St. Mary Magdalene (SMM) and St. Stephen's Episcopal churches have formed a new congregation in Frederick to serve the Tri-Town area; its name is St. Brigit Episcopal Church. Provided on this page is information in chronological order on the development of the this outreach. For more information and the latest updates, please visit www.StBrigit.org .

Summer 2005
Several home meetings were conducted regarding the future of SMM. One of the possibilities that arose out of these home meetings was how SMM could lend its support to a church plant in a nearby area. Mother Felicia and Father Mike encouraged the Vestry to set up a task force to investigate how, where and what's involved in a church plant.

May-Sept, 2006
SMM Task Force identified the Tri-Town area as a place where high population growth, a need for community outreach and the need for a liturgical church co-exist.

October 2006
SMM Task Force presented findings to the SMM Vestry

January 2007
SMM Task Force presented findings at annual meeting of SMM. Episcopal Foundation of Colorado purchased 7 acres at the corner of First and Johnson Streets, Frederick for a possible church plant. The Foundation holds the assets until a new congregation can buy them at the same price for which they were purchased.

Spring 2007
St. Stephen's in Longmont expresses interest in launching a church plant with SMM in the Tri-Town area.

September 2007
SMM and St. Stephen's clergy participate in the first Episcopal Service on the land purchased in Frederick. 225 people from SMM, St. Stephen's and the Tri-Town area participated.

September -December 2007
Families living in the Tri-Town area interested in forming a new Episcopal Church meet every other Sunday night to continue exploring their vision of this mission and identifying the character of this new congregation.

October 2007
Clergy from SMM and St. Stephen's begin meeting regularly to discuss the possibility of a church plant in Frederick. Felicia SmithGraybeal chosen as 'lead clergy person' to continue the exploration process.

November 2007 by Mother Felicia SmithGraybeal
Ten years ago I was awakened by the village doctor in a tiny village in the remote mountains of Honduras, Central America. The physician tapped on my sister's and my window to let us know that a woman of the village was in labor and almost ready to deliver in the clinic just a few minutes away. My sister and I got dressed quickly and headed down the mountain in the hopes that we could witness this new birth. We arrived in time and were able to help the doctor with the delivery as a beautiful new baby was brought into the world. I have experienced nothing quite the same as witnessing something new being born into this world. I had the privilege of cutting the cord, and as I did I looked down at this baby girl and imagined all the possibilities inherent in this little life and thanked God for the privilege of witnessing a miracle.

I must say that lately I have been experiencing similar feelings to the ones I felt on that early morning some ten years ago. The context in which I have felt these feelings of hope, excitement, astonishment, and wonder is meeting with a group of people to dream and discuss the possibility of a new church in Frederick, Colorado. Something new is being born and as I think about all the possibilities inherent in this little life I get excited and give thanks to God for the privilege of witnessing a miracle.

It is a miracle to witness something new being born. And what is being born, what is being hoped for and longed for in Frederick, Colorado is a church that is

1. A place where outreach to the community in Christ's name is core
2. A place where children are welcomed and learn to love God and one another
3. A place that includes and offers hospitality to ALL
4. A place that people call home and where they care for one another

At this time these four values are guiding and directing this group's discussions, prayers, and actions. This group will continue to gather through the end of the year. The clergy of both St. Stephens and St. Mary Magdalene have agreed to be present at these meetings and we plan to make some decisions about the future of a church plant in Frederick by the beginning of 2008.

December 2007
Bishop Rob O'Neill has deployed Deacon Maureen Beaty, to St. Mary Magdalene for the purpose of exploring a church community in Frederick, Colorado. Maureen has already attended a Frederick gathering and will be sharing her gifts in leading the group to explore servant ministry in the Frederick and Tri-Town area. The second worship service is held at Prairie Green Club house in Frederick with 34 attending. A small planning group is formed to research and document the Frederick Congregational Development Plan. The next step in continuing to explore the viability of this idea is to apply for special congregation status from the Diocese of Colorado in March 2008.

January 2008
Frederick group decides to have worship once per month at Prairie Green Club house.

February 2008 by Mother Felicia SmithGraybeal
Not too long ago The Rev. Mary Kate Schroeder was installed as the rector at St. Aidan Episcopal Church in Boulder. At her installation she received a gift certificate to a religious art gallery in Denver called Creator Mundi. A few weeks following Mary Kate's instillation there was a Boulder County Clergy luncheon at St. Mary Magdalene. At that luncheon Mary Kate asked if there was anything the new church in Frederick needed for worship. She made the offer to share part of her gift certificate to Creator Mundi with the church in Frederick. A week before she asked me this question Isaac and Kaytlin Boardman, Frederick's first young acolytes, asked where the processional cross was for them to carry for our worship service. I told them that since we were such a new church that there was no processional cross yet.I discovered that Creator Mundi carries processional crosses and with Mary Kate's generous gift we might be able to purchase one for the budding community of faith in Frederick.

One Sunday, Glenn and Joy-Lynn Boardman (Frederick parishioners) and their children Issac and Kaytlin, joined Maureen Beaty and myself at SMM for worship. Following worship we made our way to Creator Mundi to look at the processional crosses. One of the core values of Frederick Episcopal is to welcome children and to be the kind of place that teaches children how to love God and one another. With that core value in mind we charged Kaytlin and Issac to choose a processional cross for Frederick Episcopal based on our core values rather than choosing the cross they liked best. It was a joy to hear them respond to this charge.

After entering the store and looking at several different crosses they said, 'I think we should have a processional cross that is made of wood because that addresses one of our core values of being a place called home'. One of them said, 'I think our cross should have several different colors of wood, so it will represent that we are a community that welcomes all people.' The other added they thought our processional cross should be wider on all four ends so it would show that our community has a strong focus on outreach. It is no wonder that Jesus took a little child and placed him before the disciples and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.' The adults on this venture to Denver were inspired by the wisdom of Issac and Kaytlin and we look forward to working with a Colorado artist to co-create a processional cross that reflects the core values of Frederick Episcopal Church.

March 2008
Several members of the Frederick core group met with the Diocesan Standing Committee; several others attended to support those who were presenting a proposal for the Frederick plant to become a 'special congregation'.

April 2008 by Maureen Beaty, Deacon
As a result of our proposal to the Diocesan Standing Committee in March, we have been asked to grow the core group to 30 families strong before we begin advertising weekly worship on Sunday mornings. We are hopeful we can begin weekly worship as early as January of 2009. Currently, there are 12 families committed to forming a new Episcopal presence in Frederick. We meet the first and third Sunday nights of each month at 5pm in Frederick. On the first Sunday of each month, we gather for a potluck dinner, fellowship, and either spend time doing Christian formation or spend time planning for the future. The third Sunday of each month we gather at 5pm for worship and then share a potluck meal and fellowship time together. We have been meeting at the Prairie Green clubhouse which is located 2.5 miles east of I-25 off of HWY 52.

Based on the request made by the Standing Committee, on April 10th, Mother Felicia and I met with the Executive Committee of the Front Range Region to request funding in order to grow the congregation. We asked for $10,000 to fund advertising, marketing, web site development work, and monies for an event/worship service on the land. We have been granted $7500 for those purposes.

May 2008
Bishop Rob O'Neill grants $10,000 from his Discretionary Fund for 2009, with additional commitments of $5000 in 2010 and $5000 in 2011. Stan Perea, Ethnic Missioner of the Colorado Diocese spoke about how important it is for us to understand the community, we were inspired to go out and learn how we can be the hands of Christ to the Frederick (or Tri-Town) community. The kinds of things we will be doing include:

1. Visiting churches in town to understand what kinds of ministries they are involved with both inside and outside their church.
2. Going to town meetings to get a feel for what is happening in the Tri-Town area.
3. Talking to school principals and counselors
4. Visiting the Senior Center
5. Volunteering with the food bank in Dacono
6. Talk to daycare directors in town
7. Read the local newspapers
8. Visit businesses and restaurants
9. Get a detailed percept ministry area profile report

July - December 2008
On July 7th, a 90 year old 1800 sq. foot house with garage at 110 Johnson Street, Frederick was purchased by the Episcopal Foundation of Colorado. This is now the new home of the Frederick Episcopal Mission. The congregation will gather at this new location for nominal rent plus utilities. As with the land purchase, the Foundation will hold the assests until the new congregation can buy them at the same price for which they were purchased.