We are a big-hearted, can-do parish family! We live into our present and dream
together for our future as we seek to serve God every day, loving and caring for
all people God puts in our path.
The 5 Mindfulness Categories are our guideposts, directing our efforts and
activities so we live our faith ever more fully as emissaries of Christ and agents of
change in the world. They are areas within the life of our parish that we strive to
focus on, asking ourselves how we are doing in each of these categories, and
looking for ways to improve, or try out new ideas for living into them.
We “run” all of our ministries through this criteria filter with the question, how
does this new ministry support our mission and vision that we believe God is
inviting us into?
1) Welcome & Invitation
A recent study of our parish strengths found that the “Good News” of God is
found in our community itself. Members, new and old, describe Epiphany parish
as warm, friendly, open, diverse, outreaching-serving those in need, accepting
and genuine. All the little things we do tell us and our guests a story. And we have
a fabulous story to share about ourselves as a community and about why our
faith matters to us. Our story includes many and varied activities such as our
parking-lot food pantry, our support for the Aurora House and the St. Theodore
food pantry, our Advent and Lenten studies, our trip to Vidler’s, youth
community projects and pilgrimage trips, relevant and inspiring worship
services, and so much more.
Welcome and hospitality are central to our faith. Hebrew scripture makes
hospitality a requirement, “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall
not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-
born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of
Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) The New Testament provides
frequent references to welcoming and the offering of hospitality to strangers. In
Matthew 25:35, Christ calls us to welcome one another: “For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me.” It is our goal to create a warm, safe, accepting, enjoyable, challenging and
inviting environment for all people.
Through prayer and worship, music, community service offerings, and shared
faith we seek to promote a nurturing and inspiring atmosphere. Having events
within and outside of church are important given they provide opportunities to
invite people into the wonderful mission and fun we have at Epiphany. It is our
hope that our joy and inspiration may encourage others to share the journey
with us.
2) Liturgy
The word, liturgy, comes from the Greek words meaning “the work of the people”.
Too often, the church has been content to see Sunday worship as the sum total of
its work. We go to church. We are members of a church. Even our ubiquitous
community signs, “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” betray an inward
orientation: come to us.
However, a different church, reminiscent of our origins, seems to be emerging: a
church focused beyond its four walls, reaching out with the love of God in Christ
to the world around us. We see “the work of the people” in simple, yet life-giving
things, when people step out in ways that are both holy and vulnerable.
All of this is “the work of the people”. All of this is the body of Christ breathing
new life into God’s creation. The work of the church is liturgy. It is prayers and
worship in our sanctuaries, and, it is our daily acts as part of the body: a kind
word spoken at the right moment, a simple “how are you” to a cashier, a gracious
moment in rush-hour traffic, an offering of communion to the homebound, or
food to the hungry—all these things can have a positive impact that ripples
throughout another person’s life.
We celebrate “the work of the people” as we find ways to be the body of Christ in
this changing time and place. We gather to pray, to celebrate these acts of
service, and to be prepared to be sent out to continue the work of Christ.
Christian Liturgy is therefore inherently missional, offered not just for our own
sake or that of those gathered, but for the benefit of the world. In the Western
tradition the liturgy is often called “Mass.” This term comes from the Latin word
missa or missio, which means “dismissal.” The Liturgy then is the time
designated to prepare us to be “dismissed” or “sent out” into the world. Mass is
what equips and encourages us to fulfill our baptismal vocation. It is the place
where we come to be prepared and sent out into the world to spread the Gospel.
The focus of the ministry of the Liturgy Planning Committee and the Music
ministry at Epiphany is Worship. The role of the Liturgy committee is to create
worship services that help all present connect with the sacred, remember who
we follow and why, imagine the relevance of our faith in daily life, and be
energized and sent forth to live that faith ever more fully as emissaries of Christ
and agents of change in the world.
Among the objectives of this committee are:
● to ensure that our liturgies inspire all people to live as members of the
body of Christ in their everyday lives,
● to create opportunities for our children and youth to participate fully in
the sacramental life of the parish,
● to examine and ensure that we use diverse music to enhance worship for
all, and
● to increase leadership in the various liturgical roles, including: Crucifer,
Acolyte, Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Home Visitor, and Altar
Guild member.
3) Children & Youth Leadership Development
The children and youth of Epiphany are a blessing and a gift to all members of
the parish community. Our children and youth bring new ideas, new questions,
and different needs, but the same desire to connect and be respected members of
their faith community.
Our Church School is an inclusive community of children and youth, led by
parishioners, both parents and non-parents. Our vision of Church School is of a
place where love abounds, where children and youth gain a deeper
understanding of God in a space where they are free to question and explore their
faith.
All ages of children are welcome at Epiphany, the back of the sanctuary has a
quiet area with rocking chairs, books, toys and quiet activities for the youngest
parishioners. Epiphany also has a separate nursery room which can meet the
needs of infants and preschoolers. This room is open to families to care for their
young child and provides audio access to the church service for parents and
provides open space for the children to play.
Church School (Pre-K- 5th Grade)
Sunday school is available to pre-kindergarten to fifth grade during the school
year from September through June. Sunday school starts at 9:45 am and the
children will join in the church service following the Peace. Sunday school is held
most Sundays during the school year but no classes are held during holidays and
school breaks. The church school calendar is posted on Epiphany’s web site.
Special events include service projects, youth social events, and involvement in
the Sunday church services.
Journey to Adulthood (J2A)- Grades 6- 12)
The Journey to Adulthood program (J2A) is a complete youth ministry of
spiritual formation for young people in 6th through 12th grades. Bible study,
prayer, rites of passage, outreach ministries and both serious and playful
activities are just some of the methods used to underscore its core messages. The
J2A curriculum is based upon the needs and interests of the youth. Ingrained into
the J2A curriculum is the space to explore and strengthen their faith, and enter
into leadership opportunities within the life of the parish. Some of the
opportunities include pilgrimage trips, community projects, time for fellowship,
and leading and designing Sunday Worship Services.
There are three two-year segments: Rite-13, J2A and YAC. Each section lasts for
two years, and that 2 year grouping of teens will stay together until they
graduate from high school.
Rite-13- active program
The first two years (sixth and seventh grades) focus on celebrating the
individuality of each young person and his and her creative potential. The Rite-
13 liturgy, reminiscent of the Jewish bar and bat mitzvah, bring this segment to a
close.
J2A- to start Fall 2025
The middle portion of the program (eighth and ninth grades) engages youth and
the skills and critical thinking needed in adulthood. The youth plan and embark
on a pilgrimage together at the end of this segment. A mentor and student work
together as they prepare for Confirmation.
Young Adults in Church (YAC)
YAC students are encouraged to accept more adult responsibilities and to
contribute time, talent and treasure in ways that support the ongoing work of
the church. Vocation and development of a personal credo are also emphasized.
Our objective is to be a community that empowers our children and youth to
grow in faith and relationship with God and one another, develop their
leadership skills, and put their faith into action.
4) Adult Formation and Fellowship
The vision for Adult Formation and Fellowship is to create an inviting and joyful
community that will cultivate our minds and spirits to strengthen us as
christians in reflecting Jesus Christ’s love and acceptance of all people. Adult
Formation is meant to help people learn and grow their relationship with God,
and put their faith into action. In this effort, we strive to offer a variety of
formation and fellowship opportunities throughout the year with the hope and
expectation that these offerings will:
● strengthen our faith,
● help us to articulate that faith,
● deepen our relationships with each other,
● help us be advocates for others, especially those in need
● empower us to grow in love and courage to do the work God is inviting us
to do.
Fellowship provides opportunities to celebrate life and the joy of our wonderful
Christian community, to learn more about our friends, to express our gratitude
for the many blessings we enjoy, and to laugh.
The objective for Adult Formation and Fellowship is to provide social activities as
well as educational/spiritual activities that inspire and delight adults and
strengthen our community.
5) Community Engagement/Social Media
The vision for our parish is to be fully engaged with the Gates/Chili Community.
The purpose of social media is to help develop connections between our parish
and the world around us by creating excitement and awareness in everything we
do as a parish, from Sunday services and internally focused activities/events to
what we do outside of our own church. It is through the sharing of our vibrant
faith community and participating in local community events that we can enable
others to be curious and become excited about who we are. Social media offers
opportunities for us to invite others to join us in all that we do, and to show that
we are a joyful and thankful community grounded in the good news of Christ
that all are worthy and all are welcome.
The parish website, Facebook and Instagram accounts are tools we use for
communicating our story to the public. We strive to make these sites welcoming,
inviting and easy to navigate as they are the first place many people go to check
us out before they decide whether to visit.
Our goals for Community Engagement and Social Media are:
● to create an inviting, positive online presence that raises awareness and
excitement about what we are doing inside and outside the church.
(Examples include showing children and youth enjoying activities,
parishioners having fun, advertisements about local activities we
participate in, and offers invitations for guests to attend our church events
or services.)
● post frequently to keep our accounts current and interesting.
● Revamp our website to make it more user friendly and attractive