Our parish profile
A glimpse into who we are, where we’ve been, and where God is leading us.
Who we have been
The Church of the Nativity in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, has a rich history of being an active part of the community and the diocese. Membership was larger than the current number, and there were many outreach ministries in which people participated. In 2021 there were 118 active members, in 2020 there were 121, and in 2018, 107. (Numbers for active members in 2019 were not available.)
Our church has been served faithfully by clergy whose loving impact is still felt.
Read more about our parish history here
Our ministries through the years
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Vacation Bible School
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Active Children's Sunday School and Youth Group
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Mission trips to Haiti
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Daughters of the King
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Churchmen's group
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Serving at a local community kitchen
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Buying gifts from an Angel Tree
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Hosting AA and NA groups
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Food pantry set up for people to shop for non-perishables and fresh vegetables grown on property
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Providing backpacks with school supplies for local students
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Writing and delivering Christmas cards to a local nursing home
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Sewing with residents at a local community center
Who we are
The Church of the Nativity in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, continues to be a very warm and loving congregation. Our active membership right now is 71 persons. Its people are non-judgmental and committed to welcoming all of God’s children.
Our church is committed to finding ways to minister to and with marginalized groups of people. In particular, this church has a recent history of making neurodivergent people feel welcome and accepted. The members are not only an accepting congregation when it comes to those who identify as LGBTQ, but are affirming and hope to learn how to be supportive allies. There is no other church in the Northwest Georgia area that is affirming and fully inclusive of the LGBTQ community.
The surrounding area of Nativity is in the 14th congressional district of Georgia. Within this district is the Chickamauga Battlefield, the site of a significant battle during the Civil War. Both our state and our district continue to be battlegrounds of a sort when it comes to political and social justice issues. Many of the members have come from other denominations.
The church does not recruit from other churches; however, if someone is seeking a more open and inclusive experience of church, that can be difficult to find in NW Georgia. Church of the Nativity is the only liturgical Protestant church in this area. It is one of the few churches in the area where the Eucharist is celebrated each week in worship. It is also the only parish from Northwest Georgia in the Diocese of East Tennessee.
Financially, the church is on solid ground. The current membership continues to be fiscally responsible with what God has so generously provided through pledges of the membership and other sources of income.
Who we are
Buildings, Grounds, and our Internet Community
The church building sits on roughly seven acres, unusual inside any city limits. The grounds of the church provide a beautiful wooded green space in an urban setting.
There is a walking path around the property that is shaded in many places by the trees on the campus. In the midst of the trees is Earth and All Stars outdoor chapel, built with a grant from the diocese. It is used most often for morning worship when the weather is pleasant.
In a shaded area up the hill from the church building is our columbarium. This is a peaceful spot for those who grieve to visit loved ones.
Between the church building and the columbarium is our circular patio with a fire pit named King’s Corner.
Finally, there is a walking labyrinth adjacent to the parking lot. The
community is openly invited to use all that is available on the outdoor campus of the church. Many people each week walk the walking path or the labyrinth, and several gatherings a year occur at King’s Corner.
Like many churches, today post-Covid, the Church of the Nativity is also down in membership and attendance. This has created challenges and discouragement.
However, a surprise blessing that continues after Covid restrictions is our online Compline service. Monday through Thursday evenings at nine o’clock our deacon and a church member volunteer to host a Compline service via Zoom. During the past year, the online service of Compline has received 23,000 hits.
Who we are
Get to know us
The membership is largely older adults, mostly retired, but still active. There is an understanding that without revitalization, without bringing in new members, including families with children and youth, the church is at risk of fading away.
We have events that attract children, like our annual Trunk or Treat, and our Vacation Bible School. A dream or vision of the vestry is hiring a youth and children’s minister to develop programming and reach out to families who live near the church to let them know what is being offered.
The leadership of the church has also had discussions about partnering with other Episcopal churches in our diocese to attend and plan youth and children’s events.
There is a desire on the part of the congregation which was mentioned in congregational conversations to find ways to open up the use of our parish hall to other groups in our community.
Who we are
Forward Together
It is evident that there is much work to be done to continue the church's ministries. That being said, our members are ready to be flexible and open to the work of the Spirit, and willing to listen to and embrace new ways of ministry moving forward. We are working on making the church more visible in the community. This includes a new sign that will display information about worship, activities, and events
Many of the leaders of the church have participated in Education for Ministry. It was challenging to continue the study during a worldwide pandemic, but the group was determined and used available technology like Zoom to finish the year of study. There are other members who have expressed an interest in
participating in EFM the next time it is offered.
Another ministry of Christian Formation for adults that has recently been revitalized is our Sunday School for adults. Our interim priest as well as four to five members have stepped up to lead studies on a variety of topics.
Many of the outreach ministries have ceased due to an insufficient number of people to carry them out and do them well. However, the church reaches many people with financial help through the Priest's Discretionary Fund.
We host a food pantry one Saturday each month. Formerly an actual pantry where recipients could come in and shop, we adapted with the pandemic and began giving out gift cards to a local grocery store. Members greet each client in their cars, talk with them, and ask how they can pray for each person in the car line. These prayer requests are shared in a safe way with the congregation so that others might also pray.
The leadership of the church is moving forward in faith that God has more for this church to do in this community. Ministry and visioning continue.
The lay leadership of the church is strong and dedicated to their work. The Church of the Nativity and its vestry maintain its identity as a place where God is at work.
We look forward to having our new priest join us in ministry at this time and in this place.
Who we want to be
During recent vestry conversations, the members discussed how our church can actively welcome people on the margins.
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We want to be known as warm and welcoming to all persons, for real.
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Like many small churches, we hope to have families with children join our faith community. Some ideas have been tossed around for how to accomplish this goal, but nothing has been put in place as of right now.
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We want to invite the local community to take advantage of the use of our facilities. Our physical plant offers green space, solitude for contemplation, and meeting space for local organizations.
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When a new priest joins us, we hope to work in conjunction with them to create the specific visions of ministry we can accomplish together.
Our goal is to help our members understand that Christian ministry is a fulfillment of our baptismal vows. We are all called to any ministry that uses our gifts and graces to further the Kingdom of God.
It is also our stated purpose to protect the boundaries of our priest and encourage them to seek spiritual, physical, and emotional health. We are excited about the possibilities having stable leadership will provide as we seek to be God’s people in this place and time.
We believe that we have created a very thorough Parish Profile that is honest and hopeful. It is our strong desire and prayer to find the priest that God is sending our way. We pray fervently for the gift of discernment as we move into the process of interviewing candidates. We pray for the patience to allow the Spirit of God to lead us and the ears to hear what She is saying. We know that God is in the process and hears our prayers.
Our journey with clergy
The Rev. Robert Thompson began as a part-time Interim Rector in January of 2021, and served through November of 2023.
He reflects: I have richly enjoyed getting to know each of the members by name and learning something about their lives, interests, and families, as well as encouraging and nurturing them in both discovering and performing their own ministries.
There is a core group of diligent and responsible persons who work, mostly behind the scenes, to accomplish the many tasks related to parish life. It is a delight to know that “things get done” without my personal supervision! I discuss issues and tasks with them and hear updates, but they are fulfilling their ministries.
Here are some examples:
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The senior warden prepares the agenda for our monthly vestry meetings, which she/he conducts.
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Three members have led our adult Christian formation class on timely topics of their choice. One of them is a new member!
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Another new member has joined the coffee hour team and has offered to provide transportation to medical appointments for others.
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The vestry has used material from “Invite-Welcome-Connect” to survey the parish to discern practical tasks for engage our surrounding community.
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The vestry has actively engaged in the two vestry retreats I have facilitated, to include listening to podcasts from smallchurchesbigimpact.org, which have helped them embrace the unique challenges and opportunities of their specific context."
While small in number, we are big in heart.
Our Diocese
About the Diocese of East Tennessee
Our Diocese is a collaborative community of engaged members with a “can-do” spirit who are creative, energetic and generous followers of Jesus.
The Diocese is nestled in the valley between the Cumberland Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains, covering approximately 14,350 square miles in 33 counties in East Tennessee and three counties in Northwest Georgia.
Within this area are 46 diverse congregations which range in attendance from 8 to more than 300 faithful worshipers.
The Rt. Rev. Brian L. Cole is the fifth Bishop of East Tennessee. Clergy number more than 200, including approximately 55 priests, 15 vocational deacons and more than 130 non-parochial and retired priests and deacons in addition to the vibrant culture of lay leadership and ministry all serving under a common call to Reconcile All Things in Christ.
Over half of our parishes are served by at least one full-time paid clergy person, and collegiality among the clergy is valued and nurtured through continuing education offerings, Fall clergy conference, and a Lenten retreat. In addition, the diocese nurtures a vibrant culture of lay leadership and ministry with ongoing formation and support for lay preachers, evangelist facilitators, pastoral leaders, pastoral care ministers, catechists, and worship leaders.
All East Tennessee Episcopalians serve under a common call to Reconcile All Things in Christ. Our diocesan offerings, kept relevant and informative through a culture of learning, are the product of our Christian Formation, Evangelism, Becoming Beloved Community, and Pride working groups.
The Diocese of East Tennessee is committed to being a community of prayer and action, caring for the people of our beautiful East Tennessee region. Our forward-looking vision is that creativity and innovation are theological tasks, guided by the Holy Spirit. We are rooted in Christ and we are open to the world.