The Episcopal Church of the Advent

Welcome to The Church of the Advent

This historic church and its parish family have provided a spiritual home to several generations of Episcopalians in the Cape May area since its founding in 1863. Family, friends and faith have bound its people together through the many chapters of its history, which we view as a spiritual journey. From its earliest days through the present, our members have believed that each life is truly important and can have a meaningful impact on the lives of others. As you enter the front door, read the scripture that we chose years ago to define our Christian aspirations.

We are a church family that hopes to grow in numbers and in spirit, defined by our values of Worship, Fellowship and Service. When we envisioned the church we would like to become, we resolved to pursue five important objectives. We invite you to join us as we learn about where Advent’s journey has taken the church and its members in the past. We welcome you to our church today. And we especially hope you will join us as we chart a course to our future.

• Attract and retain a diversity of new members, especially young families.
• Develop opportunities for social interaction and relationship building.
• Improve and increase our various lay ministries through training and organizational development.
• Continue and enhance the development of our strong outreach program.
• Preserve our Episcopal traditions and a spirit of openness.

Worship and Music
Sunday 8 AM Holy Eucharist
10:30 AM Holy Eucharist
Thursday 12:00 PM Holy Eucharist

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the heart of parish life at Church of the Advent. Rite II is celebrated at both Sunday services, with a sermon offered at each. Nearly half the active congregation attends the early service, which generally is said without music. Acolytes, ushers, chalice bearers and lay readers are scheduled for both services, and one of the associate clergy is often available to share the liturgy. The Sunday School children join the congregation for the Eucharistic Prayer and Communion at the 10:30 service. The choice of Eucharistic Prayer varies. Healing is offered after Communion.Music plays a prominent role at the 10:30 service. The volunteer choir and bell choir are conducted by the Minister of Music, who is also organist. The choir leads in singing hymns, and prepares at least one anthem weekly. Our bell choir plays monthly. The congregation routinely sings a processional hymn, the Gloria, sequence anthem, the Sanctus, fraction anthem, the communion hymn and recessional hymn.

Our Parish Life

The church of the Advent has embraced Episcopal tradition in music and liturgy, maintaining a “middle way” between high and low church, traditional and modern music and prayer. Looking to the future, parishioners have expressed a desire for some innovation. A recent Choral Evensong was well attended, and the introduction of other evening services might be well received by those who work during the day or on weekends.

Activities at the Church of the Advent illustrate the Episcopal belief that through baptism we are all called to be ministers. We minister to each other and to the world we live in through fellowship, outreach and education. Many of our parish organizations are a blend of all three, and there is a great deal of cross-fertilization between them. For example, the Altar Guild attends to linens and altar dressings, but also delivers flowers from the altar to house- bound people in the community. Likewise, the Episcopal Church Women sponsor fellowship activities that help to fund outreach and Sunday School needs. Further down the road in our parish journey, we envision healthy parish organizations with confident leaders who are prepared for their roles. We foresee that parishioners will find a place where the particular gifts and talents of each are needed and appreciated. The church will foster the spiritual and intellectual growth of its members.

Fellowship

• Coffee hour is held after the 10:30 service on Sundays.
• Episcopal Church Men meet for breakfast monthly. They sponsor monthly dinners that are open to the public.
• Episcopal Church Women meet monthly, with bazaars, luncheons and card parties throughout the year.
• Advent Book Club meets monthly.
• The parish holds an annual party at a different venue each year. In the future, we would like to develop more varied opportunities for fellowship, making it easier for families and working people to participate. Our recent survey demonstrated that strong relation- ships and shared faith encourage parishioners’ involvement in the Church.

Education

Our fine Sunday School has touched the lives of many children. We would like to offer them continued guidance and fellowship as they grow. At various times we have sponsored bible study, the Alpha course, and Education for Ministry. We hope to explore new ways to support the spiritual journeys of our adult population.

Community Outreach

Financial assistance to those in crisis.Educational funding and supplies to those in need.Funding of enrichment programs for children.Quarterly delivery of food baskets or grocery gift cards to those in need.Financial donations to the community food bank.Transportation to medical and other appointments for home bound elderly.Participation in Heavenly Scavenger’s furniture donations.Provide meeting space for non-profit community organizations.

Opportunities for Service

• Participation as acolytes, lay readers, chalice bearers and ushers.
• Altar GuildDelivery of Altar flowers to the homebound.
• Choir and Bell Choir.
• Eucharistic Lay Visitors.
• Office assistance with bulletins and other mailings.
• Sunday counting teams.
• Parish Nurse.

   

Although there are currently many ways in which lay people are involved in the life of the church, such roles are often filled by the same small number of people. We want to explore paths by which more people can be brought into full participation.

Our People and Stewardship

The Church of the Advent’s population has been stable for nearly a decade, although our last rector received a declining congregation in the early 1990s. He adopted the view that the parish would become strong through giving to others, which explains Advent’s passion for its Outreach program. Today we have over 300 members, with average Sunday attendance about 130. Reflecting the demographic changes in Cape May, the church has a large population of older people. Only 14 % of our members are under 30 years of age, while 58% are older than 60.

The number of members, and pledging househoulds, has been steady.

In addition to its buildings and grounds, the Church of the Advent has fiscal assets. The sale of a rectory in 1994 enabled the church to make investments which are used to offset clergy housing costs. Some of these investments are held as security for our one debt of $81,1548. spent to maintain and upgrade our buildings.

Giving has been stable for the past five years. Pledged dollars have averaged approximately $175,000 over that time. Other sources of income that bring the annual budgeted inflow to about $196,000. Many parishioners dedicate a percentage of their pledge to outreach.

Distribution Of $18,628 Outreach Dollars In Past Year

Advent’s people, and the community, have been well served by the church’s management since the 1990’s. We traveled a road through some challenging terrain, but from our present vantage point we see a few desirable places to go.

• We would like to add a diversity of new members who will be actively involved in the church community.
• Pledging has been steady, but the cost of living has risen, so we would like to grow financially.
• We hope to grow the skills and abilities of our people to enable them to lead and manage the congregation we will become.

Our Church Buildings

The Church of the Advent - St. John’s Chapel is a board-and- batten carpenter gothic structure, and a “key-contributing” building to Cape May’s designation as a National Historic Landmark. Although the exterior has been maintained in the Victorian style that is approved by the Historic Preservation Commission, substantial work has been done since the 1990s to make the interior an inviting sacred space.

New oak pews were installed in 2007 through a generous donation, and the stained glass window over the altar was recently restored. The entrances and restroom are handicap-accessible, and a sound system is in place that supports the needs of those with hearing impairments.

To one side of the main altar is a side altar from the original St. John’s Chapel. On the other side is a Columbarium built by the last rector. Another outstanding feature is Advent’s pipe organ, with four divisions(Chancel, Swell, Great and Pedal [24 ranks]). The organ and the acoustics at the church draw music lovers to several annual organ and chamber music concerts.

Across a small parking lot from the church lies the Parish Hall, built in the 1930s. This two-story building has a large meeting room and well-equipped kitchen on the first floor. The second story contains offices and another large meeting/conference room.

We will endeavor to continue good stewardship of our historic church in the future. Plans will be implemented to continue painting and window restoration. As we grow, creativity will be required to accommodate more people, and use the space we have effectively.

Our Cape Community

The Church of the Advent is situated in Cape May City but draws parishioners from all the surrounding towns. The Cape’s historic and natural assets draw tourists to swell the population during the summer months. An abundance of activities are available year-round, even when the shore towns are enjoying their sleepy winter state.

History buffs enjoy walking the Historic District of Cape May City, with its well-known Victorian inns and restaurants. Nearby historic Cold Spring Village demonstrates village life in South Jersey from 1790 - 1840. For those with artistic interests, there are annual film festivals, two local theater companies, two annual jazz festivals, a community arts center and a Music Festival. The Cape is also noteworthy for its natural history, an important stopping point for migratory birds, and the people who watch them. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy biking, walking, boating and fishing on the ocean side or along the Delaware Bay.

Cape May is the home of the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, and is the Coast Guard’s only boot Camp for enlisted personnel. The Cape May - Wildwood port is the largest fishing port in New Jersey and the fifth largest in the United States.

There are respected elementary schools in all the local communities and three high schools within commuting distance. Atlantic Cape Community College has a campus In Cape May Court House. Medical care is available in all the local communities as well. The nearest hospital is ten miles north, and several other hospitals can be reached within an hour for highly specialized care.

The challenges facing the Cape May communities mirror those we face in the church. As the cost of housing has risen in recent years, young people and families have moved inland to afford housing. The shoreline communities are increasingly populated by seasonal or second-home residents, many of them older.

This challenge for the church may also be seen as an opportunity to bring part time residents into the parish in a meaningful way, ministering to their unique needs and gaining from their talents.

Our History

The Church of the Advent traces its roots to two Episcopal communities founded in Cape May. The first was a summer congregation, organized on October 15, 1863. They initially rented the Methodist Church for services during the “bathing season”, at a cost of $100 and one Sunday collection. By 1866, services had been moved to the Presbyterian Church, and the congregation began raising funds for their own church building. That church, known as St John’s Chapel, was designed by Henry Sims and built by Richard Souder. Its cornerstone was laid in 1865 on the site we occupy today, and the church was finally consecrated in July 1871. The cost of the land in 1865 was $2,300 and the total cost of the church building was about $18,000!

St. John’s Chapel was a summer church, and there were some in Cape May who desired a parish year-round. On the fourth Sunday of Advent in 1899, a second Episcopal congregation was organized to meet from autumn until summer at the Presbyterian Church on Lafayette Street. A benefactor eventually purchased that building and presented it to the parish. These complementary seasonal congregations co-existed for over five decades.

A notable event in the life of the parish occurred in the early 1950 when the two Cape May congregations were finally merged as Episcopal Church of the Advent - St John’s Chapel. Church organizations and events flourished. The Episcopal Church Women met in two working groups (daytime and evening) and sponsored many bazaars and activities in the community. Mrs. Gwendolyn Williams, now 94 and a venerated member of our parish, spearheaded the growth of a Sunday School for more than 50 children. We are also reminded that this congregation was racially diverse long before area schools and other institutions were integrated.

Each of Advent’s rectors left a legacy with the parish, whether in its spiritual growth, its facilities or its organizations. Father Allen Bolinger served from 1960 until 1966. His leadership and enthusiasm ushered in a period of growth in membership, and there was an overall sense of optimism and involvement in the church. Reverend William Stott followed in 1966 with quiet leadership and a sense of stability. During Father Stott’s 13 year tenure, the first woman was elected to the vestry in 1976. The Reverend Robert Kahl arrived in 1979 and remained until 1994. The Episcopal Church Men were organized during his rectorate and continued to be an essential part of the Church’s life.

Our most recent rector was the Reverend Dr. James A. Fisher, whose ministry here started in 1994. Together with Sidney Hicks, a committed parishioner, he organized an Outreach program that reinvigorated the parish, giving it new life as a community. He upgraded our offices, and we now enjoy a modern computerized system. During Father Fisher’s tenure, the parish returned to financial as well as spiritual health. Also during this period, the parish was blessed with associates who “retired” to the Cape May area. Father Richard Kirk assists with services during the summer, and has brought much experience as an organizational consultant to the parish. Reverend Bruce Hazelwood, a Methodist minister who recently moved away, brought humor and wisdom to our parish services and organizations. And finally, Mother Joan Jackson, our Associate and now Interim Rector, renewed our dedication to pastoral care.

Our story began with mention of family, friends and faith. The comings and goings that comprise our parish history are bound by those three threads from its earliest days through the present.