The Episcopal Church of the Apostles was originally founded as a mission of several Tucson churches in an effort to meet the
needs of those who may not be attending any church, for those who found other Episcopal churches in the area too traditional,
and for those who may have had past experiences of “organized religion” that were oppressive or even abusive.
The problem, the parish’s founders decided, was not in Jesus’ original vision. His Gospel message of radical love and forgiveness,
his insistence that God was accepting of all people, and the power Jesus believed came directly from God -- and which every
baptized Christian shares -- was one that too often gets sapped away from the continued ministry of the institutional church.
And so the founders of Church of the Apostles studied the Gospels and epistles more closely to find the essence of the early
church movement. Key to those early gatherings was fellowship, sharing of meals and possessions, re-telling the story of Jesus,
and prayer and worship that connected directly with the Holy Spirit, who had empowered the frightened band of disciples in the
first place. Members of Church of the Apostles met regularly in small lifecell groups which prayed and studied, shared meals, and
cared for one another through life’s ups and downs.
Original Mission Statement
The first mission statement of the congregation reflected exactly what the community hoped to provide for those who attended:
“Making friends who become disciples in the way of Jesus.”
Worship and music for the young community drew from many nontraditional sources, and members of the group even wrote its
own Eucharistic prayers and prayers of the people. Prayers from other non-Christian traditions were often woven into the liturgy,
as members proclaimed a theology of radical inclusivity.
Value Statements
Leaders of the parish also outlined the Values they wanted to see carried on in its life, and recently the congregation renewed
its support of those Values. They are:
-Embracing freedom and honesty for people to be who they are, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally
-Embodying mysticism, defined as the spiritual practice/path of connecting with the Holy, within ourselves and all creation
-Proclaiming peace and justice, for without justice, there is no peace.
-Practicing good stewardship of the gifts of creation, especially of the desert home that surrounds us.
-Being a welcoming community.
-Celebrating differences among people – both those obvious and not so obvious
The young mission’s first worship services were held in people’s homes, much like the house churches of first century Christians.
Eventually worship moved to a facility at 9800 N. Oracle Blvd. until the missioners outgrew the parking lot. Apostles church moved
to Wilson Schoolon La Cholla Blvd., just a mile from the 43-acre gift of land that would eventually be its home. 12 years after those
early meetings and house church gatherings began, weary but grateful members finally occupied a new home.
Changes and Tensions
The worship at Apostles has changed over its 15 years. The alternative worship and music that was its trademark continues at the
10:30 a.m. Sunday service, but the demographics of the people moving into the area have influenced the other services held.
Rather than attracting the unchurched, many who seek out Apostles are lifelong Episcopalians who are looking for a Prayer Book
service similar to the ones they left behind in their hometowns.
And so Rite I and Rite II Book of Common Prayer services of the Eucharist have joined the “Rite III” free flowing worship. The music
is still less traditional, with piano, and guitar and sometimes drum accompaniment. The mission statement still reflects the breadth
of worship experiences offered, and is a bit more generic:
"Church of Apostles exists to nurture Divine connections"
The worship space, too, is less traditional than many Episcopalians have experienced. Instead of pews, chairs were added to allow
for flexibility of the worship space. Instead of stained glass, windows are open to the beauty of creation and the panorama of the
Catalina mountain range looming behind the altar. And instead of relying on hymnals and prayer books, the later two services are
projected on screens. Many worshippers find that they especially like the freedom and openness of not looking down in a book
throughout the service!
Among the aspects of Apostles that have NOT changed are its focus on caring for one another, welcoming those who may have
had a negative experience of the traditional church, and small group study and prayer in the context of running the institutional
church. Truly a “do-it-yourself” parish, Church of the Apostles relies heavily on parish members for all aspects of its life, from
assembling the bulletin to building its own labyrinth to assisting in worship and classes.
Radical Inclusivity
Apostles’ vestry members and team leaders recently took the step to be intentional about its inclusivity of traditional and non-traditional members, knowing that they were taking on a more difficult task than simply settling for a narrow vision of what the church should be. Rather than adopting the comfortable road of welcoming only those who were of like mind and similar tradition, leaders chose to embrace the creative tension they believed is found in God’s love and grace.
