PHOENIX - Sixty-three people of all ages, genders, races, and economic groups gathered at St. Jude’s, Trinity Cathedral’s new emergent church service, on Sunday, June 15 at St. Mary’s, Phoenix and it’s safe to say there has never been another Episcopal service quite like it in the Diocese of Arizona.

 
St. Jude’s, which had previously met twice to test responses, is designed to meet the needs of 15- to 30-year-olds in the area who have not connected with traditional churches for personal and cultural reasons. Some of these young adults have experienced horrors many have only read about (incest, child rape, drugs, homelessness, and prostitution) and talk about it freely during the course of the evening through words or song. Much of what they do at St. Jude’s will not look familiar or feel comfortable to many people. It is intentionally multi-cultural, multi-denominational, multi-generational, and socio-economically diverse. They don't seek to please everyone; they seek to serve them.

St. Jude's  5:30 p.m. Dinner 6 p.m. Worship 6:30 p.m. Special 6:35 p.m. Message  6:40 p.m. Small Groups  7 p.m. Lord's Supper 7:15 p.m. "Family Time"  Meeting at St. Mary's Episcopal Church 6522 N. 39th Ave. (NE Corner of Maryland and 39th Ave.) *Bring a friend!

According to the St. Jude’s website, “We think that it is easy for people who are similar to love one another. But when people who are vastly different choose to lay aside difference and worship together and live in love for one another it demonstrates the power of the good news that Jesus loves sinners and changes our lives and communities when we follow him. So it is occasionally very uncomfortable ... but very right. Come see what we mean!”

The idea for St. Jude’s began several years ago when Rick Tucker was frustrated that kids weren’t connecting with church. Then, in February 2008 Matt Marino, Jesse Villegas, and Joel Joa were praying for struggling kids as they drove back from Flagstaff. The Lord gave them the idea that "we just need a church in the neighborhood that fits them, and allows the leaders they already have to connect with them, and that feeds those leaders as well."

When Marino, the diocesan Director for Youth Ministries and former Area Director with Young Life in Central Phoenix, shared the idea with Bishop Kirk Smith, the Bishop's response was, "What a great idea!"

According to Marino, there are several things that are unique to the Episcopal Church that make the denomination a great fit for urban students and young adults:

• A vision for meeting Holistic needs: the Episcopal church understands the holistic ministry of Jesus in Luke 4 about meeting physical, emotional and educational needs. The church in America became a message only niche market because middle class people had no other needs. The poor have always known they have other needs ... one of which is to connect with mentors ... which is something we are intentional about.
• A focus on discipleship: The seeker-sensitive church common today is, by design, an inch deep and a mile wide. The Episcopal church is just the opposite and that is a very good fit for Young Life leaders and kids.
• Catholic friendly: The Episcopal Church is familiar to Catholics. We are hoping this creates "backward compatibility" for Latino families connection to Young Life.
• Apostolic succession: This is the idea that Jesus laid his hands on the original Apostles who laid hands on others and so on, in unbroken succession to today. In the early church, in order to be involved in the councils that did things like decide which books would be in the Bible and write doctrinal statements like the Nicene Creed, you had to be able to trace your spiritual lineage to having been ordained by one who was connected to the original apostles. In the Episcopal Church people are together on a relationship with God through the family of God by apostolic succession vs on having the right answers. This connection of Bishops going back to Peter in Rome is powerful. We can say to an urban kid, "Jesus laid his hands on a group, who laid there hands on a group, who laid their hands on a Bishop, who sent us to you. You are a part of God's eternal family. Before the creation of the world, God knew you, your name. In Jesus name, I welcome you into God's family and into the church God is building to build you, so that you can join your leaders in the mission field."
• Openness to mystery, sacrament & symbolism: Urban kids know and believe in things unseen...things that the rational movements embraced by Christians of the last several centuries have rejected. The Episcopal Church is a tradition that is open to mystery, symbolism, sacrament and the ancient practices of the Christian faith.

An evening at St. Jude’s begins by gathering together at 5:30 p.m. Sunday nights to eat while someone does a two-minute "life story." There’s a "joy box" to drop offerings and a "lil-help" board where people can sign up to give (or get) a "lil' help."

The worship service starts at 6 p.m. There’s a gospel ensemble and some sort of "special" (a rap, solo, drama, testimony, etc.) and then someone speaks out of the Bible. It is relevant and challenging. Then they break into groups to talk about their lives and helping one another apply what they have studied. A priest leads them in celebrating the Lord's Supper. (Bishop Smith, The Rev. Canon Timothy Dombek, The Rev. Canon Carmen Guerrero, and The Rev. John Maher have signed up for the initial services.) Finally, they clean up and hang out together or play basketball at nearby La Pradera Park.

Enthusiasm is evident from the comments left by people attending the services: “Awesome. Perfect. Don't change a thing,” “That was the most powerful communion experience of my life,” and “That was great!”

Some people are already wondering if this is this a Young Life church or if the people of St. Mary’s have been evicted from their facility. The answer to both? No! The founders are all Young Life leaders but Young Life is not a church, and St. Mary's allows them to use their building free of charge.

The rector at St. Mary’s was impressed when he saw one of the trial services. "Wow. Not a very High-church formula, I know, but I say it again - wow! Very, very delighted to see how things went,"   said The Rev. Bill Rhodes.

How is this funded? It doesn't take much. Everyone in leadership has another full-time job and Bishop Smith has volunteered to pay the utility bill. There are two small salaries: a part-time salary for the gospel ensemble (poor college students) and a part-time stipend for the children's person. Offerings and finances are handled through a restricted fund administered by Trinity Cathedral until they achieve formal status.

All donations are tax deductible. The St. Jude’s Board, made up of local church and community leaders, has oversight over the operation of the mission. The board uses the donations to meet the community’s needs. In the future they hope to help leaders get cheap transportation (inexpensive cars they buy back from the foundation, similar to Habit for Humanity) and help people get their U.S. citizenship.

If you would like a tax deductible receipt you can make checks to “Trinity Cathedral” and make sure to put “St. Jude’s” in the memo or put cash in an envelope.

On the Net: www.mystjudes.com