An earlier version of this article appeared in the February 2009 edition of the Winged Ox, St. Luke’s parish magazine. Here the Interim Rector suggests some things uniformly agreed upon by the parishioners of St. Luke’s, and some things that they might agree need a little work.

Going a Little Deeper

On March 1^st, we will gather in Church House once more, to further our understanding of ourselves, and what we stand for as an Anglican parish. This article is intended to provide raw material for that session.

What we all agree upon

1. Heritage buildings: In the November 2, 2008 survey, parishioners overwhelmingly affirmed this statement: “I know it is very expensive to maintain St. Luke’s buildings, but it is worth it!” We have a beautiful English-style church, bell-tower, and parish hall, deemed to be heritage buildings by the Province of Manitoba. Clearly we agree that these structures are important and worth the expense and labour of their upkeep.
2. Solemn, formal liturgy: In the November survey we were emphatic that we do not seek to have “more informality and a ‘contemporary’ feel” in our Sunday worship. Worship at St. Luke’s is solemn, stately, classical, careful, and formal… and we like it that way.
3. Distinguished organ & choral music: A major element of the Sunday morning experience at St. Luke’s is the music of choir and pipe organ. It is deliberately prepared and presented in a style reminiscent of an English cathedral. Although for those who attend the 8:15 AM service music is not a requirement of worship, for almost everyone else the motets, anthems, psalm tunes and eucharistic settings that are offered to God by our choir and organist are an essential and valued part of parish life.
4. Care for the poor and for 3^rd World children: We contribute to the education and well-being of children in Uganda and in Haiti – some of the poorest and most disadvantaged children in the world. We also operate a weekly drop-in centre for the poor and homeless of our neighbourhood. Many of us contribute generously towards these projects, and a clear majority believes that these ministries are an essential part of St. Luke’s parish life.

On March 1^st we will gather as a congregation to confirm these items for our Parish Profile booklet, and there will be opportunity to add to them, or modify them.

Is there something else that we agree upon that must be included in the above?

Is there something here that is incorrectly stated?

We will work on this together on March 1^st, following the 10:30 AM service (and a Delicious Dishes lunch).

St. Luke’s Mission Statement

A look at the Mission Statement that was made for St. Luke’s several years ago confirms that the above four items have been the core values of this congregation for a long time.

The MISSION of St. Luke's Church is to provide a physical and spiritual base in which to worship God in the style and tradition of the Anglican Church, to administer and receive the Holy Sacraments, and to foster the extension of God’s Kingdom through acts of Christian faith and love.

The physical… base in which to worship God is certainly (1) our Heritage buildings. In this statement we also lay claim to (2) the style and tradition of the Anglican Church. Our (4) mission to the poor is referenced by the phrase: acts of Christian faith and love.

The only thing not explicitly mentioned is (3) our distinguished style of music. Such an omission could be remedied by stating “…worship God in the music, style, and tradition of the Anglican Church…”

However, a more explicit and specific Mission Statement might serve us even better. What if we were to say the following about ourselves?

The MISSION of St. Luke's Church is to proclaim the glory and majesty of Almighty God, by maintaining and enhancing our heritage buildings, and by offering worship in the words and music of the Anglican tradition; and to follow Christ faithfully through service to people in the world’s poorest places, and to the poor and homeless of our own neighbourhood.

Please come on March 1^st prepared to consider a statement such as this.

Things that need work

We must now begin to form some consensus about the obstacles and difficulties we face in trying to accomplish our mission. So far, we have not been able to form a consensus about how to deal with such obstacles, and when we try to discuss them, tensions and hard feelings can frequently emerge.

In this Interim time we may at least be able to agree on the items that must be addressed, even if we cannot agree on solutions.

On March 1^st we will attempt to discuss, add to, modify, or subtract from the following list of things that need work:

1. The way we discuss parish finances: Our beautiful buildings are our greatest asset and provide our most serious difficulties. We know that maintaining them is hugely expensive, and in the November 2, 2008 survey we said that it is “worth it.” However, we are not coping well with the expense. For ten years we have spent more money than we have brought in, dipping into savings to cover the shortfall. We have cut back on staff, letting go a full-time verger/caretaker and making do with volunteers and a number of small contractors (cleaning, yard work, and a one-day-a-week handyman).

We have rented out our space to the point where there is hardly any left for us to run our own parish programmes, and yet in 2009 rental revenues will cover only 12% of our operating expenses (possibly even less, since the tenants use heat and light, and occupy considerable staff time).

Fundraising projects are greatly reduced from former days. We used to have the Whale Sale, but its members have retired or died, and today’s active church members are very nervous about the enormous time and energy commitment such projects demand.

We are also nervous about the option of actively seeking to increase the regular financial offerings of our membership.

Still, we have managed to considerably enhance the buildings over the past decade: replacing the Church House floor, installing a Columbarium, making the whole complex accessible via a ramp and an elegant multi-storey elevator/lift, and much more. This was done through vigorous fund-raising, generous designated gifts, and by withdrawals from our trust funds.

But the constant financial pressures continue to bedevil our conversations with one another.
2. Being a “Destination” church: We come from all over to attend St. Luke’s. Only 32% of the households on our parish mailing list live in the vicinity of the church. The rest pass by a number of other Anglican churches on their way here. Very likely we go this distance because we have deliberately chosen St. Luke’s for its buildings, its liturgy, its music, or its outreach ministry.

Because our membership is so far-flung, however, we do not necessarily see one another in our daily lives (at the grocery store, the bus stop, the skating rink), and in fact many of our parishioners are strangers to one another.

As well, “dropping in” at the church can present a problem, so mid-week events are few, and it is not convenient for organizers to drop by for half an hour to help set up for, or put away after, parish activities. In the end, the “faithful few” go the extra mile to put on events, and their helpers are not numerous.

Another component of being a “destination” church is that the informal communication networks are not extensive. News does not travel quickly, and many people do not know about things until too late.
3. Pastoral Care: Because our internal networks are poor, an individual who falls ill, or who misses church for other reasons is not immediately missed, or telephoned by concerned parishioners. All the burden of care then falls on the clergy, who themselves might not miss someone in a big Sunday morning crowd. Signs of a loving community – a pot of soup or a lasagne brought over in time of need, or a flower, or a get-well card at the bedside – can be scarce.
4. Children & our Core Values: We have a surprisingly large Sunday School for a parish of this kind. It is well-run and enjoyable for the children. However, we have not developed very effective ways to help our children learn about and enter into our core values: these heritage buildings, the traditional liturgy, the fine music, and our ministry to the poor. This has already been mentioned, and need not be further elaborated upon for now.

Going deeper

There may be other obstacles to carrying out our central mission that have not been listed here. If you can think of some, please bring them forward when we gather on March 1^st.

Solving problems such as the above is not the task of our interim time, but naming them, and beginning to form a common vision of how we might address them is our task and our duty. You are invited to participate as fully as you can, as this ship begins to move forward.

The Rev'd Canon Tony Harwood-Jones, Interim Incumbent