: • A letter of interest including why you are interested in All Saints and why you believe you may be a good fit as our next Rector. • A current resume. • An updated Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) portfolio with answers to all narrative questions. • Please submit all information via email by March 15, 2016, to the Rector Search Committee at [email protected].

Search Committee Co-Chairs: Chuck Dinsmore and Patricia Brown 10

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Dedicated to the eight faithful women who founded the All Saints Guild and established the Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale

All Saints Episcopal Church • 333 Tarpon Drive • Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 954-467-6496 • www.allsaintsfl.org

January 2016

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