• Our study encompassed an area of approximately 100 square miles around the church and includes a population of 21,000 people. 4.5% of the households claim to be Episcopalians, well above the national average. Of the 900 Episcopalian households in the study area, 550 are members of Saint James, with the remaining distributed among other smaller congregations.
• The profile of people in this area is mainly affluent, white, well educated, family-oriented, white collar, multi-car, and home owning. 71% are classified as Affluent and Family oriented as compared to 12.8% nationally.
• The population in our study area is growing, though will grow in the future at a rapidly declining rate. The persons per household is declining as children move away. The remaining population is aging. Housing for younger families is harder to find, and the number of school age children is expected to decline slightly over the next few years.
• The number of people with incomes under $100,000 is expected to decline, while the number over that number is expected to increase. The number of people who work at home is expected to increase. Almost half of all employed persons spend 30 to 59 minutes traveling each way to work daily.
• 34.4% of the people feel that they are strongly involved in their faith, slightly less than the national average. 35.5% say they are not involved at all. Fewer than the national average profess belief in God, and giving to religious institutions is less than average.

Major concerns expressed by our neighbors include the following:

• Dealing with stress
• Day-to-day financial worries
• Maintaining personal health
• Providing care for aging parents
• Finding and providing good schools
• Achieving long-term financial stability
• Finding time for recreation and leisure
• Finding a satisfying job
• Achieving a fulfilling marriage
• Developing parenting skills
• Finding a direction for life.

In addition, the Vestry identified a number of issues as follows:

• Isolation from the problems of the city
• Importance of Social Outreach Ministries
• Retention of Members
• Issues of human sexuality, including homosexuality
• Adult Christian Education
• Child Christian Education
• Youth ministries
• The Educational ministry of our St. James Academy
• Worship and Music as central to our identity
• Work with the elderly
• Quality of Christian Community
• Learning to care for one another
• Adherence too Church Traditions
• Pastoral care of members
• Growing awareness of the theology of Stewardship

Our gifts for ministry include financial resources, education, health, a rich tradition, leadership skills, energy, power and connections, space and facilities.

Our barriers to ministry include lack of time, lack of diversity, distance to work, lack of childcare, perhaps too many material possessions, self-satisfaction, and little experience of failure, possibly limiting risk-taking for ministry.