A VISION FOR THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST CHURCH

1. Our Mission

The mission of Christ Church is to make the love of Jesus Christ known, through the ministries of WORSHIP, CHRISTIAN NURTURE, PASTORAL CARE, and OUTREACH. We seek to embody the wider mission of the Church, which is to “restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (BCP, p. 855)

Christ Church has a 277 year history of doing ministry in this community. Rockville population is predicted to grow rapidly in the next decade, providing an unparalleled opportunity for Christ Church to welcome new people and meet expanding need among our neighbors. This is the right time for us to further develop ministries and provide adequate facilities to support a growing parish. One of our strongest community ministries is Christ Episcopal School, founded in 1966. CES has opportunity to double in size, but would need significant new space to offer this Christian-based educational experience to more children. The Jefferson Building, next door to us, is for sale and would provide premium parking space and excellent space for school and church. This Vision for the Ministry of Christ Church has been developed by parish leaders to share possibilities, following God’s lead to be good stewards of new opportunities for ministry.

 2. Overview of Current Ministry and Future Opportunities

a. WORSHIP

The worship space seats around 360, and the three Sunday services average about 300 total (approximate averages are 7:45-35, 9:00-145, 11:00-120). The 7:45 worship is a spoken service, a Children’s Choir leads the 9:00 service, and an Adult Choir leads the 11:00 service.

Needs and Issues:

	Define and develop a family/children oriented liturgical worship experience
	Develop a nursery that is welcoming for young parents and safe for children
	Some renovation and rearrangement in the church nave
	Replacement of sound system and possible acoustical enhancement
	Better practice area and storage space for choirs
	Vesting space for clergy and worship assistants
	Second full-time clergy and additional musician hours suggested

b. CHRISTIAN NURTURE

This area includes Children’s Christian Education, Youth Ministry, Adult Formation, Nursery (covered above), Hospitality and communication, Fellowship, and Stewardship; all focused on nourishing faith and growing disciples.

Needs and Issues:

	Additional classroom space for children and youth and adults
	Define the role of youth at CEC, dedicated space for Youth Ministry
	Additional part-time staff in Christian Education/Youth/Family Ministry
	Engage more adults in opportunities for growing as disciples (small groups)
	Lifestyle groups for nurture, support (singles, single parents, etc)
	Develop ministry of invitation for our growing population close to CEC
	Incorporation of new members into the life and ministry of CEC
	Upgrade all communications (signage, printed communications, webpage)
	Fellowship space during Sunday mornings
	Emphasis on the stewardship of spiritual gifts of members
	Discover new ways of approaching financial stewardship

c. PASTORAL CARE

In this area, we love and serve the people in our church, welcome others into our fellowship, and minister to people in life transitions through prayer and action.

 Needs and Issues:

	Increase awareness of spiritual gifts to be used in ministry of care
	Growing disciples and establishing more pastoral care groups
	Growing small groups for fellowship and support

d. OUTREACH

Outreach seeks to make the love of Christ real beyond our walls through ministries like Bargain Box, CMR, Samaritan Ministries, Loaves and Fishes, FISH, Sophia House, Chase Shelter, Diocesan Hunger Walk. Christ Episcopal School is a major outreach ministry of CEC, and exhibits these four areas of our mission in their educational life. Our school is a rich and fertile mission field for the ministry that makes known the love of Christ, and makes Christ Church known in the community. Our school has a significant opportunity to double in size and reach more children and families in our community.

Needs and Issues:

	Enlarge core of volunteers involved in outreach ministry
	Provide entry experiences/choices for new volunteers
	Develop a Social Justice/Advocate ministry
	Purchase Jefferson Building for CES expansion and parking

e. STAFF IMPLICATIONS

If Christ Church is to grow in accordance with God’s call to mission, and if ministry development occurs over a period of years within the context of committee leadership visions as reflected here, there must also be development in the professional and support staff. Some needs have been expressed in these areas:

	Second full-time clergy
	Youth/Christian Education/Family Ministry (additional part-time hours)
	Part-time music leader for alternative style worship, if developed
	Part-time caregiver in nursery
	Sexton (part-time)
	Clerical assistant (full or part-time)
	Coordinators for program areas like small groups, spiritual gifts, new member assimilation (all part-time)

f. FACILITY IMPLICATIONS

Based on the needs and issues identified by ministry leaders, the following facility considerations should be addressed:

	Purchase of the Jefferson Building for CES expansion and parking
	Sound system and reconfiguration of worship area
	Provide quality office space for current and projected staff members
	Update the HVAC system
	Convert Hillstrom House into Youth Ministry area
	Create signage for CEC/CES on Jefferson Street entrance
	Incorporate new parking area and develop traffic flow patterns
	Renovation of areas currently used by school (when vacated) include: McKay Room becomes nursery and music/choir space Dining Room/Kitchen is remodeled and upgraded Murdock Room is upfitted for educational fellowship space Update all restrooms and add elevator if possible

3. Components of our Ministry Plan

As the Vestry and ministry leaders begin to prioritize and make choices based on the broad-based Ministry Plan assembled in the last several months, several key components may become more clearly articulated. Some of the most likely immediate choices will be tested for support among CEC members during the Feasibility Study. Components are: 

	Purchase of the Jefferson Building for CES expansion and parking
	Developing our ministry beyond where it is currently, in order to serve current members and reach out to the predicted growth around CEC
	Renovation of significant areas of the current facility and infrastructure
	Developing our professional and support staff as our ministry grows

4. Capital Campaign Provides Seed Money for Ministry Plan

If the Feasibility Study reveals widespread support among church and school constituencies, the vestry may authorize a Capital Campaign to generate financial resources beyond the annual budgets of both church and school, designating the resulting funds expected to be between $1.25 and $2 million. Realizing that while CEC and CES have separate operating budgets, there is only one legal entity (Christ Church) which is responsible ultimately for all debts incurred. The purchase price of the Jefferson Building is $4.2 million, with yet-to-be-finalized costs of renovations for school use. Increased enrollment and revenue at CES is expected to cover the mortgage each month in the school’s budget. Capital Campaign pledges will be sought from all members and friends of CEC as well as the broad-based constituencies of CES (parents, grandparents, board, alumni, friends). The campaign provides seed money for a growing ministry in both church and school.  Vestry may designate campaign proceeds for:

	Ministry Development (prioritizing ministry initiatives and needed staff)
	Renovation of CEC facility
	Expenses and fees related to purchase and renovation of Jefferson Building

If $1.5 million is raised in a Capital Campaign (pledged by early June for a three-year period), these new resources could be distributed as follows:

	Ministry Development
	Jefferson Building and related costs
	Renovation of CEC facility

5. The Urgency of our Ministry

We live in the middle of a dynamic town center that is in the midst of growth and change.  Residential expansion is occurring all around us.  New municipal buildings are planned that will make the challenges of parking and traffic more intense in days to come.  Christ Church and Christ Episcopal School have for a long time lived in the ethos of a small village parish.  It is time for us to realize that we are in an emergent urban environment, with all of the benefits, as well as challenges such an environment brings.   We need to embrace the world around us with excitement and hope. 

Our mission is to continue to make the love of Jesus Christ known, but it is becoming clear that we need more disciples to carry out this mission, united and informed by the baptismal covenant of faith.  We need to heighten our collective call to work together, pray together, and give together toward the spread of God’s Kingdom. We want the Church to be able to help us know how we are called out by God to be Christ’s faithful ministers.

We have a parish day school that helps us define ourselves as a community that is rich in the ministry of Christian nurture.  The growth of CES in the future parallels a desire in the Parish to grow in the teaching of the faith to all age groups.  We will consciously seek to welcome all persons, with a particular eye to families with children.  A permanent nursery facility that is welcoming to young children and their parents is an important way of promoting this mission, as is a facility dedicated to youth and youth ministry.  Liturgy that seeks to be fully inclusive of children, and to assist them in their faith development, is an emerging key component of our mission as well. Such liturgy complements the rich heritage of Anglican worship that is ours .

 We must add, however, to the nurture of children the nurture of adults.  We need to be able to welcome those new to us with a means of helping them to answer the questions, “Where is Christ in my life right now, and how might I be called to serve him?”  The ability to form friendships that are grounded in faith, and the opportunity to discover personal gifts for ministry, are noted as key ingredients for growing discipleship. To this end, small group ministry is important.

Christ Episcopal School continues to be an important arm of our overall mission. It is becoming clear that the acquisition of the Jefferson Building would be a nodal event in the life of our Church, and Day School.  It represents the conscious call to move from maintenance of our current ministries, with little impetus for growth, into an expansion of our mission. However, new facilities space and renovation need to be accompanied by more ministry staff.  A full-time second clergy position, with special emphasis on evangelism, ministry development, and outreach, is an absolute necessity for our moving ahead in the life of our mission. 

Let us pray that God will give us generous hearts and wills to carry out this opportunity to make the love of Jesus Christ known in an even fuller and richer way.

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