St. Michael’s Rector Search
(DRAFT)
We are seeking a full-time priest
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Noblesville is looking for an engaging spiritual leader who will provide leadership to the congregation and help us to follow the path of Jesus; a preacher to inspire us with sermons that speak to our common lives; one who is passionate about providing pastoral care and a sense of belonging to all members of the church. We seek a priest who will help us to engage and connect not only within our church, but also with our neighbors in Noblesville and nearby communities. The ideal candidate will foster growth, build connections within the community, and help us deepen our faith and outreach efforts. We’re looking for someone with an abiding sense of God’s love who will listen closely, speak kindly, and laugh easily. If you are interested in learning more, we warmly invite you to apply.
Who We Are
St. Michael's Episcopal Church is an inclusive, caring congregation located in a thriving community that blends historic charm with modern comfort. Our congregation has 180 active members and an average Sunday attendance of 42. Although we are a small church, we are active and energized. Each summer, we host a very popular Strawberry Festival on the Noblesville downtown square, raising money that helps to support our outreach ministries. We share produce from our gardens each summer, support Family Promise of Hamilton County, and serve meals at a family homeless shelter in Indianapolis. We are proud of our Episcopal tradition and our faith community, and we are eager to find more ways to share God’s love with our neighbors.
Our Community
St. Michael’s is located in Noblesville, Indiana, the county seat for Hamilton County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the State of Indiana. It is a thriving community with a soul. While the City of Noblesville and the surrounding communities like Westfield and Cicero continue their dramatic growth, Noblesville still maintains its small-town feel where people gather together for community events and activities and enjoy a wonderful place to live, work, and play.
We have excellent schools, parks, trails, and numerous other amenities that make it a great place to call home. From our vibrant historic downtown filled with small businesses, to new housing and corporate headquarters located throughout the area, Noblesville is a flourishing community with people of varied backgrounds that truly has something to offer to everyone.
Morse Reservoir offers 35 miles of shoreline surrounding a 1,500-acre body of water bounded by Cicero to the north and Noblesville to the south. There are parks that offer free access to Morse Reservoir, providing the community with lake swimming, boating, fishing, playgrounds, multiple shelters, and more. Grand Park, a sports venue in nearby Westfield, offers 31 multi-purpose fields and 26 diamonds. It is home to the Indianapolis Colts Training Camp, Pacers Athletic Center, Indy Eleven, and USL W league Soccer Training Center. Nearby, Ruoff Music Center is a large outdoor music venue, and Conner Prairie is a Smithsonian-affiliated Living History outdoor museum. Indianapolis is an easy drive to even more sports, arts, and dining options.
Learn more about our community:
EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF INDIANAPOLIS
The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis comprises 47 worshipping communities with a combined average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 2,893. It is led by Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, the eleventh Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis. The diocese spans the southern two-thirds of Indiana.
Some of the prominent features of the diocese include a strong and collegial community of clergy, along with extraordinary resources provided by the diocese to clergy members. It was the first diocese to call two female diocesan bishops in succession; in addition, Bishop Jennifer was the first African American woman to be elected as a diocesan bishop. And the diocese is home to the beautiful Waycross Camp and Conference Center, a year-round camp, conference, and retreat center in Brown County, Indiana. Waycross welcomes groups seeking leadership development, spiritual growth or educational advancements. Its offerings include everything from afternoon meetings to weekend conferences to weeklong retreats.
Currently, the Episcopal Dioceses of Northern Indiana and Indianapolis are engaged in a shared discernment process regarding a potential reunification. This process is exploring whether combining into a single diocese for the entire state of Indiana would better serve God’s mission and vision.
Learn more about our Diocese:
St. Michael’s Buildings and Grounds
We are located west of downtown Noblesville, adjacent to a bike path and Noblesville Fire Station 72. Our building was built in the 1970s, and with an expansion completed in 2018, St. Michael’s now has the addition of a steeple and bells to remind neighbors that services are about to begin. Our picnic shelter, basketball goal and playground are often used by our neighbors. We have raised bed vegetable and flower gardens and we contribute our weekly harvests to a local food bank. We’re proud to say that we are debt-free for our building at this time, and we continue to look for ways to improve and best utilize not only the structure but the surrounding property.
Our Search Process
The St. Michael’s Search Committee, from left to right: Devan Veatch, Rev. Canon Giulianna Cappelletti Gray, Gail Geisler, Megan Wiles, Ron Hampton, and Carol Motluck.
During our transitional time, St. Michael’s engaged in a process of holy listening. We reflected on not only our strengths but also our dreams, pains, concerns, and hopes. Below, you’ll find our strengths and challenges as shared by the congregation
Our Strengths
We are a welcoming, gracious and accepting community that rallies around members in times of need. We can laugh and enjoy being together during spiritual and social gatherings. In our listening sessions, our members also used descriptions like a sense of belonging, welcoming to children, spirituality, filled with curiosity, kind, everyone is valued, and a sense of humor.
Our lay leadership is strong. We are a collaborative and supportive faith community, and we work well together. Our parish is resilient and invested, looking forward to working in partnership with our next priest.
Our Challenges + Opportunities for Improvement
We have learned that we want to improve the ways we communicate. We want to be better able to speak the truth in love and to stay in relationship while we do this. We also want to improve communications for the purpose of being more accessible to newcomers. We need to better express appreciation for the efforts of others. An increase of pastoral care for members would be greatly appreciated, including providing more offerings like Bible studies and fellowship activities. Our congregation is aging, and we are looking to grow our membership to include younger people and families. This is a special faith community – how can we share the joy we find here with others?
Why St. Michael’s?
At St. Michael’s, we have a committed and dedicated group of people ready to work in partnership with you in this journey. You could be our missing piece - a spiritual leader who will help guide us to the next step. There is something special happening here that we pray you will be drawn to. We warmly encourage you to contact us.
How to Apply
If you feel God is calling you to enter into discernment with us, please submit via email the following materials to Canon Giulianna Cappelletti Gray at transitions@indydio.org:
A letter of interest highlighting why you might be called to St. Michael's
Resume
A copy of your updated OTM portfolio