Profile | St. Mary of the Harbor

Church of St. Mary of the Harbor

Church of St. Mary of the Harbor Profile

History Community Worship Outreach Finances Challenges Expectations

Challenges

As we look toward the future, we see both daunting challenge and beckoning opportunity for St. Mary's.

Climate change and sea level rise are likely to impact our seaside property and buildings. Ten years ago we rebuilt and fortified the church’s foundation. More recently, we patched and updated the seawall. We re-roofed and re-shingled the rectory, but anticipate more will be required. We are actively engaged in connecting our buildings to Provincetown’s sewer system.

Our far-flung congregation offers both challenge and opportunity. Active members at St. Mary’s include both local residents and those who own property here and/or visit regularly but are elsewhere for part of the year. Creating and

maintaining community that transcends our geography to keep everyone involved is a challenge. Prompted by the Covid shutdown, we installed equipment to broadcast Sunday services and are experimenting with online meetings. We have a regular service conducted totally by email during the winter with active participants in many locations. We believe the wise application of technology can strengthen bonds of community with parishioners near and far.

St. Mary's parishioners tend to be older and affluent, refreshed by the newly retired or those soon-to-be. Reaching other demographics is a challenge. Activities such as winter lunches, Summer Fair, and special services such as Christmas and Easter bring in a broader range. Attracting them to membership and participation is a challenge but also an opportunity we could pursue with creative thinking about programming and messaging.

Our previously strong lay committee structure atrophied in recent years. Re-establishing and re-invigorating our traditional committees is a challenge but also an opportunity to further engage our current members and perhaps incorporate others in the work of the church.