St. Hilary’s Episcopal C h u r c h

Dear Prospective Rector:

Each week, at each service at St. Hilary's, we say the prayer to the left to ask God's help in leading us through an intentional, prayerful search process. We know that you, too, ask His help in your own search. It is our sincere desire that God's Holy Spirit be with you as you review our parish profile. In it, we have attempted to accurately present St. Hilary's, both in terms of our strengths and our weaknesses. We hope you will see not only who we are as a congregation, but also what we hope to achieve in Christ's name.

We are a parish with much to offer our community; we are seeking a rector who can guide us into the next phase of our parish's history. We are a parish full of gratitude for the blessings God has poured upon us; we are seeking a rector to help us praise Him. We are a parish blessed with diverse opinions; we are seeking a rector to unify us fully in God's love. Are you the one we seek?

Yours in Christ,

The Search Committee of St. Hilary's Episcopal Church

Almighty God, giver of every good gift; Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~Amen.

Are you the one we seek?

• 1958--a mission church, St. Hilary's, is formed as only the second Episcopal church in Fort Myers

• 1965--Fr. Robert Browning becomes vicar of St. Hilary's mission• 1967--ground is broken for our current location on six acres of

land near the center of Lee County• 1968--Fr. Browning is called as St. Hilary's first rector, and more

than 500 members call St. Hilary's their spiritual home• 1970s--further expansion includes the construction of a rectory,

the purchase of a sexton's home adjacent to the main church buildings, and the installation of our pipe organ

• 1980s--construction of our current Parish Hall, named Browning Hall

• 1996--Fr. Browning retires• 1998--Fr. Bob Hennagin accepts the call to serve as St. Hilary's

second rector• 2008--we celebrate both our fiftieth Anniversary and the

completion of major renovations to our sanctuary • January 2012--Fr. Hennagin seeks another call, and St. Hilary's

begins transition• April 2012--Rev. Denise Gray Guinta accepts call as interim

rector• July 2012--our assistant rector, Mtr. Kelsey Hutto accepts call

our history

St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church is described by many as a powerful statement in brick and wood to our faith in God. The building's beauty lies in its infinite circle, with faceted stained glass windows receding from the altar toward the picture window of St. Hilary, our patron saint, at the rear of the sanctuary.

Our six-acre campus also includes a rectory, a sexton's home, an education wing and fellowship hall adjacent to the sanctuary, a spacious parish hall, and a large recreation area at the rear of the buildings. The rectory, for exclusive use by our new rector and his or her family, is a 4 bedroom/3 bath home with a two car garage, full kitchen, laundry room, dining room, playroom and screened lanai. This building will undergo remodeling and renovation during the summer of 2013 in preparation for its new occupants.

our campus

We are striving to be a welcoming community...

As the "destination" Episcopal church in Fort Myers, St. Hilary's attracts parishioners from all over Lee County; many of us drive past several other Episcopal churches to attend services each Sunday, and many have sampled other churches before settling on St. Hilary's as their spiritual home. We are also considered the area Episcopal church that best serves youth and young families, due to the focus and resources we devote to this ministry.

Our parish is made up of people in all age ranges, though a recent parish survey (completed by 180 members of our congregation aged 16 or older) revealed the majority of our responding parishioners are over age 50 and the majority are retired. Most of us are full-time, though approximately one quarter are seasonal attendees. We are also a very loyal bunch, as three-quarters of us have attended St. Hilary's for six years or more and 80 percent report attending services weekly. We are a well-educated congregation; most of us have completed some degree of higher education.

St. Hilary's Mission Statement: We are striving to be a welcoming community in which people can know Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and fellowship,

and make Him known through outreach and service to those in need.

Four weekly services bind us together as a spiritual community. Our main Sunday morning services, currently held at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., are attended by a combined total of roughly 300 people each week. Both of these broad to high-church services include a spoken Eucharist, using Rite I at the early service, without music, and Rite II at the later. The 10:30 service is a family-friendly service, with hymns sung by the congregation and choir accompanied by our professional organist with a specific effort made to incorporate youth as readers and acolytes. Several times throughout the year, the youth of St. Hilary's organize a special youth-focused and youth-led service, with specially selected music, prayers and sermons. St. Hilary's also offers a Saturday evening "Come as You Are" service, with Rite II Eucharist and contemporary praise music accompanied by our keyboardist. Finally, we celebrate a healing Eucharist each Thursday morning without musical accompaniment.

Like most churches, our numbers swell during Easter and Christmas. At these times, 250-300 additional people join those who regularly attend to hear God's word and celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In addition, each year St. Hilary's clergy baptize six to ten souls, celebrate one to two marriages, and officiate over six to seven funerals per year. Finally, a special service celebrating the Blessing of the Animals on St. Francis Day draws more new and interesting "members" to the Body of Christ each year.

...in which people can know Jesus Christ through worship,

prayer and fellowship...

SERVICE TIMES

Sunday8:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

9:15 a.m. Church School

Saturday5:00 p.m.

Adult women's and men's ministries are represented by many different groups at St. Hilary's. The largest, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) "empowers women to do Christ's ministry in the world." St. Hilary's ECW accomplishes this through biannual community rummage sales and an annual bazaar featuring handmade arts and crafts created by St. Hilary's members. The Men's Action Guild (MAG), open to all men of the church, is dedicated to community outreach and church maintenance and construction projects.

...and make Him known through outreach and service to those in need.

Under the guidance of Music Director Stephen Brittain and our professional organist, Alena Michel, the St. Hilary's choir inspires and leads the congregation each week in joyful mu-sic. Using a balanced repertoire of traditional hymns from the 1982 Hymnal, music of the masters from the sixteenth to twenty-first centuries, and other spiritual resources, we worship through song every Sunday. On Saturday evenings, keyboard accompaniment and contemporary praise music are offered. In addition, over the last several years, St. Hilary's has funded and hosted concerts by renowned pianist Frederick Moyer as well as recitals by local music students.

One of the ways St. Hilary's parishioners minister to each other is through a strong tradition of lay participation in the Eucharist. There is a very active corp of lay participants, including Eucharistic ministers and readers, as well as a committed group of vergers

and acolytes, both youth and adult. Eucharistic visitors bring communion and fellowship to those who are unable to attend church, and

the congregation at large (according to the parish survey) believes pastoral care should

be a responsibility shared by the clergy and laity.

lay ministry music ministry

The calling of our current Assistant Rector for Youth and Families, Mtr. Kelsey Hutto, reinforced St. Hilary's commitment to our children and young adults. A fully-staffed nursery is available for babies and toddlers during each Sunday service as well as during several weekday activities. Weekly Sunday school classes for children in pre-Kindergarten to high school are taught by volunteer parishioners, and we offer Children's Church as a parallel service during the regular 10:30 a.m. Eucharist, between the Gloria and the offertory. We hold Vacation Bible School each summer, along with opportunities for service to the local, regional, and international communities. The Youth of St. Hilary's (affectionately known as YOSH) meet regularly for fellowship and Christian education, often with meals provided by members of the congregation. Throughout the year, we also enjoy family-friendly activities like the annual parish picnic, Epiphany pageant, Halloween Trunk-or-Treating, and the outdoor Easter egg hunt.

youth & family ministry

St. Hilary’s undertook a fully-pledged $750,000 renovation to the sanctuary in 2007, roughly one year before the financial crisis hit. A combination of uncollected pledges and additional unanticipated property repairs meant the church needed to take out a substantial loan from the diocese in 2011 to refinance the original construction loan. Reduced pledge amounts during the recession also forced the use of nearly all accumulated operating reserves. Since 2010, the parish has operated under a strict balanced budget, and has once again achieved annual financial stability, although reserves remain low.

In mid-2012, St. Hilary’s received a substantial bequest from a member’s estate and the vestry voted to establish a permanent endowment fund with $50,000 of the bequest. The endowment fund policy was approved by the vestry in February 2013 and a board has been formed to oversee its implementation.

At St. Hilary's, we have a strong history of single-purpose fundraising campaigns, including the renovation campaign mentioned above and the drive to fund the assistant rector position created in 2012. We also maintain a strong financial commitment to the Diocese of Southwest Florida. Recently however, due to our

transition, we have seen the number of pledging units dwindle but we have seen a commensurate

increase in the financial commitment made by those who still pledge.

our finances & stewardshipSaint Hilary's  Episcopal Church

2013 Budget Approved January 8, 2013

2012 Budget 2012 Actual 2013 BudgetRevenues Pledged Income 490,000$ 429,459$ 480,000$ Plate / Special Offerings 82,050$ 92,511$ 88,300$ Other Income 3,000$ 31,476$ 3,000$ Total Operating Revenues 575,050$ 553,446$ 571,300$

Expenses Work Outside the Parish 62,427$ 59,189$ 59,981$ Personnel 310,460$ 260,560$ 295,514$ Youth & Parish Programs 19,475$ 18,475$ 22,725$ Admin., Buildings, Grounds, & Utilities 136,150$ 170,710$ 136,700$

Other Expenses 31,412$ 28,908$ 41,462$ Capital Improvements Contingency 15,000$ -$ 15,000$

Total Operating Expenses 574,924$ 537,842$ 571,382$

In early 2013, members of St. Hilary's completed a parish-wide survey to provide greater insight into what the parish sees as its strengths and weaknesses. Based on the responses of 180 members of our parish age sixteen and older, most of our challenges stem from the problem of "the 80/20 rule"; 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people. Programs seem

to start off strong, with attendance and enthusiasm tapering after a time due to burn-out of parish leaders. Engaging and encouraging both new and established parishioners is our biggest challenge. St. Hilary's parishioners see the following areas as specific opportunities for growth under the leadership of our new rector:

• Welcome and retain newcomers through a strengthened ministry of greeters and ushers

• Provide more comprehensive pastoral care• Improve adult education offerings, especially in the areas

of Bible study and Christianity as it relates to daily life• Strengthen local and international outreach ministries• Increase participation in the acolyte program along with

improved acolyte training

our challenges & opportunities

According to the parish survey, our next rector will show particular strengths in the areas of:

• Preaching• Spiritual leadership and guidance• Creating a sense of shared community• Inclusivity and welcoming of diversity• Pastoral care and counseling• Sustaining growth of the parish

the rector we seek

Both lay people and clergy have a role to play in church life, according to the parish survey. The congregation felt the following responsibilities could be shared:

• Christian education and training of lay persons in church-related roles (i.e. acolytes, vergers, greeters, etc.)

• Community service and outreach

• Diocesan and deanery service

• Pastoral care, spiritual guidance and counseling

The following traits are most important in our new rector:

• An outgoing and dynamic personality• Excellent communication skills• Ability to balance pastoral and administrative

responsibilities• Strong personal faith

Known as the "City of Palms," Fort Myers is located in historic Lee County, which includes the neighboring cities of Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, and Sanibel-Captiva Islands. Against the backdrop of the scenic Caloosahatchee River and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the county is home to about 615,000 people, with an average age of about 40 years and 25 percent of households reporting children under age 18. With an average yearly tempera-ture of 75 degrees, Fort Myers' population swells during the tourist season from November through April; we live in an outdoor enthu-siasts' paradise! The county hosts spring training for two Major League Baseball teams, a professional minor league hockey team and a minor league baseball team. The area also offers innumera-ble options for boating, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors.

Cultural opportunities also abound. Comprised of a seventeen-acre botanical garden, museum and laboratory, the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are among the top ten visited his-toric sites in the country. Other local museums include the Calusa Nature Center, the Imaginarium Science Center, and many smaller galleries and art houses. Residents and visitors can also enjoy con-certs, lectures, and performances at the Barbara B. Mann Perform-

about fort myers

ing Arts Hall, the Alliance for the Arts, and the Laboratory Theater of Florida. The nationally-recognized Florida Repertory Theatre is the area's premier professional theater company. Downtown Fort Myers, five miles from St. Hilary's, has recently undergone a renaissance and hosts monthly outdoor music and art fairs.

Lee County Public Schools offers diverse programs such as a Microsoft-certified high school, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and one of the top-ranked International Baccalaureate high schools in the world. Approximately sixty private schools afford further educational opportunities. Post-secondary students can attain undergraduate and graduate level degrees through Florida Gulf Coast University and Edison State College, both members of the State University System of Florida.

The largest employment industries in Lee County include govern-ment, retail/trade, leisure and hospitality, professional and busi-ness services, education and health services, and construction. Expansion Magazine recently ranked Lee County second on their list of “top large counties for recruitment and attraction.”

about fort myers

Search committee:

Ben Lane, ChairmanKarin Winter, Vice-chair

Anne Kearns, ClerkDebby Tripp, Chaplain

Tyler Bumsted Dennis Carlton-Jones

Bob CasperEric Jones

Libby MaxwellNancy TerrellTrevor Whitley

Vestry:

Lori Uhrig, Senior WardenBob Casper, Junior Warden

Muriel BowersJo Lane

Chuck LunsfordTerri McVety

Ruth MeredithJanet Mutzabaugh

Nancy TerrellTed Tripp

Trevor WhitleyDavid Wyly

St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church 5011 McGregor Boulevard Fort Myers, Florida 33901

(239) 936-1000 www.sainthilarys.org