St. Luke's Parish Profile 2021 - St. Luke's Episcopal Church
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St. Luke’s Parish Profile
2021
1
Welcome
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is an open, inclusive, welcoming church whose passion is
gospel-centered and focused on our mission to know God and to make God known to all
those whose lives we touch. Our modern ‘windows as walls’ church in the trees is a place of
worship, fellowship, learning and mission to the surrounding community. We invite you to
share in our prayer and peace, our praise and thanksgiving, our joy and song, and our
comfort and light while bringing into our church the outside beauty of God’s creation.
We are a congregation of committed year-round and seasonal residents who are
searching for a new Rector who will teach us, guide us, and minister to us as we grow in our
relationship with God and one another. Our parish is known for its welcoming atmosphere
to all who enter for worship or involvement in any of our outreach programs.
We are seeking a spiritually dynamic rector who will lead us as we continue our
readiness for ministry to others, while developing new strategies to reach the community
surrounding the church. We are an adaptive church willing to make adjustments to the ways
we function to meet the challenges necessary to flourish.
You are invited to explore St. Luke’s through this Parish Profile and/or through our
website at www.stlukesfl.org. We look forward to meeting you.
2
VISION/MISSION/VALUES/GOALS OF THE CONGREGATION
St. Luke’s Mission Statement:
“To know God and make God known.”
St. Luke’s Vision Statement:
“To be an open, inclusive, welcoming and innovative community, empowered by
the Holy Spirit and centered in Christ and His teachings.”
The core values, also referred to as CARITAS, were developed by the Diocese of Southeast
Florida and adopted by the Vestry in 2017. Caritas is Latin for "charity, grace, love." The
Core Values of St Luke's are:
Community – To develop friendships between and among different people or groups and
a sense of sharing common interests and fellowship.
Accountability - Responsibility. To be answerable to God and one another for one's
actions.
Respect - To honor and revere God and to regard others as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Inclusion - To value and embrace people of all races, genders, religions, socio-economic
backgrounds, and sexual orientations.
Transparency – To be open and clear in actions, words, and deeds.
Authority -To be subject to God's moral influence and to the Church's threefold sources
of authority - scripture, tradition and reason.
Service – To assist others through outreach and worship.
3
Quadrants
To promote these values, the Church's work is undertaken through Quadrants developed
by the Rector and the Vestry after input from the congregation and adopted in 2008.
(1) Worshiping: To love God and express that love through meaningful religious services,
prayers, and devotions. To refresh our spirit, challenge our minds, and sustain us through
meaningful and uplifting worship.
(2) Belonging: To feel happiness in a secure relationship and to belong to something
exciting. To offer a safe haven in which to grow relationships with God and one another.
Programs include weekly meditation, monthly Dining Out with Friends, and yoga.
(3) Learning: To provide experiences that nourish our Christian commitment (knowing
God) and encourage us to share our faith with others (making God known). Adult
programs are offered. Other programs and events include the Woman’s Retreat,
Daughters of the King, and Cursillo.
(4) Sharing: To become joyful givers who use our God-given talents and spiritual gifts to
serve God, the community, and one another. To welcome newcomers with open arms. To
see Christ in all. Here are a few specific programs which provide outreach to our local
community: the TRUE fund, meals to LAHIA (Love and Hope in Action), the Back-to-
School Event, and Angel Tree program.
4
St. Luke’s provides food weekly to the LAHIA ministry. Our TRUE fund assists people in
need who seek our help. The Back-to-School Event provides filled backpacks to children far
and wide. The monthly Italian Night Bingo also involves people from throughout the region.
Parishioners who staff it and those who participate treat all those who attend with kindness
and the love of Christ. St. Luke’s has also hosted a School of the Arts, a Dance School, daily
sessions of Alcoholics Anonymous chapters, and a variety of other organizations. During the
pandemic, when we have been unable to have the Back-to-School Event, and the Angel Tree
Program, we have made significant contributions to our nearby Boys and Girls Club to
continue our dedication to children’s ministries. Our annual ladies’ luncheon and fashion
show also attracts many participants beyond those registered in the parish. Also, several parish
members participated in the diocesan Becoming a Beloved Community program.
In our sharing quadrant we are very proud of our annual Back-to-School Event. It is
especially fulfilling because it involves, in one way or another, virtually everyone in the
worship community and beyond: those who plan the event, those who contribute or
Sponsor-A-Child, those who purchase the backpacks and contents (negotiating better prices
for charity), the several dozen parishioners who fill the 700 backpacks, those who spend the
day helping to distribute the backpacks (the families receiving them line up in the church so
as not to stand in the August heat – our 350-seat sanctuary filling up three times), and those
who pray for success – all committed to the needs of the seven hundred students who
receive the free backpacks and a book, and the option of a free haircut.
Also, recently, the full array of worship ministries has adapted wonderfully to the challenges
of the COVID pandemic: New technology has been adapted to broadcast Sunday worship
live to those at home; we provide outside services to members who attend in cars, or spread
out in chairs, and we have another socially distanced outside service on Wednesday morning
in our memorial garden. Daily online bible readings have been provided. The Vestry and
other committees have met by Zoom. All in the hopes of keeping as many connected as
possible.
5
RELATIONSHIP/INVOLVEMEMNT WITH/DESCRIPTION OF THE DIOCESE
St. Luke's and the Episcopal Church
St. Luke's appears typical of other
churches in the Diocese and in the
Episcopal Church at large in terms
of demographic trends from 2016 to
2021 (e.g., attendance, plate
collection, etc.) with one notable
exception. Average Sunday
attendance is generally declining in
the United States. The Episcopal
Church reports a 13.0% decline over
the last 5 years and a 2.4% decline
from last year. The Southeast
Florida Diocese reports 12.1% and
0.7% declines respectively for the
same time frames. For St. Luke's, the
same time frame shows a 5.6% decrease and a 2.2 % increase in average Sunday attendance.
Of the six Episcopal Churches in the immediate area, St. Luke's is one of only two who
reported growth in this area. Of the six churches, St. Luke's ranks third in average Sunday
attendance.
Among the six Episcopal churches in the area, St. Luke's ranks fourth in giving per
Sunday worshippers and third in giving per baptized member. Such data can be easily
distorted if a church has a donor who is extremely generous. Through fiscal conservancy
and from funds raised by several of its ministries, St. Luke's has been able to recover from
the dire financial straits resulting from the 2008-2009 recession. It should be noted,
however, that plate/pledge collections still remain significantly under pre-recession levels.
It is also considered significant that both giving per baptized member and giving per
Sunday worshipers are also below 2008-2009 levels. In other words, there is room to
grow.
6
DESCRIPTION OF LITURGY, MINISTRIES, ACTIVITIES, ORGANIZATIONS
In pre- and, God willing, post-COVID times we have an 8:00 a.m. Rite I service, a 9:00 a.m.
contemporary service, and a 10:00 a.m. Rite II service. All three services are imbued with
community spirit from start to finish. The 8 o’clock service is quiet, traditional, reflective,
even contemplative. The 9 o’clock service is both lively and intimate, with most congregants
standing gathered in the front of the church. The contemporary folk-style hymns are
accompanied by guitar and led by the guitarist. The 10 o’clock service is enriched by the choir
and by hearty congregational singing. At all three services, virtually everyone knows the names
of at least a majority of fellow congregants. Prayers of the faithful are heartfelt and a feeling
of concern for those mentioned in the prayers is palpable.
Newcomers to St. Luke’s are greeted, invited to socialize in the parish hall, and made to feel
most welcome there. Without pressure, newcomers are invited to consider one or more
ministries that seem, after weeks of interaction, to meet their interests and talents. One of the
hallmarks of St. Luke’s is openness to new participants in all aspects of parish life. There is a
specific ministry of welcome, whose members politely approach newcomers and invite them
to the social hour and then accompany them and introduce them to others. Members make
an effort to connect with
newcomers, to invite
them personally or by
phone to parish events,
and to be sure they are
introduced to others at
those events. Twice a
year, there is a series of
group meetings to
welcome newcomers and
assist them in deciding
whether formally to join
the congregation. In
some church communities, current members may feel a kind of ownership of certain
ministries, especially leadership positions. St. Luke’s is in some ways remarkable for how open
it is to inviting both newcomers and current members to explore new ministries and to take
on positions of leadership and responsibility.
Here are brief descriptions of the rich array of ministries, activities, and organizations that
enliven our St. Luke’s parish life, organized under our four Quadrants:
7
WORSHIPING
(1) The Altar Guild is a group of
dedicated women and men who are
faithful in their mission to have a
beautiful table set for the Lord’s Feast.
Their participation is crucial to the
preparation of each service by setting
the Table, arranging flowers, and
supporting any special service
throughout the year.
(2) Lectors or Lay Readers read
the Lectionary lessons on Sundays and
Wednesdays.
(3) Eucharistic Ministers serve
upon the Rector’s training and
recommendation for approval by the Vestry with license then issued by the Diocese.
(4) Eucharistic Visitors are a ministry that is an extension of worship as they take Holy
Communion to those who cannot participate on Sunday, whether ill or homebound. The
Rector trains and recommends approval by the Vestry for licensure by the Diocese.
(5) Daughters of the King members take vows of a Rule of Life, centering on daily
prayer for the spiritual life of the parish, our clergy, and all names presented on the prayer list
of the parish.
(6) Ushers welcome, give bulletins, direct visitors, read the Prayers of the People, and
collect the offerings at each service.
(7) Maundy Thursday
Dinner follows the service
with a candlelight dinner
where scripture is read by
many participants as they
share food and quiet time.
(8) The Labyrinth
Walk is a ministry used as
meditation and prayer tools
for each person twice a year,
before Lent and before
Advent. The Labyrinth is a
metaphor for the journey to
the center of your deepest self and back out into the world.
(9) Screen Techs monitor the pre-service screen announcements, present the text of the
services on the screen as the liturgy progresses, and film/stream the service for those unable
to attend.
8
BELONGING
(1) Coffee Hour Hosts volunteer to provide food and host a coffee hour following the
10am service each week.
(2) Thanksgiving Day Dinner brings together those who want to share this day with
others at St Luke’s. This includes parishioners, their families, and friends, and others outside
the church community. Each person brings a dish to share and the church provides the
turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy.
(3) Preparations for Baptism, Confirmation, and Marriage are all included with the
Belonging Quadrant.
(4) Martha’s Guild prepares meals to be served after a funeral service, per the family’s
request.
(5) New Members, Greeters, and Ushers Committee greet visitors, welcome and reach
out to new members and make the ministries and programs of St Luke’s known to the
community. This is accomplished by welcome packets and new-member meetings each
month, as well as publicizing the church’s activities and services online and to local
newspapers.
(6) St Luke’s Fellowship Dinner brings together congregants from all three church
services to have a time of sharing, learning about ministries of St Luke’s, and getting to know
other Parish members.
9
(7) Dinner Out with Friends is a newer addition to this quadrant. Anyone from any
service can sign up to have dinner with other parishioners in a local restaurant monthly. This
is just another way to get to know others in the parish and keep people connected.
LEARNING
(1) Children and Youth Education -- Nursery and Godly Play (age 5-8), Good News
Bearers (age 9-11), IGnite (middle/high school, college age).
(2) Vacation Bible School -- a ministry of interactive Bible stories, related music, crafts
and sharing of personal stories and snacks, as each child learns about other children in America
and around the world.
10(3) Women’s Retreat -- a ministry to all women (whether Episcopalian, other
denominations, churched or unchurched) to have a place for support.
(4) Women of St Luke’s meet monthly to provide fellowship, work on projects for the
church, and recognize the Lord in their lives. The Women hold an annual Fashion Show and
Luncheon each Spring, assist with the Women’s Retreat, and direct the “Souper Bowl” Sunday.
11(5) St Luke’s School of the Arts provides outreach to families to promote the personal
development of students by cultivating self-expression, critical thinking, and aesthetic
awareness as they grow as spiritual members of our community. Adults are provided with
classes for Balance and Yoga. Students are involved in a performance camp each summer that
culminates in a presentation directed by Anna Preston of the Preston Contemporary Dance
Theatre.
(6) Other educational experiences throughout the year are held for adults related to the
church calendar and the need for Confirmation classes.
12SHARING
(1) Cursillo Ministry is to maintain and promote the activities of the Cursillo movement
for current Cursillistas and to recruit new Pilgrims.
(2) The Back-to-School Program is sponsored by parishioners, a grant from Episcopal
Charities, our Sponsor-a-Child program, and money raised by the St Luke’s Car Show to
provide backpacks to community children in need. The program has grown to include
haircuts, free books for children, free
socks, therapy dogs to pet, fire
engines to board, a sheriff’s car to sit
in, face painting, a game bus to play
video games, and puzzles and games
to play while waiting to enter the
Parish Hall to claim their backpacks.
Also, the children and families are
given juice boxes, water, cookies, and
snacks. Seven hundred (700)
backpacks were distributed at the
most recent program.
(3) The Feeding Ministry is a
program to help feed the local
homeless and hungry in our area by
providing sandwiches weekly to the
local LAHIA ministry that is
supported by several churches
throughout Martin County.
(4) Bingo is usually held in the
Parish Hall each Friday, with two
teams of volunteers alternating to
provide this recreation time for the
community and raise money for the
church. There are many faithful
community members who have also become involved in other activities of the Parish. Also,
there is a regular Bingo Italian Night the third Thursday of each month that is popular with
the Parish and members of the community.
13(5) St Luke’s Thrift Store operates three
days a week during the season and two days in the
summer. They have an annual large sale each year
that includes outside rental tables for baked
goods and arts & crafts in which the community
enjoys participating.
(6) The TRUE Fund of St Luke’s is an
active part of this Parish and community. The use
of a debit card for the account has made it easier
to work with motels, gasoline stations, and grocery stores. The Fund also provides gas cards
and Publix gift cards to those in need. The parishioners’ donations monthly allow the Fund to
help many in need.
(7) The Behling Scholarship Committee
awards annual scholarships of $500 to students
entering or attending college. These students are
members of the church or related to church
members.
(8) The Annual Car and Craft Show is a community event to benefit the Back-to-School Event.
As well as cars entering the show, there are also vendors at tables and food prepared by church
members.
14(9) Angel Tree is an
attempt to provide Christmas
gifts to children whose
families cannot afford to
purchase gifts or who do not
qualify for other programs in
the county. Church members
provide the gifts from tags
taken from the tree and the
gifts are delivered by the Angel
Tree committee of volunteers
by December 21st.
15PARISH HISTORY
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church was founded in
the fall of 1975 in Hobe Sound. On October
24, 1980, the Eleventh Annual Convention of
the Diocese of Southeast Florida admitted us
into union with the Convention as the
Congregation of St. Luke’s Church, Port
Salerno, with Priest-In-Residence, the Rev.
John V. Higgins. St. Luke’s also acknowledged
the assistance of St. Mary’s, Stuart. The Rt. Rev.
Calvin O. Schofield, Jr., celebrated the
dedication of the new church in November of
1981, and the second and current church in
February of 1986, with the installation of the
Rev. James Minshew as rector, whose ministry
began in 1985. The Rev. Carol Barron was
called as co-rector effective January 1, 2006, as
St. Luke’s began a transitional period preparing
for the retirement of Rev. Minshew. The Rev.
Barron served as Rector from August 2008
until her retirement on October 31, 2020.
During the tenures of our two rectors, several
men and women also served the congregation: Deacons Cass Dailey, Don Whalen, and Carol
Graves (Carson-Hull). Our current Priest-In-Residence is the Rev. Stephen Fregeau.
In the almost 44 years of our existence, the “glass church in the woods” has grown from a
small group of determined friends, to a congregation of 450 in 2019. Like the little fishing
village of Port Salerno, whose tides ebb and flow, so have the many people and varied missions
and ministries of St. Luke’s. We began in rented spaces and have grown to a lush campus with
five buildings for worship, administration, belonging, sharing, and learning. We have known
financial struggle early on and during the recession of 2008. We have also realized great
financial gifts and the celebration of paying off mortgages in 2016. We have had small response
to children’s programs, but we have given away between 500 and 800 filled backpacks to the
community in each of the last 10 years. We have consistently supported homeless individuals
with food, clothing, and showers as needed. We have also offered financial assistance with the
TRUE Fund and support services with flexible meeting places for recovery groups.
16When we ushered in 2020, we knew we were facing change. Just not as we thought. We knew
we were welcoming a new and experienced Minister of Music in Randy Umfleet, and we knew
we would say good-bye to our beloved Rector. However, we could not have imagined the
flexibility demands of a global pandemic as it impacted our community and parish. We
responded under the leadership of our former Rector with daily prayer via YouTube, and with
Dr. John Clark, an epidemiologist church member, informing the Rector and Vestry of up-to-
date statistics on the virus, we were able to make informed decisions on protocols and
planning. We purchased equipment to video-record church worship services when only a
small team of four were allowed inside the church. Our Rector and Vestry created and
submitted a plan for re-entry to inside worship that was approved by Bishop Eaton. That plan
remains in effect as of April 2021, and will remain so moving forward. Even though Rev.
Carol received extensions to her planned April 2020, date to retire, those concluded on
October 31, 2020.
Our able Vestry and Wardens, along with our Minister of Music and Priest-in-Residence,
continue the work. Our “Drive In” Sunday morning worship has thrived and has been
augmented with a lawn-chair service. On January 10, 2021, the first Sunday after Epiphany,
with new equipment and the commitment of our ministers and staff and vestry, we began new
live-streamed worship in real time for our parishioners. When Martin County enjoyed a
COVID testing positivity rate of less than 5%, we began a second service with assigned seats
and designated areas for people to sit 6 feet-plus apart, and reinstated our 10 am traditional
service in the sanctuary. We continue to know God’s grace and presence as we seek to know
God and make God known.
17PARISH AND COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
St. Luke's ministers to a diverse
community spread beyond its
immediate geographical area of the
Port Salerno section of Stuart,
Florida. Its membership comes
from the general Stuart area of
Martin County and extends into St.
Lucie County to the north. St.
Luke's is one of a range of religious
communities in Stuart and one of
six Episcopal churches in the area,
which includes Palm City and
Jensen Beach. Over the next
several years and beyond, there are general trends that affect St. Luke's and the areas
surrounding it. These trends include:
• People moving into the area
from further south, which has
become more densely
populated.
• The area is in a state of change
and thus has pockets of relative
affluence interspersed with
pockets of relative poverty.
• The area's ratio of blue-collar to
white-collar workers closely
matches that of the state.
However, as new home
construction continues, the area will begin to gentrify, attracting more young
families.
• The congregation has a large number of retirees and its size can fluctuate
significantly seasonally.
18According to the Executive Insite Report prepared for St. Luke's and issued on August 16,
2016, the area immediately surrounding St. Luke's is expected to grow by 4.5% by 2026.
This is slower than Florida's growth as a whole, which is projected to be 6.6% for the same
time frame. Where there is a major difference is in the age of the population. According
to the report, the average age of people living in our area is greater than that of the state
by about 7 years. The report states that the average age in our area will decrease while that
of Florida will increase. Each demographic age group from 0 years through 34 will increase
in our area. The only other group that will experience an increase is that of people aged 65
and over. The groups known as Families and Empty Nesters (ages 35 to 54) and
Enrichment Years (ages 55 to 64) show a decline. In other words, the area around St. Luke's
will grow younger in the coming years, coming closer to matching the average age in the
entire state. St. Luke's should take these changing demographic trends into account for
planning.
19FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Average Sunday attendance from 2015 to 2019 ranged from 179 to 191. The number of
parishioners submitting pledge cards were as follows: 2015: 95; 2016: 114; 2017: 96; 2018:90;
and 2019: 75. The average annual pledge amount ranged from a low of $1,901 in 2016 to a
high of $2,301 in 2019. The total pledged amount during the past three years was somewhat
less than the actual plate offerings and pledge payments listed at the top of the table below
(about $50,000 less in 2015 and 2016 and about $100,000 less in 2017, 2018, and 2019. This
is typical, since many people contribute in church who have not pledged, and it is especially
true in parishes where seasonal attendance can almost double. All information in this
paragraph and in the following tables was taken from Parochial Reports submitted to the
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida for the years 2015 to 2019.
Income 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Plate offerings, pledge $260,001.00 $272,121.00 $297,838.00 $278,649.00 $289,739.00
payments, etc.
Other operating income: $72,548.00 $65,599.00 $43,748.00 $85,818.00 $63,390.00
gifts, parish organizations
Unrestricted bequests $6,921.00 $6,359.00 $0.00 $1,760.00 $0.00
used for operations
TOTAL OPERATING $339.470.00 $344,079.00 $341,586.00 $366,227.00 $353,129.00
INCOME
Funds received for capital $13,637.00 $26,872.00 $2,944.00 $28,918.00 $26,016.00
projects
Contributions and grants $36,269.00 $26,388.00 $25,510.00 $27,746.00 $31,554.00
received for outreach etc.
Funds for transmittal to $424.00 $1,055.00 $1,115.00 $245.00 $3,369.00
other organizations
TOTAL NON OPERAT- $50,330.00 $54,315.00 $29,569.00 $56,909.00 $60,939.00
ING INCOME
TOTAL ALL INCOME $389,800.00 $406,277.00 $371,155.00 $423,136.00 $414,068.00
Expenses 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
To Diocese for $48,256.00 $48,637.00 $39,930.00 $45,496.00 $45,397.00
assessment etc.
All other operating $289,709.00 $299,610.00 $299,251.00 $323,756.00 $304,485.00
expenses
TOTAL OPERATING $338,165.00 $348,247.00 $339,181.00 $369,252.00 $349,882.00
EXPENSES
Major improvements and $13,049.00 $31,856.00 $9,088.00 $27,060.00 $21,033.00
capital expenses
Expense for outreach and $33,753.00 $24,727.00 $21,482.00 $21,020.00 $28,670.00
mission
Funds for transmittal to $424.00 $1,447.00 $1,115.00 $245.00 $3,369.00
other organizations
20TOTAL NON OPERAT- $47,226.00 $58,030.00 $31,685.00 $48,325.00 $53,072.00
ING EXPENSES
TOTAL ALL EXPENSES $385,391.00 $406,277.00 $370,866.00 $417,577.00 $402,954.00
Here is a slightly edited version of a report from the St. Luke’s Finance Committee to our
Congregational Meeting of January 24, 2021.
2020 presented many challenges to St. Luke’s Finance Committee and Vestry. Due to the
effects of the COVID virus, arriving in the Spring of 2020, our budget required a review and
a revision in order to address the impact for the remainder of the year. When we revised the
budget, we had to reduce our anticipated income by $100,000. However, we had the support
of our ministries for the first 3 months of 2020 and were so fortunate to have the following
relief to the deficit, by outside sources, as well as donations from parishioners to our
shortfall. Listed below are these amounts and where they were originated:
We received an SBA PPP loan in the amount of $29,480.
Donations to our shortfall in the amount of $13,141.
Two months relief of our diocesan assessment $ 8,846.
Transfers from the non-operating account $36,362.
Total received: $87,829
We were able to meet all our obligations in 2020; we ended the year with $20,394.00 under
budget in total expenses.
Our 2021 budget was prepared by the Finance Committee and approved by the vestry.
Because of COVID and uncertainties at this time, we hope that we can meet these projections.
Our budget assumes that we can open up our ministries and once again have our usual services
for six months of 2021.
In 2019, we received $172,551 in pledges, and in 2020, we received $168,488. in pledges.
Currently, we have 54 pledges totaling $126,415. This has been a normal pattern with churches
worldwide. We are hopeful our pledges will continue to increase. We have been fortunate,
due in large measure to the staff at St. Luke’s watching the budget and doing everything
possible to reduce expenses. Also, we have had bequests from parishioners that have been
designated for operational expenses.
We have lost members due to relocation and death, and with the church closed for most of
the year, it is difficult to welcome new members to St. Luke’s.
The most important sources of income, in addition to pledges has been our ministries,
specifically bingo, thrift store, and facility use donations. We hope that 2021 will afford us the
opportunity to open up these ministries as we overcome the COVID virus.
21SELECTED RESULTS FROM THE CONGREGATION ASSESSMENT TOOL (CAT)
We express our profound and sincere appreciation to all of our fellow members of St. Luke’s
Episcopal Church who, with prayer and reflection, took the time and made the effort to
participate in The Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT). We had very good participation
(93) – 51% of our average Sunday attendance. This response far surpasses the threshold
needed for reliable and representative data, and enabled us to hear from a broad base of our
congregation.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of our congregation are satisfied with how things are in our
church. Thirty percent (30%) are ‘on the fence’ – somewhat satisfied, perhaps somewhat
dissatisfied. This finding is “high” as compared with other churches across the country. As
for energy, the finding is average or typical in energy in relationship to other churches
nationally. These findings place us in the category of ‘transformational/transitional’
congregations. This means that we have the potential to transform ourselves and those we
serve in ministry outside the church. And yet, we are transitional in that we have some areas
that merit conversation/attention.
22Drivers of satisfaction and energy.
We learned that those aspects of our church that are most correlated to our satisfaction and
energy are worship, governance, management of conflict, and the work of our
Rector. Translated, this means we are a more ‘ministry-centric’ congregation. This is neither
positive nor negative. It is a description of an aspect of our culture.
Our drivers of satisfaction are:
• Persons who serve as leaders in our church are representative of the membership.
• The worship services at our church are exceptional in both quality and spiritual
content.
• In important decisions in our church, adequate opportunity for consideration of
different approaches is usually provided.
• Our former Rector made things happen.
• Members in our church have been prepared to personally welcome guests in worship
services.
Our drivers of energy are:
• Lack of conflict.
Our strengths are revealed and explained through the Performance Dashboard and
Performance Indices.
The CAT ranked the following 8 areas as indicated below: Hospitality, Morale, Conflict
Management, Governance, Spiritual Vitality, Readiness for Ministry, Engagement in
Education, and Worship and Music.
• Readiness for Ministry
• Governance
• Hospitality
• Engagement in Education
• Morale
• Conflict Management
• Worship and Music
• Spiritual Vitality
The so-called “performance dashboard” that dealt with worship and music ranked St. Luke’s
as higher than 64% of the other 200 Protestant congregations with which we were compared.
And 71% of those responding tended to agree, agreed, or strongly agreed that the music of
our church is outstanding and appropriate in style. Eighty-nine percent (89%) tended to agree,
agreed, or strongly agreed that our worship services are exceptional in both quality and spiritual
content.
23Another area of particular interest is Spiritual Vitality. On this measure, we ranked in the
15th percentile in comparison to other congregations. This index measures the degree to
which members believe that their faith is central to their lives rather than peripheral or
episodic. It causes us to wonder: What makes us different from other not-for-profit
organizations? Furthermore, this is the only measure in the CAT that usually correlates with
financial generosity – pledging/giving. Our members have been generous in their giving. We
are a bit above the national average of percent of household income given. The national
average is 2.5%. Ours is 2.95%. We have untapped potential, and it is worth imagining what
would be possible with spiritual vitality, if we could tap that potential.
Our culture
• We have trust and high regard for our clergy and our lay leaders.
• We are theologically diverse, leaning a bit conservative compared to our benchmark
congregations. Notably, we have a range of theological perspectives and hold this
diversity together well under one roof. This is a key strength of St. Luke’s.
• We are also fairly adaptive. We are more willing to make adjustments in the ways we
operate. The more flexible a church, the more likely it is to adapt to the particular
context in which we serve to meet either the needs of our members or those we serve
out in the community. The less flexible a church, the more likely it is to believe that a
particular style is central to its identity. Research indicates that the more adaptive a
church, the healthier and more vital it becomes.
Priorities – where we want additional energy placed
We have subtle differences among age cohorts in where to place energy for our future. Our
top six priorities are:
Provide more opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation.
Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life circumstances.
Develop the spiritual generosity of the people to financially support the ministry of
the church.
Work to renew and revitalize the community around the church by building coalitions
with partners.
Develop and implement strategies to reach new people.
(A notable indicator of a healthy and thriving congregation is its external focus. The prioritization as
indicated above, demonstrates a degree of outward focus).
24Critical Abilities of our next Rector
Our results indicate that the congregation is looking at these top four abilities:
• Preaching
• Strategic leadership
• Pastoral care
• Change management (Managing change)
Notable in this ranking as compared to our priorities: Our top two priorities are about growth
with its accompanying change. We need to reflect on this ranking if we are to achieve our top
goals. This is worthy of further conversation.
Miscellaneous findings
• Concerns coming from the pandemic are physical health (65%), mental health (40%),
and spiritual connection (29%).
• Sixty-one percent (61%) of the congregation believe that we have done a good job
dealing with the challenges presented by COVID.
• Forty-two percent (42%) of our congregation believe we will be stronger after the
pandemic.
• Seventy-three percent (73%) believe that the church should continue in the same
overall direction as in the recent past.
• Seventy-seven percent (77%) believe that our next Rector should have similar gifts to
our former Rector.
• We exhibit a wide variety of perspectives about what is most important about our
worship experience (all of the following had ratings from the mid-teens to the mid-
twenties: time of the service, hymnal music, day of the service, choral music, and
location of the service). This may be worthy of some further conversation.
• Ninety-two percent (92%) of the congregation experience the entire communication
system of the church (website, emails, print, etc.) as effective.
• The three top (and most effective) ways of receiving information from the church
are: #1 email; #2 weekly bulletin; #3 phone.
Overall, we are a strong, thriving congregation. We have much to celebrate in being a
transformational congregation. But we cannot rest on our laurels, especially as we come out
of this COVID time. We have a call to action based on the results of this CAT and we have
a call to action based on the needs of our community. We look forward to on-going
conversations, planning, and discernment about our mission, vision, and strategic actions for
the future. And we ask God’s blessing on our efforts to find the right blessing on our efforts
to find the right Rector to lead us.
25EXPECTATIONS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE NEXT RECTOR
We are hoping to recruit a new Rector with a vision of the Church of the future and of how
St. Luke’s can be part of that vision. The Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) revealed
that the congregation is looking especially for the following four abilities in a new Rector: (1)
Preaching, (2) Strategic Leadership, (3) Pastoral Care, and (4) Change Management. These
were the top four of eight critical abilities listed for ranking in the CAT. The other four, in
rank order, were (5) Teaching/Training, (6) Administration, (7) Negotiate/Resolve Conflict,
and (8) Community Catalyst. All of these abilities are important; the CAT ranking simply
reveals congregational priorities.
Our Strategic Plan focused on the need to recruit new members. Like all congregations, we
always hope to be a place where those who are seeking a relationship with God may find a
strong spiritual home. We also recognize that the demographics of our nation, our region,
and our Church are changing, and that the population of the over 60s is rising, and, we want
to explore what this means for evangelism.
We look forward to calling our new Rector soon, so that together we may continue to grow
in Christ.
26INFORMATION ABOUT PROPERTY – BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
St. Luke’s is located on 5.19 acres of lush natural landscape of Palmetto Scrub and pine trees
at Cove Road and AIA in Stuart. In addition to the Church building, there are five separate
buildings which house, respectively, the Helen Eddy Parish Hall, the Administrative Offices
and Music multi-purpose room, the Thrift Store, and the Christian Education Building (the
original multipurpose worship center). A small storage building is adjacent to the
Administrative Offices. The Crowther Memorial Garden is located just northeast of the
Sanctuary building which is the primary worship center. Our Sailcloth Labyrinth is unfolded
for meditative walks quarterly on the drive south of the Sanctuary building. The campus is
lighted by the Tuna Tower Steeple at night, rendering a beacon of hope for all who drive by
or visit our campus.
Below: Pictures taken in the Crowther Memorial Garden
27Above: From left: Marie Servinsky, Parish
Administrator; Itzuo Shamli, Custodian/Sexton; and
Valli Peck, Office Assistant/Media.
Right: Senior Warden, Laurel Gallivan
LIST OF PAID STAFF
In addition to the Rector, the paid staff consists of an Administrator, Media Specialist,
Minister of Music, Music Director, and a Custodian/Sexton. With the exception of the
Rector, all staff positions are part-time. The Vestry consists of up to 12 members elected
for a three-year term on a staggered basis and includes a Senior Warden and a Junior
Warden. Vestry members oversee four key ministry areas (known as Quadrants) of
church activity, i.e., worshipping, belonging, learning, and sharing. The Senior Warden
assists the Rector. In the Rector's absence, the Senior Warden, as Chair of the Vestry, is
the authority of the local church. The Junior Warden has responsibility for the church
property.
Reverend Stephen Fregeau Jonathan Cummings
Priest in Residence Randy Umfleet Music Director “New Creation”
Minister of Music
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