St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Ojai

Parish Portfolio

2016

St. Andrew’s Portfolio Table of Contents • Mission Statement and Goals

• History of St. Andrew’s

• Worship Services

• Description of St. Andrew’s programs and ministries

• St. Andrew’s Campus

• Financial Summary of the last 6 years

• Hopes and Dreams of members Native Matilija Poppies

• Qualities sought in a new priest

• Information on the Community of Ojai & the Diocese of LA Naval Oranges

The Mission Statement of St. Andrew’s

"We, the Episcopal Church of Ojai, celebrate the reconciling love of Christ through liturgy, education and service.”

Lake Casitas

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church History Christian Education Building

The Rev. Earle G. Rankin (1952-1960) and then The Rev. William Weatherford (1960-1966) moved the new mission forward. Altar Guild, a youth group, and Episcopal Church Womens Groups were formed. A Bishop’s Committee oversaw the running of the church. The Rev. Kenneth German was appointed vicar by Bishop Rusack in 1966. A new vicarage/rectory was purchased. Fr. Ken started a youth group for high schoolers and a Bible study for couples that continued for several years. Fisher Hall, generously funded by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Fisher, was built to use as a social gathering place. An inappropriate relationship with a woman parishioner brought Fr. German’s ministry to an end in 1970.

Episcopal services were held twice monthly from 1947, sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ventura. In 1951 a gathering of local Episcopalians prompted the Los Angeles Diocese to purchase the property at 409 Topa Topa Drive in Ojai. A mission was formed, and parishioners built the small building which is now known as the Christian Education Building. The Rev. Warren L. Botkin was appointed vicar, (1951-1952). One of the key movers in this development was Ojai resident Emily Stevens Hall, daughter of the 2nd Bishop of Los Angeles, William Bertrand Stevens.

The Rev. George E. Trippe (1970-1976) was appointed Vicar and brought a new energy to St. Andrew’s. Parish status was attained and George Trippe was named Rector in 1973. The need for a new sanctuary became apparent. Ojai architect Zelma Wilson designed the new building. Emily Hall marks the spot. The Rev. George Trippe breaks ground. Framing begins on the new sanctuary.

A search committee was formed to find the next priest for St. Andrew’s. The Rev. James B. Corbett (1977-1993) was called to be the second rector of St. Andrew’s. His wife Karen became the organist and choir director. Fr. Corbett was rector of St. Andrews for seventeen years. Towards the end of his tenure pledging was reduced to 79 units in 1985 and to 67 by 1989. This decline marked some significant problems with Fr. Corbett and the parish which had become divided over his effectiveness. During this period the tracker organ was installed and the columbarium in the narthex was put in place. The decline in attendance and pledges finally made it necessary for the Vestry to announce it was not possible to guarantee his salary past the summer. He resigned Dec. 31 1993. After 17 years with Fr. Jim as rector, we were faced with diminished attendance, a short budget and reduced programs. We had two Interim Priests appointed by Bishop Borsch. In 1994-1995 The Rev. Tim Vivian drove from Bakersfield to lead us. He met with a meditation group regularly and encouraged several people to train to be Lay Eucharist Ministers. Fr. Tim was very encouraging, warm and caring. The Rev Mark Hendrickson was appointed Interim Priest from March through August 1995. He made no secret of being gay. He was warm and good humored. He brought organization and administrative skills, and initiated a strong stewardship campaign. In September 1995 The Rev. Corryl J. Lassen -Willems (1995-2005) was called to be the third rector of St. Andrew’s. Her husband, The Rev. Jim Willems, was an Episcopal priest who retired because of health problems. They had no children. Mother Corrie brought healing and great preaching to our church. There were meaningful services, supportive pastoral care, and openness to new things. She was brilliant, playful, welcoming, forgiving, honest, and straightforward.

A very successful building campaign was started, and within 2 years the new sanctuary was built and paid off. The door to the aumbry, where the reserve sacrament is stored, was designed and carved by Fr. Trippe. Fr. Trippe led an active high school Bible Study that met weekly at 6:30 am. Members of this group became close friends and went on field trips. The boys and girls were very supported in their teenage years. St. Andrew’s was in great shape with 100 pledging units when Fr. Trippe decided to move on.

The following ministries started during Mother Corrie's tenure: the Ojai Valley Homeless Shelter, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and J2A programs, evening meditation and Eucharist, Men’s Group, interfaith services, Taizé, EFM, Earth Stewards, and Centering Prayer. She also redecorated the sanctuary as part of the healing process – and blessed the German’s re-marriage. Organization and administration were not Mother Corrie’s strong suits. Mother Corrie’s husband, who had led spiritual direction and the weekly evening meditation with Eucharist, became emotionally involved with a church member who was also going through a discernment process for ordination. Mother Corrie and Jim divorced. She went through a discernment process, took a sabbatical, and decided to leave St. Andrew’s in March 2005. The Rev. Mort Ward came as Interim Priest, (March - October 2005). The Rev. Jon Anderson (2005-2007) was appointed priest-in-charge under special circumstances by Bishop Jon Bruno. He was installed as the fourth Rector of St. Andrew’s in November. Married to Anne-Drue, they had one teenage daughter, Connor. She was an accomplished horseback rider and Anne-Drue spent a lot of time accompanying Connor to horse shows. The family experienced a traumatic event, unrelated to the church, that eventually led to their decision to return to New Mexico. Fr. Jon accomplished a great deal in his two year tenure with us. We were disappointed to see him go.

The Rev. Andrea Maier was appointed Interim Priest-in-Charge in July 2007. She brought with her a sense of hospitality, opened up the Rectory to the congregation and supported the growth of the Earth Stewards Ministry. She began a new corps of office volunteers that assisted our half-time, paid office manager to expand her talents more efficiently. In the fall of 2008 we began the process of Natural Church Development, NCD, with the resulting minimum factor being Inspired Worship. In March 2009 the process of putting together a Church Profile began, in preparation for calling a new rector. The Rev. Jeff Wilhelm (2010-2015) was called to be the fifth Rector of St. Andrew’s. His wife Barbara attended every service. His enthusiasm, good humor and excellent sermons won the hearts of the parishioners. New families began to come, church school attracted youth, and the choir grew and became more proficient under the leadership of Candace Delbo. Raymond Egan was hired to play the organ. When Candace left for another job Raymond took on leading the choir. The music at the 10 o’clock service became very inspiring and spirited. Fr. Jeff has a strong artistic bent. He upgraded the arrangement of the Narthex, providing sitting space for reflecting on those who are interred in the columbarium. He began playing recorded music before Sunday services, so that on entering the sanctuary there was the sound of spiritual music and an invitation to enter into worship. Fr. Jeff announced in February 2015 that he would be retiring at the end of the year. He felt that the church had reached a very stable and healthy point. It was his perception that it was time to retire and leave St. Andrew’s in a good place to attract the next rector. One of the very fine accomplishments in Fr. Jeff’s tenure was the establishment of the Legacy Fund. It is now in place, to sustain St. Andrew’s and be available for ministry here. His very skilled leading of the worship services, a strong sense of Episcopal identity, and a warm expression of the love of Christ brought a strong sense of family to all services. He supported Dennis Sheridan in his quest to be ordained a deacon. Another parishioner, Ewan Russell, has begun her preparation to become a deacon. The Wilhelms will be missed; and we are in the process of preparing our search for a new priest.

Worship Services

Our Sunday services are at 8am and 10am. The 8am service is a spoken service and the 10am service is with music.

Our Music Director is Dr. Raymond Egan. He plays the magnificent Rosales Opus 10 organ and directs the choir.

St. Andrew’s Programs and Ministries

Hospitality Committee encompasses creating a welcoming environment for our parish including coffee hour after services, welcoming visitors, inquirer’s class, managing a name tag kiosk, and periodic Newcomer’s receptions.

Ushers attend to helping those at the services find seating, hand out the bulletins and help keep the service flowing smoothly. Chalice bearers, acolytes, lectors, welcomers, vestry representatives and Sunday School teachers all volunteer to participate in the services each week. Facilities Use serves primarily as an outreach to the community through 12-step programs using the St. Andrew’s campus for meetings as well as outside clubs, and secondarily, as a source of income for operational expenses.

Family Hiking group ministry meets for hiking light trails around the foothills of the valley.

Ojai Valley as seen from the east end of town. The Pink Moment on the Topa Topa Mountains.

Men’s group ministry meets on a social level with food, refreshment and fellowship. Office Volunteers tasks include proofreading, telephone support, errands, and correspondence, preparing the Prayers of the People, general clerical duties, and vacation coverage. Emergency Planning ministry. St. Andrew’s has been selected by the American Red Cross to be an Emergency Shelter in the event of an earthquake or other local catastrophe. El Salvador Scholarship Ministry This ministry gives to scholarships that help the children in the community of El Zaité, El Salvador. Scholarship funds help supply books, assorted school supplies, and other necessities. Sponsorship is performed through the non-profit group International Partners in Mission. Ojai Valley Family Shelter St. Andrew’s is one of four churches in Ojai that hosts a shelter for the homeless. We host twice a week during the winter season to supply our guests with a hot, home made dinner, breakfast, a sack lunch and a warm place to sleep.

Heart to Heart is a ministry that provides meals, company, and transportation to St Andrew’s parishioners as needs arise. Adult Education and Retreats hosts a wide variety of workshops and spiritual retreats, biblical based educational series, lectures and book study groups. Library Guild The church has an extensive collection of books in the library in Fisher Hall for use by the parishioners. Youth and Children’s Education Program teaches Sunday school using a curriculum sponsored by the Episcopal Church called Weaving God’s Promises. Nursery care is provided by caregivers, for babies and toddlers under age 3, in the Nursery during the 10am service and special events when needed.

Christmas Pageant is provided with a cast of players consisting of parishioners and youth from our Youth group and even some animals.

Altar Guild members are responsible for setting up for all services, including weddings, funerals, and memorial services. Community Supported Garden is a group of volunteers who manage our Organic Garden using “Grow Biointensive” principles. The bounty produced is taken to a community kitchen that provides meals to the needy and the elderly. Centering Prayer meets every week and consists of periods of silent prayer/meditation followed by evening prayer from the “Book of Common Prayer” or the New Zealand Prayer Book.

Coffee Minute follows the 8am service and Coffee Hour follows the 10am service. Volunteers provide light snacks each week. Special potlucks during the year are a great time for the congregation to gather together for a time of hospitality.

July 4 Celebration Committee organizes a festive potluck BBQ starting with the City’s parade and culminating in a feast with all the greater community welcome. Other fun events include St. Andrew’s Day/Homecoming, Shrove Tuesday Supper, Easter Egg Hunt, Youth outings, Family Fun Night. My Legacy Committee was formed for the purpose of creating and perpetuating a permanent endowment fund for St. Andrew’s.

Our Church Campus The St. Andrew’s campus includes the main Sanctuary, which was designed by local architect Zelma Wilson, as a three quarter round worship space. The Sanctuary was consecrated on September 15, 1975.

Our six beautiful stained glass windows were designed by Judson Studios in Pasadena and include eight depictions of major events in our Judeo-Christian history. They are facing both the east and the west side of the buildings and the light from the rising and setting sun comes streaming through. They were installed in November 1975.

Our organ was hand built by famed organ builder Manuel Rosales Rosales in 1983. The Armento Columbarium is in the Narthex.

The Education Building houses four rooms for Sunday School: pre-school, elementary, youth program and child care for infants and toddlers. The Youth Room is also used for community meetings of AA, Al-Anon, and other 12-step groups. The third building of our campus is Fisher Hall, which includes a full kitchen, meeting room and storage. We hold our Hospitality Coffee Hour each The library is located in Fisher Hall. Sunday in this building. Church meetings, seminars, It contains over 1,000 books. workshops, the shelter and AA meetings are held here.

Outside Fisher Hall is the St. Andrew’s Labyrinth, which is open to the community, as well as parish members for contemplative prayer.

St. Andrew’s kids enjoy playing on the campus grounds.

6 Year Income Statistics

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pledging Units 61 57 60 60 74 52

Pledged $177,862.00 $191,741.00 $192,765.00 $202,435.00 $190,048.00 $173,500.00

Received $176,903.00 $186,379.00 $185,134.00 $189,105.00 $179,023.00 $0.00

Plate $30,642.00 $30,581.00 $51,352.00 $20,603.00 $45,191.00 $0.00

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6 Year Income Stats

Pledging Units Pledged Received Plate

Hopes & Dreams

St. Andrew’s began a search in 2009 with the hopes of growing our small church in cultural diversity and attracting more families and youth. We find ourselves in 2016 hoping to do more of the same. Hospitality is something that comes naturally to our entire congregation. We work to make our church attractive and inviting as well as easy to access, our worship service inclusive and easy to follow for newcomers, and our Sunday School and Youth Program a place for all children to feel they belong. Everyone is invited to share in the Eucharist each Sunday “… no matter where you are on your spiritual journey.”

Over the last seven years we have worked to improve St. Andrew’s by participating in the Natural Church Development process of identifying, through surveys taken by the parish, our strengths and weaknesses, and actively taking this information to make changes and improvements in our Worship service and in the ways we understand our spiritual life at St. Andrew’s. We have committed to this organic growth model of regularly assessing St. Andrew’s vitality. Our beautiful Ojai Valley community is important to all of us and we hope to continue an active participation in community activities with our new Rector - continuing to provide food and shelter in the winter months to the Valley’s homeless population with the other churches in Ojai, and continuing with a rector who wants to be an active presence in our community as well as our parish. Growth is important to us. And it includes our personal growth as followers of Christ, spreading the Gospel throughout our community, by our actions within the community, and by offering each other the support and encouragement we all need to understand and live active Christian lives. We invite you to take a good look at St. Andrew’s and at the Ojai Valley and prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to be our next Rector.

Qualities we are seeking in a new Rector We are seeking a spiritual leader whose skills, values, and purpose closely match ours. Based on the survey responses

from our parishioners the following qualities are important: A Priest who has experience with, and is excited about, attracting younger parishioners and families with children. A Priest who wants to be actively involved in both our church community and the greater Ojai community where

we live. A Priest who is a competent and gifted preacher. A Priest who is looking for a long-term home/commitment We are currently exploring the idea of serving the Hispanic community of Ojai. Considering our vision for the future,

having a bilingual Spanish-speaking priest would be something to consider.

Qualities we are seeking in a new Rector….

The top five qualities from our parish survey (in order) include: 1. Preaching 2. Crisis Ministry 3. Youth Work 4. Teaching & Theology (tied) Following closely behind are: 5. Pastoral Care 6. Spiritual Guidance 7. Administration This quote from one of our parishioners is a good summary: “My hope and prayer is that we find a priest who will be strong leader with energy, enthusiasm, and vision

to shepherd our parish. A preacher with a passion for sharing the Gospel.... Someone who can lead us by example, who has integrity, someone who can help us grow in faith, and love us along the way .”

Community Profile

Ojai (pronounced O-hi)

Ojai, a city in Ventura County, California, is located just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles. The culture of Ojai is heavily focused on ecology, health and organic agriculture, walking/hiking, spirituality, music, and local art. Nestled in a scenic valley, Ojai is surrounded by orange groves and natural beauty, and is located just 15 minutes from the beach. Its climate and natural beauty foster its reputation as a place to restore and rejuvenate.

Ojai Museum, photo by Leo Braun Ojai is an equestrian-friendly community.

Ojai Valley Inn The Oaks at Ojai That heritage thrives today at Ojai's world-renowned spas and resorts. It is a destination for tourists with boutique hotels and recreation opportunities including hiking, biking and spiritual retreats.

Farmers' Market on Sundays features local organic agriculture. Ojai also has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement—such as galleries and a solar power company. Chain stores (other than a few gas stations) are prohibited by Ojai city law to encourage local small business development and keep the town unique.

The climate is Mediterranean, characterized by hot, dry summers, sometimes exceeding 100 °F (38 °C), and mild winters, with lows at night sometimes below freezing. As is typical for much of coastal southern California, most precipitation falls in the form of rain between the months of October and April, with intervening dry summers. The racial makeup of Ojai is primarily white - 73%, with representation from other races as follows: Hispanic or Latino 18%, African American 0.6%, Native American 0.4%, Asian 2%, and other races 6%. Over 50% of the population is age 45 or older, with 20% of these being 65+. 20% are under the age of 18, and 27% are aged 18 to 44. Ojai Unified School District offers the following options for public schooling: five elementary, one middle school and two high schools. There are also a number of well-known private schools including: The Thacher School, Ojai Valley School, Besant Hill and Villanova Preparatory School.

Thacher School Villanova Preparatory School

Lake Casitas Water Park Ojai has several public tennis courts in downtown Libbey Park. "The Ojai," the oldest tennis tournament west of the Mississippi River and founded in 1887, has been an early competition for many players who go on to earn one or more Grand Slam titles. Libbey Bowl is an outdoor amphitheater where concerts and The Ojai Music Festival are enjoyed by many people. There are two major golf courses: the Soule Park Golf Course, and the noted Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course.

The town of Ojai and its surrounding area is home to many recreational activities. Los Padres National Forest borders the town on the north, and many back country areas within the forest are accessible from Highway 33, the major north–south highway through town. Matilija Creek is a spot to enjoy splashing under waterfalls, backpacking, and soaking in a hot spring. To the west, the Lake Casitas Recreation Area offers camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking and a fun water park for families.

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles (http://www.ladiocese.org)

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles lives out God’s mission as a Christian community uniting some 70,000 Episcopalians in 136 neighborhood congregations and mission centers, some 40 schools and 15 other specialized service institutions located in six Southern California counties. Los Angeles is historically one of the five most populous and culturally diverse of the Episcopal Churches 109 dioceses overall. The Diocese of Los Angeles is led by its Bishop Diocesan, the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, elected bishop coadjutor in 1999. He is assisted by two Bishops Suffragan, The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce, and The Rt. Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, both ordained to the episcopacy in 2010. Diocesan Convention and the Standing Committee have accepted Bishop Bruno’s call for the 2016 election of a Bishop Coadjutor to succeed him upon his retirement in 2018. The Diocese was formed in 1895 by action of the Episcopal Church’s General Convention; the first convention of the new Diocese was held May 26, 1896, in Los Angeles. The first parish, St. Athanasius, started in 1864 and now located at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, has in 2014-15 marked its 150th year as the oldest continuing Protestant house of worship in Southern California. Highlights of the LA Diocese mission includes leadership initiatives in environmental care and food security, year-round stewardship, multicultural ministries, interfaith collaboration, clergy formation, spiritual direction, youth and young adult ministries, and strategic communication.