“We’re On the Journey, Together”

A summary of where we’ve been and where we’re going

King’s Chapel’s Budget Narrative for 2015

1 A Note from the Senior Minister Pg. 3

2 A Note from the Senior Warden Pg. 3

3 What we’ve learned Pg. 4

4 What we’ve already done together Pg. 5

5 The Journey Ahead Pg. 8

Worship Services Pg. 9

Making our Buildings Accessible Pg. 11

Improving our Communications Pg. 12

Finding our Voice in the City Pg. 14

6 What we need from you Pg. 15

Table of Contents

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A Note from the Senior Minister:

I feel blessed to be called to King’s Chapel with you at this exciting time. On our journey together over the last 19 months since I arrived, I’ve learned from you and from two task forces of the congregation who gathered data; we’ve already done much together; and now I feel ready to share a vision of five important ways we can continue to grow and thrive. I’ve discussed these ideas with your elected church leadership over the last two months, and now we seek your input. Please prayerfully read and consider

What We’ve Learned

What We’ve Already Done Together, and

Five Avenues for Growth that I think will pave our way forward.

We are at a pivotal point in our life together, and remarkably blessed, able – if we choose – to broaden our reach and sustain our life together -- for us and for the generations ahead. Many are passing right outside our doors, for whom we can be a great blessing.

Come, let’s take the journey together.

—Joy

A Note from the Senior Warden:

At King's Chapel we have been blessed in so many ways. The time has come for us to go forward so that we may be a blessing to others in Boston. As I think and pray about the role of King's Chapel, I remember the journey taken by my parents. They gave a lifetime of their tithes, time, and talents to their church. At 92 and living in the memory loss unit at an assisted living facility, my mother would dress for church each Sunday morning, even if there was no service to attend. When she died, I found a blessing that she was still reading in which she gave thanks for her food and remembered the hungry; gave thanks for her friends and remembered the friendless; gave thanks for her freedom and remembered the enslaved; and prayed that these remembrances would stir her to service and that God's gifts to her would be used for others. Where do you want our journey forward to take us?

—Cliff

Located in the heart of a thriving city, King’s Chapel is poised to serve Boston’s people, to use our many blessings to bless others.

What we’ve learned:

At the request of the Senior Minister, two task forces were assembled last Spring to address several issues: what are the demographics of our current neighborhoods; what communication and outreach strategies can bring new people to King’s Chapel; what kinds of worship services are being offered by other churches in our neighborhood; and what can we learn from these other churches.

Through the work of these task forces we have learned that young adults are choosing downtown Boston, to live and work. The average age of all workers in Boston now is 31. In a 24-hour cycle, about 250 thousand people cross through our immediate neighborhood in Downtown Crossing on their way to and from work. Six thousand new residences are being built in the Downtown Boston neighborhood in the next several years, the fastest growing residential neighborhood in the city. Our location at Tremont and School streets is being transformed – not only a thriving business area, but full of homes now, too.

“Seemingly overnight Boston has become the new startup capital of the state’s tech community, with entrepreneurs moving here for the same reasons many newcomers do: It’s a compact, busy city with convenient public transportation, good restaurants,

and lots of people like themselves. Last year, in fact, Boston accomplished a previously unheard of feat in the tech world by having more venture capital deals than Cambridge.

The Boston Sunday Globe, April 6, 2014, p. A1 How’s this for starters? Boston edges out Cambridge for new tech firms

More than 6600 children live in the

neighborhoods immediately proximate to

King’s Chapel and its parish house, according

to the 2010 census. Last year alone, one

Beacon Hill non-profit engaging families

provided services to more than 5500

participants from 1500 families.

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Where we’ve come on the journey, in the last two years, Together...

What we’ve already done together:

Called Two New Clergy

Senior Minister Joy Fallon began her work with us in March of 2013 and was installed in September of 2013.

Full-time Assistant Minister Shawn Fiedler began his ministry with us in September 2014.

Energized Worship

The core staff has begun to meet weekly, planning more integrated services in which music, liturgy, scripture, and word all come together meaningfully. Music Director Heinrich Christensen has premiered new original compositions inspired by the spoken messages of sermons and scriptures.

Members of the congregation have increased their participation in Morning Prayer during liturgical seasons, offering personal reflections as part of the Sunday services during Lent.

Wednesday evenings during Lent, we explored alternative worship through Taizé services at the Little Chapel. These quiet, contemplative, sung services were well attended, followed by a simple dinner and book group.

Increased Participation of Current Membership

Current members have become more involved. The annual appeal saw new pledges in 2014 over 2013, and some givers raised their pledges significantly.

New leaders stepped up to chair committees, participate in task forces, and join the Vestry and the Parish Council.

Seven new members joined in October of 2014, all between the ages of 25 and 40. Educational and social programming has been developed to support the spiritual lives and relationships of newcomers in this fastest-growing demographic of our congregation.

Communication

Between Sundays has become a colorful, current e-newsletter. The list of subscribed readers continues to grow and the readership of the newsletter is nearly twice the industry average for religious organizations.

The database has been carefully updated and maintained, continuing to approach the most accurate picture of our membership. Staff and lay leaders collaborated to produce a newly updated Membership Directory, which was distributed in September.

Church School

The Church School continues to prepare for growth and seek opportunities to engage the community. A new Church School Director (Eva Englert) was hired at 15 hours/week. Working with the ministers, she has overseen improvements to the church school curriculum and classroom space. The nursery has been staffed every Sunday, providing experienced care to existing and potential new families.

More than 600 children visited the Parish House on Halloween, picking up king-sized treats from King’s Chapel staff and volunteers.

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Freedom Trail Visitors Program

Important steps have been taken to strengthen relationships with other Freedom Trail partners and Beacon Hill non-profits including the Handel and Haydn Society, the Bostonian Society, the Historic Burying Ground commission, and others. Visitor traffic and voluntary contributions have continued to increase; King’s Chapel now sees approximately 180,000 visitors through the Freedom Trail program every year.

A committee has been organized to develop a sustainable business plan for the program, to ensure that it continues to net significant profits for the church, as it has in the past.. The Wardens and Vestry have shown a commitment to improving the Freedom Trail program and recognize its significance in terms of income, visibility, and potential for growth.

Our Historic Buildings – We’ve Begun Addressing Deferred Maintenance

We are owners of three historic properties:

The Church (58 Tremont), the Parish House

(64 Beacon St.), and the Parsonage (63 Beacon

St.). In the last two years, staff and leaders

have compiled an extensive list of deferred

maintenance, and are setting priorities. Some

projects have been completed, although more

remain. Of significance, we already have made

improvements to the parsonage, to welcome

our Senior Minister and her family; have

created a new apartment on the 5th floor of the

Parish House to provide housing for our full-

time Assistant Minister; and have contracted

with an historic preservation specialist to repair

the front windows and columns at 63 and 64

Beacon. Other improvements included a new

alarm contract for all three properties, and a

new security and telephone system at the

parish house.

The Journey Ahead – A Vision of Where We Can Go

“Who knows but you have been called for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Our location in the heart of downtown Boston orients our mission. We want to offer meaningful worship and opportunities for spiritual growth for those who live, work and visit our city. We also want to engage this city’s pressing needs. We can be the city’s chapel—with the whole city of Boston as our parish. King’s Chapel is a gift to thinking people, different from what many other churches offer. It’s a breath of fresh air for many who have left their old churches unhappy, or who never received religious education. Our hallmark is the amazing mix of tradition and openness that we offer, and it’s a gift that we need to share. In a world where religion is so often divisive, we can show an important, different way.

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Worship: Three Services

Worship is the heart of our life together, the single most important act we engage in as a community. It’s also the primary means to grow our congregation—in spirit and in numbers. Research shows that growing churches offer multiple avenues for newcomers to enter, and more than one main service on Sunday mornings.

Our core values will not change: a warm and welcoming congregation; preaching and discussion that is intellectually open and rigorous, always honoring the “freedom of pulpit and pew”; and worship that features musical excellence and the beauty of spoken word. We won’t change our brave, tolerant Christian theology that foregoes dogma and trusts our membership with thoughtful discernment, and our music will remain central.

In addition to what will always be our signature service of Morning Prayer, held at the Church each Sunday at 11:00 am, we propose two new services that will help draw newcomers who are less likely to find us through Morning Prayer alone.

Morning Prayer | Sunday 11 A.M. – Our Signature Service

Grounded in the King’s Chapel Book of Common Prayer, our signature service invites worshipers into a liturgical tradition that has existed for hundreds of years. Morning Prayer is a feast of ancient liturgy with the splendor of the C.B. Fisk organ and King’s Chapel Choir.

Early Service | Sunday 9 A.M. at the Parish House

Building upon what already takes place in the Little Chapel, we hope to reinvest new energy in the Little Chapel service, widening its reach and deepening its liturgical tradition to welcome an intergenerational congregation, including not just families, but also singles and couples. We imagine a short service of 45 minutes, vibrant music, a brief homily, and weekly celebration of Holy Communion. The earlier start time allows clergy and other leaders to visit with the community, tend to pastoral needs, and possibly offer programs following worship, before the 11 AM Morning Prayer service.

To prepare for this service, during Winter 2015 members will be invited to attend two or three other congregations that have successfully launched such services.

Evening Service | Wednesday 6 P.M. (launching in Lent 2015)

Held in the beauty of our stone chapel, with dimmed lights and burning candles, we envision an Evening Service that offers a place for quiet reflection and deep spirituality, more contemplative music, a short homily, and the celebration of Holy Communion. In a fast-paced society and in a world of constant movement, this service will allow worshipers to rest in stillness and grace. Based on the experience of other churches, people leaving work downtown mid-week can be drawn to a service held at this hour.

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We Include Everyone in Worship - Explore Hearing and Sound

A committee appointed by the Senior Warden will report in late winter 2015 on options that allow:

All to hear

All to help lead worship (including children and elders with quieter voices)

All to worship even when ill, homebound, traveling, or geographically distant now (through live streaming and web recordings)

With today’s advances in wireless technology and sophisticated systems, there must be a way to honor our historic past and provide for the current and future members who are excluded from full participation in our lives because they can no longer hear or lead worship.

Include Everyone Regardless of Age or Physical Limits –

Install A Handicapped Bathroom

We’ll evaluate the earlier recommended installation of one accessible bathroom at the church (to be located in the Minister’s Office, a room added later to the Chapel, where there is currently one small toilet).

Make the Exterior of Church More Welcoming; We are a Living Church!

Task force members found our space far less welcoming than other churches: new people must walk through a narrow gate and three sets of heavy dark doors, and a poorly lit vestibule.

We will explore adding two sets of glass doors to replace our two sets of interior doors, so passersby on the street can always see in to our beautiful building whenever we are open. The historic Trinity Church in Copley Square installed such doors over ten years ago.

Making Our Buildings Accessible and Welcoming to All

Make our buildings work for us, rather than us for our buildings. As owner of three historic properties of substantial worth, we currently rely on a one-person building committee. Our old buildings require a substantial proportion of the current staff’s time, prevening other important work of communication, worship administration, and community outreach. In order to best steward our treasures, it is prudent to consider hiring a part-time, dedicated building manager for cleaning, maintenance, rentals, and oversight of multiple complex projects.

Improving our Communications

Our Building as the Most Effective Message We Have...

With thousands of people passing our locations every day, our iconic Church building is our greatest communication tool, present 24/7, all year long. Now, most people “interpret” our building as a bank or museum, not an ongoing church with extraordinary music and vibrant worship that can inspire their lives. Signage at the church, and beautiful artistic banners could far more effectively convey who we are, and why people should venture inside. Just as important, is the state in which our building appears, which now communicates the opposite of the message we hope to send. Although it is not our intent, passersby see our deferred maintenance and wonder about our commitment to care for that which is entrusted to us. Instead of communicating that we are alive and attractive as a spiritual community, it communicates that we are in a state of decline.

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Social Media

Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and others have the ability to share the Good News of King’s Chapel. By investing anew in our social media campaigns and current website, we can more effectively reach a broader audience. King’s Chapel’s online presence has the ability to attract new worshipers, more tourists, and can expand our ministry in exciting and unanticipated ways.

This is a new but pressing need, and was recommended as a top priority by both our taskforces. As recently as ten or fifteen years ago, King’s Chapel could be widely known through its radio sermons, and place in historical memory among many Bostonians. Today we no longer produce radio programming, and the web is the prime source searched by newcomers to Boston or those seeking a church service. Younger generations may never look beyond an out of date or clumsy website. While our website has improved, thanks to the efforts of staff and members, in the last 2-4 years other thriving churches have contracted with professional web designers who can effectively capitalize on search engine optimization to draw the biggest possible audience of on-line viewers. A new design would also enable us to more easily make the needed real-time updates to the site.

Consistent Messaging

We will continue our efforts to bring together and coordinate the different programs of King’s Chapel, striving to achieve a clear common identity through communications of all King’s Chapel has to offer, including the Freedom Trail program, the church school, community action, and our concert series.

Relatedly, we will need to continue consolidating information in our organizational database, Church Windows. It will be prudent in coming years to investigate moving to a more streamlined database system such as SalesForce for non-profits.

We welcome all people no matter who you are:

believers, doubters, seekers and skeptics are invited

to join us as we navigate the journey together...

Many members report their pride that people at King’s Chapel have fed the homeless, supported those in need, spoken prophetically for the voiceless, and taught their children values of compassion and engagement when confronting discrimination and poverty.

Our actions will always speak louder than our words. The sacred texts we read each week and prayers we offer compel our action. New members to the church rightly ask how we live out our values, once we exit our beautiful sanctuary.

Endowed funds have been set aside by our predecessors to meet the needs of our city, at the minister’s discretion. What will we do? With whom will we partner?

Finding Our Voice in the City

Define and Initiate a Major Social Action/Poverty Project

Enhancing our Visitor Programs

In the recent past, the Visitor’s Program has generated as much revenue for the church annually as donations by members. During Winter 2014-2015, the Senior Warden has formed a group led by Vestry member Kathe German to develop a business plan for the program which will maximize revenue and enhance our messaging, to reflect our current story as well as our past.

King’s Chapel has an interesting story to tell about itself as an emblem of Religious Freedom, which extends all the way to our church’s founding and continues in other ways today (we were Anglicans, breaking with dominant Puritans; we were Unitarians, breaking with dominant Episcopalians; now we are independent-minded Unitarians, welcoming all). To maximize the impact of our visitor’s program we must fully express this opportunity to bridge the past, present, and future of our congregation.

Among other things, we should modernize displays and consider developing audio tours accessible on mobile phones.

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What we need from you

This vision is the product of many participants, over time, but we hope to get broad support for it, throughout the congregation. That way we will be best able to move forward, in covenant with one another. To do this, we need all of you to give us your input.

The first opportunity for this will be on Sunday, November 23rd, after Morning Prayer, when we will hold a hearing chaired by the Senior Warden Cliff Allen and the Chair of Fiscal Affairs, Miguel Gomez-Ibanez. If needed, additional listening sessions can be scheduled in December. We all learn best when we gather together to talk about issues.

You also can directly contact the Wardens, Clergy, and members of the Vestry, Council and Trustees. All of these can be found in your church directory, on the church website, or by contacting the church offices. Of course none of us will agree with every detail, but let us know if you support the general thrust of this vision.

The next step will be the creation of a church budget to implement these suggestions; the Vestry will vote on the budget in early 2015, and it will be the subject of our annual meeting in March. With the budget, will come our need, as a group, to offer our financial resources and time to make the dreams a reality. We’d love to count on you.

Please give these ideas your prayerful consideration. What a difference King’s Chapel can make in your life, and in the life of our city. We’ve done so since 1686; let’s continue the tradition, to God’s glory.

Cliff Allen, Senior Warden

Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Chair of Fiscal Affairs

Joy Fallon, Senior Minister

Shawn Fiedler, Assistant Minister