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A strong sense of community exists at St. Philip the Apostle Episcopal Church, which was founded just 18 years ago. Many of the original members are still here. Their children have grown up at St. Philip’s and have gone off to college and work. Many of the members have been here for more than ten years, and most live in the town of Scotts Valley. We worship regularly together; we work together at the various tasks and activities of the church; we play together, as in the annual Big Basin to the Sea hike which occurs in the summer. |
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Christian denominations (in addition to Episcopalian) or have been unchurched in the past. Ecumenism has been a strong thread throughout the history of this church. We are a warm and welcoming congregation of about 100 families. |
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Our annual activities find many of the members attending and also working together to make them happen. Some of our activities, such as the Garden Tour with English Tea Luncheon, and the Harvest Arts and Crafts Fair attract many people from the community and beyond. |
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Fewer than half of the congregation of St. Philip’s are Episcopalian in background. The members come from all |
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As a group we are able to embrace a broad theological spectrum, with tolerance of and respect for different points of view. We believe that the other great world religions -- Judaism, Buddhism, Islam -- are also sources of spiritual wisdom. One of our greatest strengths is this diversity and our valuing one another despite theological differences. We are bound together by our faith in the triune God and our treasuring the sacraments and the liturgy as found in the Book of Common Prayer, as well as by our genuine caring and respect for one another. We also know how to have fun! |
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We are a multigenerational congregation. As this is being written, our newest member is just three days old! The majority of our adult members are between 30 and 65 years old. The retired members are truly a blessing to St. Philip’s in their service and their wisdom. This is an educated group of people, many of whom hold graduate degrees, and most of whom have attended college. Many are self-employed. |
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The children are an important and vital part of the congregation and are embraced and looked after by all. There is a high level of tolerance for the rustling sounds made by the children as they return from Sunday School in time for communion. They quickly settle down with their parents as they prepare for communion. |
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St. Philip’s is a congregation poised for growth. Most members would like to see the congregation increase in size from 10% to 50% over the next three to five years. We look forward to calling a priest who can work together with lay leaders to guide St. Philip’s into the future. |
