The Church
of the Epiphany The Church
of the Epiphany
(click to enlarge)
1839 Arroyo Avenue
San Carlos, CA 94070
The primary mission of the Church of the Epiphany is "To know and share God’s light." Our goal is to create and nurture a vibrant Christian community that seeks to support both its members and the broader community through faith and action.
We support this mission with focused efforts to:
The Church of the Epiphany was organized in 1947. Members built the present parish hall and used it for services until 1959, when they completed and dedicated a new church. The church building was consecrated in January 1981, after the mortgage was paid in full.
This dynamic parish is actively engaged in the community and in the Diocese of California (www.diocal.org). We are part of the Peninsula Deanery, which includes 18 congregations. Seven delegates represent us at the annual Diocesan Convention.
The past two decades have been a period of marked spiritual growth, dramatic membership increases, and strong expansion of programs in education, formation, outreach, children, youth, and pastoral care. In recent years, great effort has gone into the development of lay leaders. We believe that participation in the ministry of the baptized serves to deepen our spiritual awareness and understanding of how God works in our lives. Many powerful ministries have grown out of this belief. For example, we have one of the largest children and youth programs in the deanery and the diocese—and these programs are supported by many lay volunteers. In addition, we have an active Vocations Committee that supports those who feel called to the ordained ministry; we have been blessed with the opportunity to sponsor four people for the priesthood.
The Church of the Epiphany is located in San Carlos, the "City of Good Living", in the heart of San Mateo County, an area with a productive economy led by computer, bioscience, and service industries. As part of Silicon Valley, the area has been adversely affected by the recent economic downturn, and many Epiphany parishioners have been jobless for extended periods.
For more details, please visit the parish’s Web site at www.churchoftheepiphany.org.
Our Church is located in San Carlos’ residential area, across from a large city park called Burton Park. The church building, parish hall and play yard occupy approximately two-thirds of an acre and are surrounded by mature trees and well-kept grounds.
The Gothic-style church has a nave and sanctuary arranged like a miniature cathedral. The nave seats 350. Forty-two stained glass windows, located on all four walls of the sanctuary, depict the four Gospel Evangelists and various Biblical themes. Eight brightly colored tapestries, woven by a parishioner, hang on the rear wall of the church and behind the altars in the sanctuary and the chapel. The chapel, which opens off the nave, is used for special services and for post-communion healing prayer.
We are fortunate to have two musical instruments in the church: a classic six-foot, seven-inch Sohmer grand piano and a Praeludium III Galanti digital organ from Mondaino, Italy. The organ, dedicated November 19, 1989, has three manual stops and 45 speaking stops, for a total of 55 ranks. Its three chambers are divided between the chancel and the gallery at the rear of the church.
The parish hall seats approximately 175 for meetings. It has a stage, a comfortable lounge for informal group meetings, and a large, fully equipped kitchen. The building also houses classrooms, a library, a nursery school, and staff offices. Several community groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and the Girl Scouts, use the parish hall. We have a long-term relationship with Sequoia Parents Nursery School, which uses the second-story facilities five mornings a week during the school session. They maintain an enclosed play yard and preschool rooms that the church uses on Sundays and for special events. The residential area and the lack of onsite parking limit new construction on the property.
The parish hall and church building underwent a major refurbishment after a 1996 Capital Campaign raised $412,000. Improvements included stained glass window repair, refreshing the parish hall, major repairs and upgrades to the office and classroom wing, and phone system upgrades. In 2001, a second campaign raised $95,500 to refurbish the playground. Both campaigns included a 7.5% set-aside for outreach to be given to "bricks and mortar" projects of outside groups and another 7.5% for future capital maintenance requirements. The maintenance fund has since been spent on additional phone and computer upgrades, repairs to the parish hall doors, and installation of a monitored fire alarm system and other fire-safety upgrades. A small portion of the outreach ($11,500) segment remains.
The rectory is a detached, single-family home located in a quiet, residential neighborhood about one mile from the church. It is within walking distance of public transportation, shopping, the public library, and parks. The 2,500-square-foot house has three bedrooms, three baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, office/bedroom, deck, and two-car garage.
The church office is staffed by two part-time employees: a Parish Administrator and a Bookkeeper. The Parish Administrator works approximately 25 hours per week. She is responsible for office functions and provides administrative support for the Rector and the Vestry, coordinates internal communications, and oversees office volunteers. The Bookkeeper works approximately 10 hours per week. She performs all bookkeeping tasks and tracks all church accounts under the supervision of the parish treasurer. In addition to the paid staff, volunteers assist with office work and mailings and write, edit, and publish a monthly newsletter. Custodians provide weekly cleaning and yard maintenance. The office is equipped with networked personal computers, photocopier, fax machine, and voicemail.
The Church of the Epiphany welcomes all people into the community and celebrates and honors diversity. We are a family of God with a strong sense of community. The parish continues to grow annually. In 2004, we have:
Many parishioners consider Epiphany an extended family, and many have called it home for years. While children are probably the most visible segment of the parish, our church family is blessed to have members of all ages. About 555 members come to church at least six times a year, while many of that number attend on an even more regular basis. Average Sunday attendance is more than 220 people.
The broad array of ministries and relationships that exist within the parish are evident both Sunday and throughout the week. Inreach programs aim to meet the needs of our parish family, while our outreach programs look to serve the community in whatever ways seem most needed. We actively share our faith with those outside of our church, while we focus on meeting the needs of our own parishioners. We provide opportunities for spiritual growth and sustenance throughout our adult formation programs. To help our children and youth learn and grow as Christians, we support church school programs and active Junior and Senior Seekers youth groups.
While our sense of community is paramount, we recognize and appreciate our differences. We hold diverse political views and theological beliefs. Nevertheless, our sense of connectedness binds us as we worship together and grow as a Christian community.
Worship services at Epiphany are the core of our Christian community. We look forward to celebrating together on Sunday, when our hearts and minds meet for spiritual renewal. We use Rite II in The Book of Common Prayer at both the 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday services. In addition, we use Enriching Our Worship to enhance our services.
Our 8 a.m. service, which does not include music, is regularly attended by about 25 people who have a strong sense of community and who gather in the parish hall for coffee after the service for continued fellowship with one another and with parishioners arriving for the 10 a.m. service. Our 10 a.m. service draws greater numbers of people and is the main service for most families with children. Our superb choir enhances the beauty of the liturgy at the later service. In addition, a dozen or more worshipers gather each Wednesday at 10 a.m. for Eucharist and Healing Prayer.
While we value the traditions of the Episcopal Church, we are open to broadening our worship experiences. We have grown accustomed to homilies that blend Gospel lessons, personal experience, and biblical scholarship. While some of us have grown up in different denominations, many are life-long Episcopalians. We invite all baptized Christians, including children, to join us for communion.
A subgroup of our Worship Committee is exploring the possibility of adding a third service using alternative music and liturgies.
Special services during the liturgical year feed us spiritually. As with our weekly worship services, we welcome the opportunity to experience alternative celebrations during these special seasons.
During Advent, we have a tradition of doing a service of Lessons and Carols. On Christmas Eve, the children present a Christmas pageant in the afternoon, while a traditional Christmas Mass in the candle-lit church is held in the late evening. We celebrate Christmas Day with a morning Eucharist. At Easter, we observe the Easter Vigil with baptisms and, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Risen Lord with a glorious sung Eucharist. We mark the Feast of the Epiphany with a candle-lighting service.
During Advent and Lent, we offer mid-week evening Eucharist followed by group prayer and discussion. Although attendance is limited, it is a cherished part of the season for those who participate.
Altar Guild members prepare the Table for Sunday services, special services, weddings, and funerals. They decorate the church for liturgical holidays and maintain Eucharistic vessels, vestments, and linens. Lay Eucharistic ministers assist with the Eucharist and read the Prayers of the People. Young people in grades four through high school are invited to serve as acolytes. In addition, some of our youth act as Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Lay Lectors read the lessons at both services.
We are thankful to have Cortlandt Bender, a music minister with exceptional gifts in choir direction and liturgical planning, and an experienced organist leading our music program.
Our Children’s Choir Program was launched in 2003 and included nine children ages five to 11 years old. The Children’s Choir sang for worship three times, including Palm Sunday and Mothers Day. In the fall, five more children joined and attendance stabilized.
Members of the Children’s Choir work to learn music in order to lead in worship. Music and text are used to teach the children about faith, Jesus, Bible stories, and the meaning of the Church Year. Of course, the children also learn rhythm, music reading, group interaction, and singing technique.
Music in the worship services changes seasonally. The adult choir is exploring the use of more chants and sung Psalms that include congregational involvement. The choir used "praise choruses" and music from Taizé and will continue both in the coming year. Worship music included special solos as was appropriate, while other special innovations included the use of brass at Easter, a flute duet with the children’s choir, a piano duet, piano solos, and a solo cantata with string trio.
There has not been a tradition of a Senior High Choir at Epiphany, but there is much talent among the Senior Seekers, and those 15 years old and older are encouraged to join the Adult Choir.
The Adult Choir grew in numbers and skill during the year. Eighteen choir members participate consistently. The group has been working on an ensemble sound, many new anthems and singing a cappella. The choir sang 24 anthems from January to June and 21 from September to January. They learned several canticles, new hymns, and other service music.
There are many opportunities for parishioner involvement at Epiphany. Vestry members have leadership roles in our work. Many church members participate in various projects, programs, and on-going activities and act as Lay Leaders to manage and coordinate various ministries.
The Vestry consists of 12 parishioners who are responsible for meeting the material needs of the parish, caring for the clergy, and enabling all aspects of Epiphany's ministry. Four Vestry Members are elected to three-year terms at the Annual Parish Meeting each January. Leaders of the Vestry are the Senior Warden (appointed by the Rector) and the Junior Warden (elected by the Vestry), who each serve a one-year term. In 2003 and 2004, the Vestry elected two Junior Wardens. Each Vestry member serves as a liaison to one or more of the 10 broad ministries of the parish. Vestry meetings occur on the second Tuesday of each month in the parish hall, and members of the parish family are welcome to attend. A Clerk, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer are appointed by the Vestry to assist the Vestry in their work. The Rector, Deacon, Vestry, Clerk, and Treasurer attend an off-site retreat in February to build their working relationships and plan for the coming year’s activities.
The Worship Committee is dedicated to helping to plan and implement a variety of major worship events. Often, seasonal services include a number of services for a given day. For example, Good Friday observances included an early morning prayer service, a noontime Stations of the Cross and an evening Good Friday commemoration. Another Epiphany tradition is the Maundy Thursday service, with foot washing, Holy Eucharist, and a meal of traditional foods.
This year has also been a time for the beginning of new traditions. For the first time, we used brass instruments in the Easter service. Other special services included an All Faithful Departed service on the evening of November 1, which served as a memorial for all in our parish who wished their loved ones to be remembered, and a wonderful combined service on December 14 of Solemn Evensong with Advent Lessons and Carols.
As always, the Christmas Pageant on December 24 was a joyful and moving time for all, with the children of Epiphany coming together to perform the miracle of Christ's birth in a lowly stable, and family choir leading our congregation in heartfelt worship.
Discussions around a third service have continued to take place, with careful and considerate thought being put into the efficacy, format and timing of this potential additional dimension to Epiphany's worship calendar.
The Pastoral Care Ministry's mission is to identify the needs for pastoral care within Epiphany and to organize opportunities for the community to address those needs. Our efforts in this area constantly remind us that we are the heart and hands of Christ in the world and that we are acting out our spirituality in very real ways by actively seeking to serve the needs of the people around us.
Members coordinate and provide emergency meals, visit the sick and shut-in with the Eucharist, offer healing prayer and laying on of hands in the chapel during communion, participate in daily prayers on behalf of those that are sick or in need, conduct a support group for those that are seeking employment, and write Sunshine Cards to those who are in the hospital, have lost a loved one, or are homebound.
The major accomplishment for 2003 was the institution of our pastoral visiting program. Every Sunday a specially commissioned Lay Minister brings the Eucharist to anyone who desires it.
Goals for 2004 are to extend the pastoral care network, provide more opportunities to involve individuals in prayer, and foster programs to support new and under-served groups within the church and in the community. During Lent, we are launching an Eldercare Outreach ministry program at Bayview Villa, a local independent living facility.
The Hospitality and Newcomers Ministry sponsors a variety of programs that add to the welcoming nature of our church. They greet members after the 10 a.m. service and help identify new members, invite them to coffee hour, and introduce them to other parishioners and leaders of groups that might interest to them. This group also organizes interested parishioners into Foyer Groups, which offer an opportunity to socialize and develop fellowship and expand the circle of the Epiphany Community. Most of the Foyer Groups, which meet in people’s homes, include 10-12 adults.
Our Annual Parish Retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch over Labor Day weekend offers a time to build friendships through a variety of activities such as swims, morning walks, tree house trips, art and music workshops for kids, our ever-famous happy hour, and Evening Prayer and Sunday services. Our annual, much-anticipated Picnic takes place at Burton Park, across the street from the church.
Epiphany Outreach focuses on sharing God’s light in our local community through diverse activities such as Amnesty International letter writing campaigns (five in 2003 ) and participation in the local Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together programs, Healthy Cities (a locally-organized tutoring project), and Holiday Ingatherings. Rebuilding Together sponsored the repair and remodeling of a local home with the participation of 10 Epiphany volunteers and a grant of financial support. The Second Harvest Food Bank continues to receive the support of parishioners through monthly work nights and a financial grant.
Epiphany continues to include its youth in Outreach with several Children’s Service Projects each year, which allow children and families to participate in reaching out to a broader community. Last year, these projects included making Easter decorations for a local senior center, assembling packages of personal items for shelter residents, and creating Christmas cards for patients at San Francisco General Hospital.
In addition, the Outreach Committee initiated hosting of Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) families and was host to several homeless families four times in 2003, with financial support from the parish. Epiphany is now part of the regular rotation of hosting facilities and looks forward to serving IHN families four times in the coming year.
For several years, Epiphany sent a group of teenagers to Mexico to help build local housing. Last year, the Mexico Mission Trip was held jointly with Trinity Presbyterian Church, also in San Carlos. In 2004, we will make the trip on our own for the first time.
Team Epiphany, an ever-changing group of active outreachers, continued to participate in sport and recreational fund-raising activities including the Lung Association’s Bike for Breath, the Episcopal Charities Walk-a-thon, and the Human Race.
Children’s Ministry completed its first year of the new Godly Play curriculum for grades Pre-K through third grade in June. In September, we engaged the fourth grade as well. We had a very dedicated group of 15 teachers and four teen assistants who prepared and taught the lessons each Sunday morning. We sponsored four of our teachers in a Teacher Accreditation Course and held two doorkeeper classes for Godly Play. We also revised the middle school church school curriculum in September. Five middle school teachers have been successfully using the adapted Godly Play stories with their older students. Next year, we will introduce another set of lessons. By the end of the following year, we plan to have developed a three-year curriculum cycle that will serve as the long-term model for 5th to 8th grade Church School instruction.
Church school children participated in four social ministry events, in conjunction with the Outreach Committee. They made Easter baskets, stuffed socks with donated toiletries, painted boxes for the Thanksgiving Ingathering and made Christmas cards. The children participated in the highly-successful Zaccheus play. During two months of rehearsals and play revisions, our Children’s Minister did an outstanding job bringing this production to the entire parish community. Members helped with the sets, props, and costumes. During the summer, we also had Summer Clubs, which offered special projects to the children every Sunday.
This year, the Children’s Ministry will enlist volunteers to build more classroom shelves and to make the less intricate lesson materials, explore additional art response time activities that will enrich the children’s experience, strive for more consistent attendance of the children, enrich our teachers’ experiences by providing them with all the support they need, and do another play-creation project with the children in the Spring and a Vacation Bible Camp in the Summer. The Vacation Bible Camp would focus on exploring a theme or story from the Bible through visual art, creative drama, dance, and music and would take place every day for a week.
Our Youth Ministry is formulated on the contact point model (Handbook for Ministries with Young Adolescents, Episcopal Church Center, 1996), which provides a framework of consciousness to interconnect youth in the life of the faith community. The Youth Ministry works to guide youth on their faith journey; grow relationships with God, with peers, and among the generations; and sow the seeds of spiritual interconnection that will become the foundation of adulthood. This Ministry is supported by a Youth Ministry Committee, which meets monthly and is comprised of adult mentors, two vestry liaisons, the youth minister, Rector, and various youth leaders.
The junior high school ministry, called Junior Seekers, regularly meets on Wednesday nights during the school year. Using the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) curriculum to plant the seeds for leading a spiritual life, Junior Seekers also incorporates community service activities, field trips to other faith communities, movie nights, and fun outings. The group is vibrant and energetic group; its members are visibly active in the church, serving as acolytes and readers for special occasions during the worship service and volunteering to aid the nursery and Sunday school. In addition, this past year they participated in the Zaccheus play, hosted an Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) night, and sang Christmas carols to seniors at San Carlos Elms. This program thrives largely because of adult volunteers who work with the youth minister in program- and event-planning, mentoring, and youth advocacy.
The senior high ministry, called Senior Seekers, gathers regularly on Sunday evenings from seven to nine p.m. during the school year. Senior Seekers have recently been engaged in a dialogue on inclusion, leaving a legacy, and fostering a heart of compassion.
Many Senior Seekers act as acolytes, volunteer as teachers for the Sunday school program, and baby-sit in the nursery. Senior Seekers serve in the choir and as Lay Eucharistic Ministers and play music during worship. Many are involved in youth leadership in the Diocese of California as members of the Youth Council, counselors at BREAD camp, or staff for the youth-led Happening retreat. Over the past four years, Senior Seekers, along with adult volunteers, have participated in a mission trip to build homes for needy families in Mexico.
Epiphany has a very active Acolyte Program, including 14 Crucifers and Servers and 15 Torchbearers. Our Acolytes serve each Sunday at the 10 a.m. service and on special days at the request of the Rector. Students are invited to become acolytes beginning in the fourth grade and continuing through high school.
Our youth resonate a deep yearning to embody the Gospel through action. They have an eagerness and understanding of faith that the Rector can build upon in creating an intergenerational faith community.
The Facilities Ministry engaged in three major activities during 2003: general buildings and grounds maintenance; planning and installation of life safety equipment and alarm systems in the parish hall, offices, classrooms, and nursery school areas; and rectory maintenance.
In 2004, the committee is committed to continuing the maintenance of the facilities to the same standards as in the past. We will schedule at least two volunteer workdays to tackle many of the lingering cleanup and repair tasks that exist for the landscaping and the interior and exterior of the buildings. In order to develop an accurate assessment of the church facilities for planning and budgeting, we will contract with a professional building inspector to advise us on the condition of the structures and mechanical/ electrical equipment and systems, identify potential problems both near and long-term, and advise us on possible remedies.
To facilitate greater parish involvement, we plan to divide the ministry into subgroups to focus on particular areas of the Rectory, facilities maintenance, grounds and landscaping and major projects.
During 2004, the Communications Ministry made strides in streamlining communications within the community. The group produced and posted new signs and banners at the church for special events. The group created new areas on the website, including a new photographs section, sermon recordings, key announcements, and updates about parish life. The Beacon, our parish newsletter, was published 11 times.
In 2004, the Communications Ministry plans to continue these activities, and in particular focus on expanding Website features and content and enhancing publicity for Epiphany and its activities. The committee will also perform a full inventory of all art at Church of the Epiphany for record keeping purposes.
The Stewardship Committee, which has recently been refocused as a group that attends to financial matters on a year round basis and which is now called the Finance Committee, managed two campaigns in 2003.
The first concentrated on Time and Talent and was held in the spring. During this campaign, parishioners completed specific questionnaires to determine interests, time, and special skills that they would be willing to "pledge" as volunteers. The Stewardship Committee compiled these questionnaires and forwarded them to other ministries for contact and eventual participation.
The second started in November and focused on the annual financial pledge. The campaign included pledge packets containing information on the expenses and income of the church as well as a series of personal testimonies held during services. All vestry members made two rounds of follow-up calls to members to encourage timely submission of pledge cards.
The Finance Committee will set financial policy for the parish, manage our
endowment, coordinate year around stewardship activities and communications,
plan fund-raising activities, and develop a plan to build up financial reserves
for maintenance and other long-term parish requirements.
Adult spiritual formation and education are areas that our membership is interested in expanding, with a focus on increasing participation. During 2003, this ministry sponsored a variety of activities. Alpha continues to thrive—the team led the third Alpha course at Epiphany from January to April and the fourth from late April to June. The Alpha team also offered a seven-week survey of the Bible (Bible 101) in conjunction with the April Alpha course and repeated it in September, followed a five-week Gospel 101 series.
The Adult Forum between Sunday services continued though the year. Formats for the Forum varied from general discussion of the Sunday service readings to prepared sessions on prayer. A Wednesday night Lenten series centered on the Gospel of John. An Advent series on prayer was held on Wednesday nights and on Sunday mornings.
An informal Bible study group took place Thursday nights; one series provided an overview of the whole Bible and another focused on I Corinthians.
Plans for 2004 include Practice of Prayer, a seven-week series exploring different approaches to prayer, a Lenten Series, continuation of current programs, and a new ministry aimed at creating personal connections between parishioners.
San Carlos (www.cityofsancarlos.org), which was incorporated in 1925, is located equidistant between San Francisco to the north and San Jose to the south. It is about 400 miles north of Los Angeles. The area enjoys a temperate climate, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. In 2002, the population was 27,900. Over 11,600 dwellings were occupied, and 2,868 children were enrolled in school.
San Carlos has a mix of housing types and a small but well-established business and industrial section. The city’s proximity to jobs and its safe neighborhoods, good public schools, extensive recreation programs, and attractive parks make it appealing. The number of families with school-age children has been increasing, while the number of seniors has decreased. Median household income in the city is over $85,000. The median home price in San Carlos is over $700,000, which is mid-range for Bay-Area housing prices. Many residents have advanced degrees. While the population of the Bay Area is ethnically and racially diverse, San Carlos has remained homogenous—more than 80 percent of local residents are Caucasian.
There are four outstanding elementary schools, one charter learning center, two middle schools, three nearby public high schools and two community colleges in the area. There are two private schools and eight nursery/pre-schools. Six major, neighboring universities include University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, and San Jose State University. The Church Divinity School of the Pacific and The School for Deacons are also located in nearby Berkeley. Three hospitals are located within four miles of San Carlos, while the well-known Stanford University Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center are also nearby.
San Carlos has two museums, 11 churches, a new library, a new youth center, a senior center, 14 parks and eight playgrounds. Major golf courses, the Pacific Ocean, state parks, camping and other facilities are all very accessible. Both San Francisco and San Jose offer urban amenities that include museums; theatre, ballet, and opera companies; and symphony orchestras. Recreational opportunities are numerous: open-space preserves just west of the city offer biking, picnicking, and hiking. The Santa Cruz and Sierra Nevada Mountains offer camping, skiing and backpacking.
San Carlos is served by US 101 and Interstate 280 for north/south traffic and is halfway between State Highways 92 and 84 for East/West traffic across the bay and to the coast. The city is served by the Santa Fe main line, while commuter train service is provided by CalTrain to San Francisco and San Jose from the historic San Carlos Depot. San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans) provides regional and local bus. SamTrans also coordinates its service with other regional agencies (CalTrain, BART, Santa Clara County Transit, etc.) San Francisco International Airport is 11 miles north. San Jose International Airport is 25 miles south.
For further information, see www.sancarloschamber.org/demographics.htm.
Epiphany held Town Meetings in November 2003 and January 2004. During these meetings, the congregation discussed parish life and programs and identified our unique challenges and opportunities.
As is healthy for any parish, there is a variety of opinions about what Epiphany is, can, and should be. Three areas stand out as particularly important to us as avenues to our spiritual life or growth: worship; community, both within the church and outside of the church; and Christian education.
Our membership stresses that Epiphany is primarily a spiritual place to worship and touch God. Members appreciate the aesthetic characteristics of the church and its grounds, which create a contemplative environment. Epiphany values its strong and vibrant music program, with our minister of music and our organist. The members of Epiphany agree that a strong focus on music ministry should be continued. While we enjoy our traditions, we are open to fresh ideas; for example, we are discussing a third service that would be oriented to youth and young adults.
When asked "What is Epiphany to you?", people responded overwhelmingly that community and fellowship are important aspects of the church. The church community is viewed as a fun, warm, welcoming, loving, family-oriented place, for people of all ages and stages of spiritual growth. Families with children appreciate the openness with which children are accepted, both through support given for their education (through Godly Play for the younger age group and Junior and Senior Seekers for teenagers) and their integration into the worship services. The children love the large number of friends and relatives who make up the community and the fun they experience while participating actively in the life of the community.
Although many members of the church have grown up within the Bay Area, many others do not have family roots in the area. Both groups look to the church community as an extended family.
This theme of "Epiphany as a valued community" was echoed in the responses to the question "What should we start?" Frequent responses were a social and educational men’s group, activities for older adults and parish potlucks. Among the valued social activities that should be continued are the family retreat, Shrove Tuesday dinner, Maundy Thursday evening, the book club, Foyer dinners (small groups who share dinner and fellowship in each others’ homes once a month) and the youth programs.
It is also important to members that the church, both as a parish and individually, continues our current efforts to connect with the broader community. People value the welcoming nature of Epiphany and want to extend that welcome to visitors and newcomers. When asked outreach activities should be continued, parishioners gave high priority to the annual Mexico mission trip, Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), in-gatherings, Healthy Cities tutoring, Building Together projects and Team Epiphany fund-raising.
Christian education stands out as an area that people value and wish to expand. The response to Godly Play has been notable and evident—and we are confident that our education of youth and children is strong. Our next step will be to enhance our adult education offerings and to find ways of encouraging a broad range of parishioners to participate.