The members of St. Matthias' love to have fun! We have all kinds of events, concerts, celebrations – any reason to get together! We enjoy each other and we love having visitors.
We come from all over. Many of us originated in Wisconsin, but there are those of us that have moved from east coast, west coast, north, and south. We have varied backgrounds and we like to share our knowledge with each other and the community.
We are known in the area for our friendliness, beautiful music, and our service to the community. Our motto is, "Open doors, open hearts, open minds." All are welcome here! You won't be pushed into doing or being anything here. Relax. We respect each person's unique journey in faith.
We don't just talk about what we believe. We act on it. We share our time, talents, and treasures to the degree that we are able. Everyone contributes in ways small or large, hoping to make this world a better place.
We come from all over. Many of us originated in Wisconsin, but there are those of us that have moved from east coast, west coast, north, and south. We have varied backgrounds and we like to share our knowledge with each other and the community.
We are known in the area for our friendliness, beautiful music, and our service to the community. Our motto is, "Open doors, open hearts, open minds." All are welcome here! You won't be pushed into doing or being anything here. Relax. We respect each person's unique journey in faith.
We don't just talk about what we believe. We act on it. We share our time, talents, and treasures to the degree that we are able. Everyone contributes in ways small or large, hoping to make this world a better place.
Inclusive and Welcoming
We are known in the community for our friendliness. Part of our mission statement says, "Whoever you are, wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome in this church. We invite you to worship with us and to receive Communion with us."
This inclusive and welcoming approach to all people was the characteristic most valued by three quarters of our parish survey respondents. Our motto, "Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds" describes our parish well. We believe that Jesus' message reveals a God who loves and accepts us all and that Christianity is about sharing that love.
When it comes to a journey of faith, St. Matthias' honors individual differences. As we say, "All are welcome here". Based on a recent survey of our congregation, people had different slants on theological interpretation, but 69 percent of St. Matthias' parishioners consider themselves theologically progressive.
St. Matthias' is one of 37 congregations included within the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac in northeastern Wisconsin. While some of our parishioners were raised as Episcopalians, most were raised in other Christian denominations.
Many are from different areas of Wisconsin, while others have retired here from the east coast, west coast, north, and south. The many lakes, forests and other sources of natural beauty as well as outdoor recreational opportunities in the Minocqua area provide a strong attraction to many retirees.
While our congregation is 99 percent white, nearby is the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, which has provided opportunities for cultural and spiritual interchange including a quarterly Eucharistic service with liturgy and music honoring Native American traditions and spirituality.
Actively Involved
St. Matthias' church is a small but active and energetic faith community that provides numerous opportunities for spiritual growth and outreach to the broader community. Individual parishioner initiative is encouraged and responsible for many of the ministries described on our website.
90 percent of our parishioners attend services at least once a month, and 40 percent participate in monthly Evensong services. These numbers are good, given that a number of our members travel or leave town for all or part of the colder months. 69 percent of our members are engaged in at least one service ministry, with three being the average.
St. Matthias' members value lifelong learning and add to their knowledge at church in a variety of ways: classes, presenters, video series, book studies, Education for Ministry (EfM), and discussion groups such as the Women of Matthias' (WOM). Members also learn as they work side-by-side on projects that help those in need in our community.
Fun-loving
We are a fun-loving parish with many social events aimed at casual and light-hearted pleasures that often involve shared meals. Examples include potlucks after monthly Evensong services, Mass-on-the-Grass followed by a lasagna dinner, an annual Winter Survivors' Dinner, a Thrift Shop volunteer appreciation dinner each fall, small Foyer Group gatherings designed to acquaint older and newer members, Men-of-Matthias' breakfasts, and numerous small, spur-of-the-moment get-togethers of folks after church for lunch or after choir rehearsal for dinner.
Financially Responsible
St. Matthias' parishioners are generous with their treasure as well as their talent and time. The church campus and its main outreach arm, the Thrift Store, became debt-free in 2012.
Appreciative of Music
Our music ministry is an important component of who we are in worship. In 2013 we dedicated a new tracker-action pipe organ.
Active Lay Leadership
In 2004 the the parish took on the risky task of building a new sanctuary, renovating our old church facilities, and at the same time purchasing and renovating a large warehouse to replace the Thrift Store's little brick cottage that had to be demolished because it sat in the middle of the future site of our new sanctuary. While accomplishing all of this was not without controversy, our active church life today results in large part from challenges met and problems solved at that time.
Vestry Leadership and Membership Involvement
Over the years, St. Matthias' parishioners didn't just talk about what they believe. They acted on their beliefs. The Vestry has participated in yearly strategic planning retreats that have helped facilitate actions and improvements since 2006. This, in combination with the continued efforts and positive attitude of our active members, has been another reason why we are in a good position today.
Thrift Shop Growth
For many years, profits from the original Thrift Shop supported church operations on an as-needed basis and provided modest levels of assistance for human needs in the community. The new Thrift Shop facility opened in 2005, grew rapidly, and soon required additional space. Revenue increases accompanying this growth were able to support renovation and enlargement of the storage and intake areas and to purchase adjoining property for construction of a showroom for the sale of used furniture.
Results of our recent demographic survey suggest that close to half of St. Matthias' members are Thrift Shop volunteers. Currently, about 100 volunteers from the church and from the community-at-large support the Thrift Shop operation which is managed by two of our parishioners (a married couple) whose devotion of time and talent have been key to the Thrift Shop's considerable - and some say miraculous - success.
Financing Outreach
Steadily increasing Thrift Shop revenues prompted the St. Matthias' Vestry and the Thrift Shop Committee to consider how profits would be utilized. In 2007 it was agreed that all profits would go back to the community rather than any of it being used to support church operations. It was further agreed that 10 percent of Thrift Shop profits would be returned to the church for direct support of specific St. Matthias' outreach projects including Community Table, the St. Francis Project, and Caritas-Minocqua.
During the calendar years 2013-18 the St. Matthias' Thrift Shop provided over a half million dollars in support of human needs within the greater Minocqua community - indeed a miracle!
*Special Note Regarding Blessings of Same Sex Unions*
The Episcopal Church recently adopted an official liturgy for blessing same-sex unions, enabling priests who have the approval of their bishops to do so. In our opinion survey, when parishioners were asked whether they would want our priest to perform such a blessing, 78 of 106 respondents answered either "yes" or "probably yes". In December of 2015 our vestry unanimously voted to adopt the inclusive marriage rites of the Episcopal Church for all persons. In January of 2016, after reviewing the steps St. Matthias’ had taken to provide voice to all members regarding their stance including the rites, our Bishop officially affirmed our decision.
Conclusion
St. Matthias' parish is continually evolving, adapting to a changing world, yet maintaining the central teachings and important traditions of Christianity.
We are known in the community for our friendliness. Part of our mission statement says, "Whoever you are, wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome in this church. We invite you to worship with us and to receive Communion with us."
This inclusive and welcoming approach to all people was the characteristic most valued by three quarters of our parish survey respondents. Our motto, "Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds" describes our parish well. We believe that Jesus' message reveals a God who loves and accepts us all and that Christianity is about sharing that love.
When it comes to a journey of faith, St. Matthias' honors individual differences. As we say, "All are welcome here". Based on a recent survey of our congregation, people had different slants on theological interpretation, but 69 percent of St. Matthias' parishioners consider themselves theologically progressive.
St. Matthias' is one of 37 congregations included within the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac in northeastern Wisconsin. While some of our parishioners were raised as Episcopalians, most were raised in other Christian denominations.
Many are from different areas of Wisconsin, while others have retired here from the east coast, west coast, north, and south. The many lakes, forests and other sources of natural beauty as well as outdoor recreational opportunities in the Minocqua area provide a strong attraction to many retirees.
While our congregation is 99 percent white, nearby is the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, which has provided opportunities for cultural and spiritual interchange including a quarterly Eucharistic service with liturgy and music honoring Native American traditions and spirituality.
Actively Involved
St. Matthias' church is a small but active and energetic faith community that provides numerous opportunities for spiritual growth and outreach to the broader community. Individual parishioner initiative is encouraged and responsible for many of the ministries described on our website.
90 percent of our parishioners attend services at least once a month, and 40 percent participate in monthly Evensong services. These numbers are good, given that a number of our members travel or leave town for all or part of the colder months. 69 percent of our members are engaged in at least one service ministry, with three being the average.
St. Matthias' members value lifelong learning and add to their knowledge at church in a variety of ways: classes, presenters, video series, book studies, Education for Ministry (EfM), and discussion groups such as the Women of Matthias' (WOM). Members also learn as they work side-by-side on projects that help those in need in our community.
Fun-loving
We are a fun-loving parish with many social events aimed at casual and light-hearted pleasures that often involve shared meals. Examples include potlucks after monthly Evensong services, Mass-on-the-Grass followed by a lasagna dinner, an annual Winter Survivors' Dinner, a Thrift Shop volunteer appreciation dinner each fall, small Foyer Group gatherings designed to acquaint older and newer members, Men-of-Matthias' breakfasts, and numerous small, spur-of-the-moment get-togethers of folks after church for lunch or after choir rehearsal for dinner.
Financially Responsible
St. Matthias' parishioners are generous with their treasure as well as their talent and time. The church campus and its main outreach arm, the Thrift Store, became debt-free in 2012.
Appreciative of Music
Our music ministry is an important component of who we are in worship. In 2013 we dedicated a new tracker-action pipe organ.
Active Lay Leadership
In 2004 the the parish took on the risky task of building a new sanctuary, renovating our old church facilities, and at the same time purchasing and renovating a large warehouse to replace the Thrift Store's little brick cottage that had to be demolished because it sat in the middle of the future site of our new sanctuary. While accomplishing all of this was not without controversy, our active church life today results in large part from challenges met and problems solved at that time.
Vestry Leadership and Membership Involvement
Over the years, St. Matthias' parishioners didn't just talk about what they believe. They acted on their beliefs. The Vestry has participated in yearly strategic planning retreats that have helped facilitate actions and improvements since 2006. This, in combination with the continued efforts and positive attitude of our active members, has been another reason why we are in a good position today.
Thrift Shop Growth
For many years, profits from the original Thrift Shop supported church operations on an as-needed basis and provided modest levels of assistance for human needs in the community. The new Thrift Shop facility opened in 2005, grew rapidly, and soon required additional space. Revenue increases accompanying this growth were able to support renovation and enlargement of the storage and intake areas and to purchase adjoining property for construction of a showroom for the sale of used furniture.
Results of our recent demographic survey suggest that close to half of St. Matthias' members are Thrift Shop volunteers. Currently, about 100 volunteers from the church and from the community-at-large support the Thrift Shop operation which is managed by two of our parishioners (a married couple) whose devotion of time and talent have been key to the Thrift Shop's considerable - and some say miraculous - success.
Financing Outreach
Steadily increasing Thrift Shop revenues prompted the St. Matthias' Vestry and the Thrift Shop Committee to consider how profits would be utilized. In 2007 it was agreed that all profits would go back to the community rather than any of it being used to support church operations. It was further agreed that 10 percent of Thrift Shop profits would be returned to the church for direct support of specific St. Matthias' outreach projects including Community Table, the St. Francis Project, and Caritas-Minocqua.
During the calendar years 2013-18 the St. Matthias' Thrift Shop provided over a half million dollars in support of human needs within the greater Minocqua community - indeed a miracle!
*Special Note Regarding Blessings of Same Sex Unions*
The Episcopal Church recently adopted an official liturgy for blessing same-sex unions, enabling priests who have the approval of their bishops to do so. In our opinion survey, when parishioners were asked whether they would want our priest to perform such a blessing, 78 of 106 respondents answered either "yes" or "probably yes". In December of 2015 our vestry unanimously voted to adopt the inclusive marriage rites of the Episcopal Church for all persons. In January of 2016, after reviewing the steps St. Matthias’ had taken to provide voice to all members regarding their stance including the rites, our Bishop officially affirmed our decision.
Conclusion
St. Matthias' parish is continually evolving, adapting to a changing world, yet maintaining the central teachings and important traditions of Christianity.
