Saint Francis in the Redwoods, Willits
Who We Are
We have 62 active members, which has crept up from about 50 in the past 3 years. Attendance on Sunday is 35-40. The major age group is 50-80 with a few kids. We have a Sunday school but not always kids. Most of the congregation is from the Willits Valley, but people come from 20 miles north of Laytonville, from Covelo, Redwood Valley and Greenfield Ranch.
We are fortunate to have a Priest called from the congregation, who serves as a member of the Total Ministry Team. She is one of the first two TM priests called in the diocese. We also are most fortunate to still have our former Vicar nearby, who continues as our retired Priest Associate. There are also 10 Licensed Eucharistic Ministers/Visitors, 3 Licensed Preachers, 2 Worship Leaders, and 25 who serve as Lectors in our congregation. We also have 2 trained Spiritual Directors, a Hospital Chaplain, and a very talented music minister. About 30% of us are cradle Episcopalians.
We have a strong basis in faith, first and foremost because we know we are all valuable ministers for God. We are a vibrant happy congregation that is growing, with an orientation towards service to the community and a hunger to grow this. Outsiders who enter our doors are welcomed, impressed, and transformed.
We have recently built the first “green” church in the diocese – a beautiful straw bale church. We are right on target in repaying our loans, but also manage to continue to support other needed causes in our community and diocese.
Total Ministry at Saint Francis
Our congregation overwhelmingly feels that Total Ministry is the best thing that ever happened to us. Since commissioning it has been morphing into increased trust and cooperation, less ego, and more fun. We have excitement over each other’s ministries and our interdependence has brought about joy in each other. Newcomers have found the opportunities offered by Total Ministry attractive, and they have added depth and richness without changing the essence of what we are.
Total Ministry leads to a better quality of religious experience. We are learning to trust God and "not be afraid". We feel the warm embrace of the Holy Spirit when we get together. There is a high degree of interest and excitement from visitors to our congregation. Our leadership and evangelism for Total Ministry in our diocese has been effective and wonderful. How well Total Ministry has come together in our congregation makes us smile.
We have many ministries both within and outside the church. We believe all ministries are important and essentially equal. Our ministries are always voluntary, which makes each person’s “gift” completely suited to the individual. We are well aware of and actively support each other’s ministries. Ministry thus becomes a source of bliss and satisfaction. Finding and fulfilling one’s baptismal covenant through ministry brings joy, energy, and fulfillment. Nearly everyone in the church has identified ministries, even those who have not been directly involved in the training.
Governance
Decision making is pretty fast and effective. Decision making always involves collaboration and group problem solving, and we find this always leads to better results. For example, the builders of our church were surprised at how pleasant, pro-active, and effective it was to work with our building committee.
Roles and structure in our congregation are unique and are arrived at by prayer and common consent. Our Total Ministry Team facilitates and encourages all of our ministries. We also have a Parish Commission on Ministry. The Mission Committee manages the business of the church as an important ministry, and has oversight over all ministries. Other aspects of church life are managed by members of the congregation as their ministries, reporting monthly to our Mission Committee. Time has proven this to be the best and most effective management imaginable.
Everything is shared responsibility. There is no labeling or blaming. Deficiencies or shortcomings are an occasion for prayer and discernment. The quality of our association is becoming natural and almost unconscious
The Regional Missioner is involved with the Total Ministry team and Mission Committee, provides encouragement, guidance, and direction as needed, and is also a valuable link to the Diocese.
Challenges
• Developing an effective (consistent) way to add or replace members to our Total
Ministry Group.
• Potential burnout or other loss of core ministries. We try to have backups but have
not achieved this universally or consistently. For example, we are still trying to fill
a unified deacon function in our congregation
• Keeping this wonderful part of our faith lives alive and well in our diocese
• Realizing that it takes time to change a lifetime’s experience of the church
• Growth of our congregation
• Strengthen our outreach to seniors, youth, and our population of Native Americans. (We are one of the signers of the Jamestown Covenant in our diocese)
Church History
In the 1950s a small but active mission, Saint James, grew in Willits. They had a house church with intermittent supply priests. In 1967 the bishop shut down the mission and returned all books and furniture to the deanery. The faith refused to die and in 1978 Episcopal people began to gather in each other’s homes. In 1980 we found a home in a back room at the Methodist church. In 1988, with part-time priest Fr. Jim Young, we moved into the nave of the Methodist church and held early services. In 1992, with the leadership of Reverend Mary Fisher, we moved into and purchased the old utility pay station. We retired our debt ahead of all schedules. Within a few years we had purchased the corner lot next door, an abandoned gas station, which we turned into a lovely garden.
We are one of the first two Total Ministry congregations in the diocese. We began our journey to Total Ministry in 2001, and our local priest was ordained and our ministry team commissioned in 2005. We have since been active in TM in the diocese. A substantial bequest from a visitor allowed us to realize our dream of “a proper church” and on June 22, 2007 we consecrated our new straw bale church – the first “green church” in the diocese.
About the Willits Valley
Willits is a town of about 5,000 and the Willits valley has another 5,000. All of Mendocino County has about 100,000 people. Willits, even though it is a small community, is made up of people and businesses that are mighty in perseverance and toughness. We are a diverse and individualistic lot – the Willits community includes old-time ranching families, “New-Age” back-to-the-land folks (some dating back 40 years), a vital Hispanic community, and a substantial community of First People. We have a deep sense of caring for one another and our community. This has been shown time and time again throughout the years. From the beginning, our citizens have put aside their differences and worked together to make our community a better place to live, work and play.
The Willits community is on the northern edge of the wine country and the southern edge of the redwoods, and about thirty miles from the coast. The Willits valley is over 1,000 feet above sea level and is cooler than the valley cities. We are somewhat economically depressed but are very enterprising with many small businesses. Lumber was the main industry until all the marketable trees were logged; now there is only one mill. For about 25 years we have been a center for alternative energy. Housing costs are lower in Willits. We have the most patents per capita in the US. We were the first city in the country to start economic localization. Marijuana growing is a source of income for many in Mendocino County and Willits, which creates challenges for both the county and our town.
Currently, a major local project is the building of a new “green” hospital which will be the rural teaching center for the UC Davis medical school. Willits has a fine library, the Mendocino County Museum, two live theaters, the Willits Center for the Arts, Willits Roots of Motive Power (an actual working exhibit of logging equipment used at the turn-of-the-century), the Skunk Train, and a fine municipal skate park. We are host to the oldest continuous rodeo in California. One of our schools routinely wins the county Academic Decathlon, and our Odyssey of the Mind team is currently the state champion. Many residents are artists, musicians, dancers, poets, etc.
Spiritually we are very diverse – we have 21 identified Christian churches, 4 non-Christian, an active pagan community, and others.
THE REDWOOD EPISCOPAL CLUSTER
We are three congregations in Lake and Mendocino Counties:
Holy Trinity, Ukiah - Founded in 1877, county seat of Mendocino County, population 15,500
St. John’s, Lakeport - Founded in 1899 , county seat of Lake County, population 5,000
St. Francis in the Redwoods, Willits – Mission, Founded in 1978, population 5,000
The preamble to the Cluster covenant states: ”We believe that the stewardship of our life together requires us to develop a model that stresses mission rather than maintenance. Such a model will respect that unique context of each congregation and reveal the gifts of the people God has called together in it. It will enable the baptized to employ their gifts for ministry in both the community and the congregation.”
St. John’s and Holy Trinity have been a cluster since 1996, sharing the local missioner on a roughly equal basis. St. Francis joined the Cluster two and one half years ago when they were commissioned as a Total Ministry congregation and their part-time vicar retired. St. Francis has a local priest as well as the retired vicar and so only used about 10% of the missioner’s time.
The goal of the Cluster is to foster mutual support, increased communications and Total Ministry development. It has independent finances to achieve these goals. The Cluster takes direction from all three Vestries/Mission Committee and decisions must be ratified by all three. The Cluster has a coordinating council of nine, three from each congregation, one of whom is the Senior Warden.
We are in the middle of a two year contract with a Ministry Developer, Deacon Josephine Borgeson, which is being funded by the Diocese of Northern California. Both Holy Trinity and St. John’s are fully committed to adopting Total Ministry. St. Francis is already a Total Ministry congregation, but is being helped to strengthen and expand its ministries.
The Regional Missioner would be expected to work closely with the Ministry Developer and all aspects of Total Ministry in this Cluster. He/She would be expected to act as a resource to the congregation and attend meetings of the Cluster as well as each Vestry/Mission Committee.
We have a Cluster newsletter, The Redwood Log, which contains news and events from each parish as well as information that applies to the Cluster as a whole. The Cluster supports the writing and publishing of this newsletter as part of its efforts towards increased communication.
The individual parishes have not been very active in Cluster gatherings but we have had two combined trainings in the past year or so; a course in homiletics taught by Linda Clader of CDSP and a Bible study workshop taught by Deacon Phina Borgeson. There have been three Diocesan Total Ministry workshops held at Ukiah in the past few years that have been well attended by all three congregations. A Total Ministry Gathering for the Southwestern Deanery is scheduled for October in Ukiah, sponsored by the Cluster.
Lakeport to Willits is about 42 miles and an hour’s drive. Lakeport to Ukiah is about 33 miles, a 45 minutes drive and Willits to Ukiah, a half-hour drive of about 22 miles. There are mountainous ridges to cross to get to any of these congregations, the roads usually close temporarily several times in the winter.
Profile of Saint John the Baptist
Episcopal Church
2008
1190 N. Forbes Street, Lakeport, California 95453 (707) 263-4785
A Brief History of Saint John the Baptist Episcopal Church
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church is one of the three churches that comprise the Redwood Episcopal Cluster of the Diocese of Northern California. It is the only Episcopal Church in Lake County. Consecrated in 1899, the church is a memorial for five-year-old John Pierre Collier, son of Captain William and Mary Blackwood Collier, a wealthy San Francisco family with a home and ship building business in Lake County. Young John Pierre perished in a fire at Clear Lake in 1896.
Mary Blackwood Collier, a long time member of what was then the Trinity Mission turned the loss of her youngest child into a plan to create a permanent home for the mission. She raised money, secured a donation of land, and persuaded Willis Polk, a prominent San Francisco architect, to design what he called a “mini-cathedral” crafted out of redwood.
The church was not built on a foundation, but on redwood planking laid on the ground. In 1960, the building was moved out onto the street, and an undercroft was dug out. The church was then moved onto the new foundation. At the same time, the church parish hall was built. In 1986, St. John’s was designated a state historical point of interest. The building, now nearly 109 years old, continues to require care. The vestry is dedicated to stewardship of the building as an outward expression of faith.
For the past three years, parishioners at St. John’s have been studying Total Ministry, and working towards establishing a Ministry Team. A small, but committed and lively group has been carrying on the business of the church since July 2007, when the Regional Missioner retired. The Diocese of Northern California funded a position for a Ministry Team developer. Deacon Phina Borgeson was hired and has been working with parishioners towards the goal of calling a Ministry Team. The congregation remains committed to the practice of Total Ministry as a way of living our baptismal vows and seeks a Regional Missioner also committed to encouraging and guiding Total Ministry, and being part of the team.
Demographics of Lake County and St. John’s
St. John’s is located one block from Main Street in Lakeport, the county seat of Lake County. Lake County is a rural county in the coastal mountain range of northern California. Five percent of its 13,000 square miles is Clear Lake, the largest lake in California at an elevation of 1,300 feet. The Lake is completely ringed by mountains, with those to the north as high as 7,000 feet. The population of 65,000 is primarily employed by government and in agriculture (pears, walnuts, and grapes) and cattle ranching. Many new vineyards are replacing orchards as the premium wine industry grows, approaching the level of pre-Prohibition production.
With an average 313 days of sunshine per year and the cleanest air in California for the last seventeen years, tourism is a major industry, particularly during the summer months, especially since Clear Lake provides a variety of recreational opportunities. The Lake hosts many fishing tournaments throughout the year, most popular being bass, catfish, and crappie. Several bed and breakfast inns, motels, RV parks, marinas, and golf courses operate in the County, as well as the time-share destination, Landmark Resort. The Konocti Harbor Inn features a hotel, conference room facilities, an indoor concert hall, and an outdoor concert arena, and hosts several popular musical acts each year. The Konocti Harbor Inn has hosted the Northern California Diocesan Bishop’s Conference for several years running. The county is also home to Clearlake Sate Park and Anderson Marsh State Park. Three Indian Casinos provide gaming for those who wish to play. Towns such as Upper Lake and Lakeport have development plans to replicate the “old west” feel of an earlier era.
Thirty-five percent of the population, the highest percentage of any California county, is over 60 years of age, many retirees from metropolitan areas who have moved to the area and built lakefront or mountain homes. Twenty percent of the population lives below the poverty line although the average income is about $40,000 per household. Lake County is one of the fastest growing areas in California due to its affordable housing.
Similar to the County’s demographics, older adults comprise the bulk of St. John’s membership. Children and teens attend only occasionally. Of 67 active, baptized members, 31 are communicants in good standing. The church holds one service on Sundays mornings at 9:30, with average attendance of 20 people. The Christmas Eve vigil is well attended by the community, with an average of 62 participants per year over the last four years. The church does not currently have a Sunday school program or a youth fellowship group. The Episcopal Church Women’s group (ECW) has been inactive for over two years, but there is a men’s fellowship currently active.
Though small, the congregation is devoted to seeing St. John’s thrive. Parishioners feel a strong fellowship with one another and strive to make newcomers feel welcome and part of the St. John’s “family.” Coffee hour always follows Sunday worship service and most parishioners stay afterwards to socialize and to welcome newcomers. One parishioner began serving brunch on the fourth Sunday of the month, and for the past year, it has become a regular occasion. As well as providing fellowship for parishioners, it is another way to welcome new people and visitors.
St. John’s Mission Statement and Outreach Programs
The mission statement reads, “The goal of St. John’s Episcopal Church is to be a family of believers who actively worship, teach, live and learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives.” To that end, St. John’s supports several outreach programs as part of ministry to the community at large. Three programs that the congregation directly works to support and manage are:
The Thrift Store is located in the sub-basement areas of the church building. It is open generally three-days every week and is staffed entirely by volunteers from within the congregation and from the community. The mission of the Thrift Store is to make those items, which are essential to everyday living (clothing and house-hold items), available and affordable to those who simply cannot afford to pay customary prices found elsewhere. Prices are intentionally kept lower than any other thrift store in the county and items are given free of charge to persons who are in dire need. In essence, the Thrift Store is a conduit for channeling essential items for everyday living from those who have plenty and wish to give to those who are in need. Funds earned by the Thrift Store go directly in to the parish general fund.
The Food Pantry is managed independent of the Thrift Store but it is often called upon to assist those who are in need of food in addition to items supplied by the Thrift Store. The goal of the Food Pantry is to provide basic food/meal items to persons or families who are experiencing acute, emergency circumstances and need a few meals to hold them over until other short term services from government or relief programs can be accessed by the person/family. Food for the Pantry is provided either by funds earned by the Thrift Store or from donations of food and money that primarily come from the congregation.
The Lay Eucharistic Ministry consists of persons, licensed by the Diocese, who provide Holy Eucharist to parish members who are ill, elderly or otherwise unable to attend services at the church.
Three community outreach programs in which the congregation does not directly participate, but provides facilities in the parish hall are:
The Free Kitchen is a community meal program that is supported by numerous local area churches and civic groups by providing their facilities on a rotational basis to be used by the Free Kitchen. About seven years ago the parish hall kitchen was remodeled to provide a commercial quality kitchen, which St. John’s lends to the Free Kitchen Program for one day each month.
Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step recovery group whose participants attend on a volunteer basis or by court order. The group holds a weekly meeting in the parish hall.
Alternatives to Violence is a community based treatment program for domestic violence offenders, operated by a local therapist. Attendance is court ordered.
St. John’s remains committed to community outreach as an expression of faith, and would welcome other appropriate community groups that may wish to use the facilities.