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2	Mission Statement St. Thomas’ Church intends to call a rector, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to lead those already in our church community and those beyond. Our doors are open and we pray that God will direct us to a rector who will provide us with the spiritual awareness and commitment to the community that strengthen the mission of a vibrant church.
3	What We Expect of a New Rector Guided by the Holy Spirit, our new rector will need to be familiar with the broad traditions of Anglican worship, and will need to be able to help us all to come to terms with the Christian church as it exists today, particularly the Episcopal Church as represented at St. Thomas’. The new rector will find a resource in our three deacons and our solitary religious, whose presence provides structure in our transition and a valuable strength to build on. Our rector must also help us reach out to the community and help find ways to guide and support a congregation that has stretched its wings and wants to be more involved. We expect that our rector will be deeply committed to a life in God, and will also be a “people person,” one who, on a personal level, is comfortable with old and young, new members and old members, and with a variety of church customs and backgrounds. He or she should also enjoy and participate in the wider community. Our rector should be good at fostering enthusiasm and inviting initiatives from the church’s members. We will expect a continuation of the high standard of preaching which has inspired us, and we hope that our new rector will be able to offer a variety of intellectual and spiritual nourishment, from Sunday school, to Bible study, to educational programs. We also believe it important that he or she have a strong, Christ-centered prayer life, both as a source of personal strength and as an example to all of us. We look to our rector to teach us and help us in taking care of each other.
4	What the New Rector May Expect of Us Our new rector will find a core of dedicated Vestry members and others who love and work for St. Thomas’. We are confident that a new leader will do much to revitalize the parish and attract younger members with families. The new priest will find a parish that is in transition. The Discernment Committee has worked hard to listen to the expressed wishes of all the members of the parish. The Parish Survey indicates a growing realization that we have become a bit too complacent, that we have turned a bit too much inward. The parish was not entirely comfortable with the move, beginning in the 1970’s, to adopt Anglo-Catholic forms of worship, and much as we love and respect Rite I we are currently experimenting with Rite II. We are eager to reach out and to serve our local community, and as a church to take a more useful part in it. We believe that St. Thomas’ can be a vital witness for Christ in the life of Camden and its surrounding area.
5	To the Prospective New Rector We honor our history and traditions of worship, but we are ready to let the Holy Spirit guide us to explore changes reflecting the needs and backgrounds of a varied constituency. We want to strengthen our Christian education for children, young people, and adults. We are committed to making significant improvements to our facilities and programs. We want to increase our efforts to make sure that the old, the sick, and the shut-in continue to feel a part of the shared ministry at St. Thomas’. We are reaching out to others, not just members of St. Thomas’, following the example of Jesus Christ. We want to expand this ministry. We want to extend our welcome and our support to the larger community. We plan to make our offices more accessible and more visible by moving them into the current rectory.
6	Worship Many people are struck by a transcendent quality in our worship at St. Thomas’, and find it uplifting and full of the Holy Spirit. Our buildings lend themselves to a formal worship style, and the recent history of the parish has been one of “high” Anglo-Catholic style of worship, exclusively using Rite I. During the interim the Vestry has authorized Rite II and some liturgical changes in an effort to broaden our experience of Episcopal liturgy. Many people have welcomed the changes, while others feel a greater connection with God in a cherished familiar liturgy. While our architecture suggests a traditional formality, it’s possible that sensitive adjustments could be made in the future.
7	Worship The two Sunday services differ only in the use of the organ and choir, with the later (larger) service having not only hymns and an anthem, but sung service music and chanted psalms and collects. Both interior (hand-held) and exterior (tower bell) Sanctus bells are used. High or solemn days have included the use of incense, though some parishioners are not able to participate when it is used.
8	Worship Currently there are weekday Eucharists on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the latter a healing service. Red letter days are celebrated with additional Eucharists. Our solitary religious has been responsible for Evening Prayer three days each week, and there has been a small group (referred to as the “Dawn Patrol”) singing Morning Prayer each morning at 6:45 in a reference to Benedictine monastic tradition. In the summer there is a one-Sunday-a month sung Compline service which has attracted people from outside the church. The worship services are also supported by Lay Eucharistic ministers whose mission is to bring peace, comfort, and mutual joy in the sharing of the Lord’s Supper to anyone who is unable to attend a Sunday service — at present there are about twenty-five who can’t attend. Such pastoral visitations include visits to area hospitals and assisted living centers as well as to private homes.
9	Worship Ministerial Support St. Thomas’ is fortunate in having four people, a solitary religious and three deacons, integrated into the life and work of the parish, who provide much of the support and structure of the church’s mission: Suzanne Voorhies. Sue is a Solitary Religious, registered with the Standing Committee on Religious Communities of the House of Bishops according to Title III, Canon 30, sec. 3 of the Episcopal Church. Sue recently observed the fifth anniversary of her life vows in this vocation. Her vows are Benedictine in nature and include one of stability in the parish of St. Thomas’ Church and obedience to the Bishop of Maine and the rector of the parish. Shortly before the previous rector left, three deacons were ordained following a careful discernment process and subsequent training. They are: Rosalee Glass. Rosalee is a long-time choir member of St. Thomas’, who recently earned a M. Div. from Bangor Theological Seminary. She is actively involved in the outreach ministry and Christian education at St. Thomas’. She and her architect husband Chris live and work across the street from the church. Robert Laite. Robert is a native of Camden and grew up at St. Thomas’. He knows the community better than any of us. Active as a police sergeant, he has been youth officer at the Camden schools and is the initiator and director of the Aspira youth program. He is also a former director of the Laite Funeral Home. His wife Nancy is teacher of music and band director at the Camden Hills Regional High School. John Lewis. John, a native Texan, is an ex-marine, a lawyer, and an ophthalmologist , returning to Texas once a month as a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Houston College of Optometry. He has initiated and directed the “Dawn Patrol” which says Morning Prayer in the chapel on weekdays. He serves on the local school board. His wife Robbie teaches middle school in Lincolnville.
10	Christian Education The Christian Education Committee, which had fallen into abeyance, has been reconstituted and reinvigorated by our interim rector and is ready to move forward with new ideas and new programs. We are committed to doing more about Christian education, not merely for children and young people but for adults as well. The Sunday school, the Bible Study program, the Sunday forums, the Newcomers program, Via Media, and Education for Ministry have all had their devotees and successes, but we need to inject vitality and new ideas into all of them. Children and Families Minister Elyse Socker serves as children’s minister and directs the Sunday school program.
11	Christian Education Our recent re-commitment to Christian Education has led us to undertake a major project to build a new parish educational facility. We feel that commitment to the proper facilities has to go with commitment to the program, and that the one cannot succeed without the other. We have the enthusiastic support of the parish, and will be raising the money and moving ahead even before a new rector is called.
12	Music The music program has always been a pride of the parish. Our 50-rank Schantz organ was installed in 1992. The adult choir, numbering around 15 regular members, is a dedicated group of singers, who have worked together for many years. We seek opportunities to involve children and youth in our music program, through a youth choir or through special events within the context of our current music program. Music tends to be from the classic Anglican liturgical repertory, with service music also tending to the older and more orthodox forms.
13	Music
14	Background We have just celebrated our 150th anniversary, and we are optimistic about the future as we look forward to calling a new rector in 2006. St. Thomas’ was started by local people and supported by the summer residents who call Camden their home away from home. Its building dates from the height of the Church Beautiful movement of the 1920’s, and has attracted those who appreciate services conducted “decently and in good order.” We believe all St. Thomas’ members are part of the Body of Christ. We welcome all who would accept Christ as their Savior and believe our church should be inclusive, a place where those who take comfort in traditional forms of worship feel at home alongside those members of the parish who are open to change. It is a measure of the goodwill that exists among parishioners that there is a readiness to try to understand different points of view on issues, and there is a commitment to the view that diversity does foster unity and growth.
15	Background We welcome young families, those who are retired, and everyone in between. We think it important to reach out and help provide a home for all those who seek God. We want to nurture a diverse community, in which we can respect each other’s opinions in an atmosphere of loving and mutual support. St. Thomas’ has been fortunate in its recent history. The last rector was here for 13 years and left to go to a larger church, taking with him the high regard of the parish. We are equally fortunate in having a dedicated, enthusiastic and experienced interim rector, together with three recently ordained deacons and a solitary religious. In this time of transition we are strengthening our bonds while acknowledging our differences. This part of Maine calls itself the Jewel of the Coast, with some justification. It is a good place to call home. There are many opportunities for community activity and cultural enrichment. There are also opportunities for service, ministry to those left behind by changing economic realities, and to young people of our schools whose lives reflect the same problems as found in other parts of the country.
16	Parish History St. Thomas' Parish was organized in Camden on October 1, 1855. For the next fifteen years the parish worshipped in the former Universalist meeting house. After 1884 it began to grow in size and prosperity. In 1924 St. Thomas' moved to its current building, to which the tower and chapel were added later. This expansion was supported by the influx of summer people in the early part of the century, and the church today remains a mix of summer residents and the local people, along with an increasing number of those who have retired to the area, bringing with them a variety of church histories and preferences. Though for its first century and more the parish would have been described as “broad church” in ritual and prayer, in the 1970’s to 1990’s it moved towards an Anglo-Catholic position. Innovations in the Prayer Book and Hymnal were met with skepticism, and the church used only Rite I at Sunday services until the interim rector introduced us to the alternative of Rite II. Today, St. Thomas’ may be described as moving (gently) back towards the center.
17	Parish History The parish has chosen, sometimes after heated debate, to stay in the mainstream of the Episcopal church — first by voting to accept our woman bishop and then by refusing to follow efforts by a few parishioners to leave the communion after the election of Bishop Robinson, although in both cases there were and are members who strongly disapproved of both elections and the policies they represent. We have lost long-time members of the church, but have made up many of those losses through new members joining. All the same, in recent years we have had to cut back vital programs in order to balance the budget and keep the doors open. It remains true that we are an older congregation with a smaller proportion of young families and children than we had in the past. Some of our members are comfortable with that, but many others would like the church to be a place that young families choose to attend. We would like to make our parish more appealing, in style, liturgy, and social relationships as a place where families can feel at home and where their children have the advantage of a Christ-centered community. All in all, the parish is more outward looking today than it has been in times past and is now ready to welcome a priest who can build on this and harness the goodwill that is evident on all sides to make St. Thomas' a truly inclusive parish, open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
18	Congregation Demographics Membership in St. Thomas’ Church has fluctuated over the last decade. The current average number of attendees each Sunday is 115. The current number of communicants is 241. St. Thomas’ also has a good number of summer parishioners who are devoted to the church during the months they are in residence. 45% of our members are over the age of 66, and 41% between the ages of 50 and 65. Around half of our survey respondents listed themselves as moderately active, with 64% attending church most weeks, a pattern that has not changed for most respondents over the last several years. Statistics show we have a solid core of about 20% active parishioners, dedicated to the church, attending services, involved in committees and church activities, with another 45% moderately involved.
19	Buildings & Grounds The church is in the center of the town, a few steps from the Post Office and Village Green, in a block known as “religion row” because the Baptist church is two doors away. The current building dates from 1924 and was built in the kind of English Gothic style advocated by Ralph Adams Cram. It seats around 160 in the nave. The Parish Hall was built in 1926. In 1930 the Bell Tower was added, with its peal of 11 bells; at its base is the chapel seating 24. The church has a traditional plan, with a raised chancel for the organ and the choir, and a sanctuary with a stone altar against the wall.
20	Buildings & Grounds The English stained glass memorial windows present a progression of the important events in the life of Christ, and were originally intended as aids in teaching children and adults the Gospel story. Both the church and the chapel have carvings in the reredos created by Laudli Lang of Oberammergau. The many needlepoint kneelers represent the efforts of scores of parishioners, each kneeler requiring many hours of work.
21	Buildings & Grounds Connected to the church is the Parish Hall. Originally intended primarily as a recreation hall for children, it now mainly serves adult parish functions. Between the Hall and the church proper are a kitchen and a combination meeting room and library, the Guild Room. There is a second floor of church offices above, and basement rooms now used for Sunday school and musician’s office. Adjacent to the church is the former Seward House, built in 1823, which until now has been the church rectory. Mindful of the increasingly common practice of clergy preferring to select their own housing, the Vestry has decided to convert the building to parish offices and meeting rooms, and to connect it to the Parish Hall by a cloister with new education spaces. The upstairs will be available as an apartment. This project has the enthusiastic support of the parish. We intend to begin work in the summer of 2006. The grounds are attractively landscaped and maintained. A recent development has been the establishment of a memorial garden for the burial and commemoration of funerary ashes. Administrative Support Marie Keene. Marie is our full-time parish administrator, resource and “go-to” person. Carter Mann. Carter is our full-time sexton and handyman
22	Expansion Plans
23	Programs & Activities Epiphany. Following the Epiphany evening service, the rector holds a reception for congregation and friends. During Lent. One or two potluck suppers are held on Wednesdays during Lent. Good Friday. There is a community ecumenical service at St. Thomas’. Palm Sunday Bake Sale. This is held annually for the pleasure of all. Parish Breakfasts. Every now and then, to mark some event, or just because we like to, a parish breakfast is held between Sunday morning services. Cottage Dinners. New this year, “Cottage Dinners” provide a way for parishioners to get to know one another by hosting and/or attending small dinner parties. Summer Fair. A feature of parish life for, literally, 100 years. Icon Workshops. For the last several years a 5-day workshop, open to all, and directed by the Rev. Paige Blair has been held to paint—“write” — traditional icons. Bible Study Groups. These are held on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sung Compline. June – September. 2nd Sunday, 8.30 p.m. Christmas Fair. A smaller version of the Summer Fair, held in the Parish Hall. Carol Singing. Choir members and others sing carols at Camden’s “Christmas By The Sea” event in early December. Food Pantry. First Sunday of every month gathering of food and donations . Quiet Days. These are usually held on a Saturday once or twice a year. Newcomers Meetings. Held periodically as needed. Education for Ministry. This is a national four-year educational program for lay people which includes Bible study, church history, and theology. Lay Eucharistic Ministry. LEMs take the Eucharist to housebound parishioners from the Sunday service.
24	Summer Fair A highlight of the summer is the annual church fair, lunch, and auction.
25	Camden The town of Camden, with its sheltered harbor nestled under the landmark of Mt. Battie, is an attractive destination for visitors, and is often recognized as a good place to work or retire. Camden and the surrounding area abound in educational, recreational and cultural activities: Strong public schools, complemented by several private schools University of Maine satellites in Belfast and Thomaston Opportunities for sailing, hiking, skiing and kayaking Bay Chamber concerts: classical, jazz and world music Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport Many private art galleries Educational centers for photography, furniture craftsmanship, and boatbuilding Fall Pop Tech conference and February Camden Conference attract speakers and participants of national and international reputation For details about the town of Camden see: http://www.city-data.com/city/Camden-Maine.html http://www.camdenme.org/ http://town.camden.me.us/
26	Camden Camden is considered “a good place to raise kids,” but it has its share of the challenges and problems that beset every small town in an attractive area of the country. One challenge for the new rector will be recognizing the various groups that comprise the town: summer residents, recent retirees, those whose families have been here for generations. Each comes with different values, different histories, and different potential for involvement in the parish. While we are generally proud of our kids and their successes, worries about our young people have troubled the town increasingly in the past several years. Youth problems, and related drug use, are a constant concern made even more acute by a number of suicides among high school students. These factors have resulted in participation in a national organization called Communities That Care which is working to counteract destructive drug use among young people and to instill more productive behaviors. Youthlinks, a Rockland-based non-profit, has had documented success and recognition with a series of programs for at-risk teens.
27	Outreach With a heightened awareness of our baptismal covenant, we have recently formed a new Outreach Committee, and are seeking new opportunities to serve others. Our members need to be cared for too, and it is our belief that active programs that reach out into the community will foster a caring congregation. Youth programs run by faith-based groups are als0 needed, and, with some consciousness-raising and organization, St. Thomas’ should play a strong part in these efforts. At the same time we have quite a few members who are lonely, sick or permanently shut-in, and it is especially important to minister to them—to assist them in transportation to church, to visit them, to encourage them, and to make sure that they still feel that they are part of the Body of Christ. Other areas of outreach include: St. Thomas’ has for years provided space for a regular AA meeting. St. Thomas’ co-founded and helps run the five-church food pantry in Camden. Volunteers from St. Thomas’ cook monthly at the Rockland soup kitchen. One of our deacons runs a steel drum band for youth under a program called Aspira, a joint creation of Camden churches and the local YMCA. Another deacon serves of the board of the Hospitality House homeless shelter.
28	Ecumenical The rector and deacons participate in monthly meetings of the Camden clergy and in the annual Baccalaureate ceremony at the high school. The community Good Friday service is normally held at St. Thomas’ with clergy and choirs from other churches taking a full and active part. St. Thomas’ also participates annually at a local community church in the World Day of Prayer. Summer Sunday Compline services and occasional Quiet Days welcome members of other churches and visitors from throughout the community.
29	The Diocese of Maine In its early years St. Thomas’ benefited greatly from diocesan support. A warm relationship continued until the early 1970’s, when differences with the Diocese over assessment levels, changes in the Prayer Book, and issues such as the ordination of women led to a more inward-looking policy on the part of St. Thomas’ rectors and the parish generally, resulting in an estrangement from Diocesan affairs. In more recent years there has evolved within the parish a recognition that a strong cooperative relationship with the diocese needs to exist. The appointment of St. Thomas’ clergy and lay people to Diocesan committees and commissions, together with the sensitive leadership of the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen has accelerated this trend.
30	Finances St. Thomas’ finds itself in a generally solid current financial position. A recent drop in the number and amount of pledges sends out a warning signal for the future, but may simply reflect a “wait and see” attitude on the part of those who want to see a new rector before committing themselves. As our stewardship income has fallen, we have had to tighten our belts. The long-term financial forecast of the church is mixed. While 2005 ran a surplus, and the 2006 budget is balanced, there will be additional expenses in 2007 and beyond with a full-time rector. The 2006 budget for the parish is $281,000. Reserve funds for special purposes total around $250,000. The church has no debt, nor has it historically carried debt. St. Thomas’ is also blessed with several endowment funds. Some of the income received supports the operational costs of the parish, while other income is set aside for special purposes according to the wishes of the donor.
31	Budget Overview
32	Stewardship Stewardship involves more than financial contributions. God asks us to share our time and our abilities to further His purposes and to use all our talents in His service. Our principal fundraising mechanism is the fall stewardship campaign, which has generally generated about 65% of our income. Most of the rest is from endowment (15%) and plate offerings (15%), with smaller amounts from rentals and the Summer Fair.
33	St. Thomas’ as a Christian Community While a church exists primarily to serve spiritual needs and to carry out the teachings of Our Lord, any church is a manifestation of its surrounding society and hence serves social needs as well. The whole life of a community used to revolve around its church, but with changes in the nature of our society and the structure of our families this time is long past. While St. Thomas’ may not be able to reverse these trends it can be a witness for a spiritually rich community life.
34	St. Thomas’ as a Christian Community
35	Hopes & Objectives The parish survey showed that one of the greatest strengths of St. Thomas’ Church was the sense of sacred space held within the church buildings: that St. Thomas’ is a holy place. Some saw it in our sense of tradition, some saw it in holding on to what they called “orthodox worship”, some saw it in the “faithful people” who serve the parish; but no matter what this feeling was attributed to, it pervaded every answer. But, as if having professed the strength of tradition called up its counterpart in their minds, when asked about weaknesses respondents often cited a failure to reach out to new members because of a “resistance to change”. On the one hand, our faith in God is expressed primarily through the familiar, what we know and love. On the other, we long to welcome younger people and newcomers from diverse backgrounds, to share and grow with them in our sense of the Holy Spirit, and to feel the renewal that life in Christ brings. Over the past six months the scale has definitely tipped toward opening ourselves to new ways of seeing the liturgy and a new understanding of our part in the community.
36	Hopes & Objectives As we look beyond our worship towards the outside world, we intend to develop stronger bonds with the people in our local community, and with other churches and organizations in order to strengthen our ability to effect change and make a difference. At the same time we will cherish and protect the spirituality, the sense of the sacredness of worship, and our special place that have been God’s gift of grace in our lives. We seek to find a way to look outward, yet still maintain an inward connection with the holy. We hope to attract more members, particularly young families; to be more involved in the local community; to continue to improve Christian formation and education of our congregation; and to worship and celebrate the liturgy in new ways.
37	A Last Word A final parishioner comment: “For me, the best comparison I can verbalize is when I was baptized seven years ago. I remember a tangible sense of the Holy Spirit very gently and very powerfully pushing me forward in my life and acceptance of Christ - that is the most analogous description I can provide to what I feel happening right now - it seems like the Holy Spirit is moving St. Thomas' forward to stretch toward God's plan for our future. The effort is a bit uncertain and fragile by the members as we figure out who we are becoming and how to move in that direction, but I think the right rector can embrace and encourage the small flames that people are trying to light and really fan them into a bigger flame... the challenge is trying to figure out how to do it while being faithful to our sense of tradition.”