The front of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Summerville: a white clapboard building with a columned portico and a red metal roof, seen along the walkway between clipped hedges under a bright, partly clouded sky.

St. Paul's Anglican ChurchSummerville, South Carolina

The Next Mile

A Spiritual Investment in Christian Education, Discipleship and Service

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“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

Hebrews 12:1–2
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A Capital Campaign

God is doing a powerful work at St. Paul’s.

Children are being formed in Christ from their earliest years. Adults are growing into deeper, more enduring faith. Life Groups are creating meaningful Christian community. And through our ministries of mercy, St. Paul’s continues to meet our neighbors with the love of Christ in tangible ways.

The center aisle of St. Paul’s during a Sunday service, running past a carved wooden font toward the altar.
The nave at St. Paul’s

We believe God is calling us to build upon that work.

The Next Mile is an investment in the formation of hearts, minds and lives for Christ — for this generation and for generations still to come.

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The Next Mile

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Where we stand

A Defining Moment for St. Paul’s

The ornate cast-iron fence around the churchyard at St. Paul’s, its scrollwork and finials picked out in late afternoon light.
The churchyard fence at St. Paul’s

For generations, faithful parishioners have invested in St. Paul’s so that those who came after them would have a place to worship, learn, grow and serve.

We are the beneficiaries of that faithfulness.

Through the generosity of our parish, we have cared for our historic church and invested significantly in the buildings and grounds entrusted to us. At the same time, God has continued to grow the ministries taking place within them.

Today, we find ourselves at an important moment in the life of our church.

We are no longer simply asking how we maintain what previous generations built.

We are asking how we prepare for what God is building next.

The Next Mile is our opportunity to answer that call. We must expand our capacity for Christian formation and create the spaces needed for ministry to flourish well into the future.

This is not simply a construction project.

It is a spiritual investment.

The Rector of St. Paul’s, in surplice and purple stole, speaking from the chancel steps with the altar behind him.

Fr. Tripp Jeffords Rector, St. Paul’s Anglican

A letter from our Rector

We stand on the shoulders of giants

Currently at St. Paul’s we stand on the shoulders of giants — saints who have gone before us in ages past and have left a legacy of faithfulness for us to enjoy. Just look at our beautiful campus and you will see.

Each church, in due season, is sort of like a runner in a race. We are all called to take the baton from the previous runner as we sprint toward the finish line of faith. That is why we have chosen the Scripture from Hebrews 12:1 for our focus verse in this campaign:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…

Hebrews 12:1
Read the full letter Close the letter

Embedded in the DNA of St. Paul’s is a three-part calling woven deeply in us on these historic church grounds.

  1. We are a church that values discipleship. We need to know and love God first of all. We need teaching and ministry spaces.
  2. We value our youth as the next generation of leaders in the church and the world. Our mission is to form solid Christians and citizens.
  3. We value those who cannot provide for themselves, the least, the last, and the forgotten.

In our Next Mile Campaign, we are striving to be true to our DNA established generations ago. We seek to complete the mission woven into our DNA; not only for our generation, but for generations to come.

In our Next Mile Campaign, we hope to provide for all three of our heartfelt passions at St. Paul’s. We hope to provide a new St. Paul’s Ministry Center, in which the first floor will be dedicated to adult Christian discipleship, Bible Study, Group meetings, and Ministry Projects such as the Tea Room and Flower Guild. The second floor will be dedicated to the academic and spiritual education of young people in a classical Christian framework through our school, Trinity Classical Academy. Already, many of our CLC children are able to stay on our campus and advance to upper grades K–8 through TCA. Several families have also joined St. Paul’s church through their children attending TCA.

Finally, the outreach mission of our church will have its own space on our campus. We will take the clergy cottages off of Gadsden Street and make them into a Ministries of Mercy Center. We will build extra storage for food and clothing, so that we may provide a “hand-up” rather than a “hand-out” to those in desperate situations.

I invite you to join me in the next mile.

Fr. Tripp Jeffords+ Rector, St. Paul’s Anglican

The mission

One Mission. Three Expressions.

At the heart of The Next Mile are three essential and interconnected expressions of the mission of St. Paul’s: Christian Education. Discipleship. Ministries of Mercy.

Together, they represent a complete pathway of Christian formation — forming the mind in truth, shaping the heart in Christ and putting faith into action through service.

Faith formation begins early.

Through St. Paul’s Christian education ministries, and through Trinity Classical Academy, the classical Christian school on our campus, children and students are given a strong biblical foundation that helps shape not only what they know, but who they become.

Our classrooms are places where Scripture is taught, questions are welcomed, relationships are built and young people begin to understand their identity in Christ.

As the number of children and families participating in the life of St. Paul’s and of Trinity Classical Academy continues to grow, so does our responsibility to create an environment that supports that formation.

The Next Mile will strengthen our ability to provide consistent, high-quality Christian education and create greater opportunities for children and students to grow in knowledge, wisdom and faith.

We are not simply educating children. We are helping form lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

Children seated around a low table in a St. Paul’s classroom, drawing and working on a craft together.
A young girl looking up from her work at the craft table.
Sunday morning formation

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey.

At St. Paul’s, discipleship happens through learning Scripture, spending time in prayer, teaching, enjoying Life Groups, fellowship and building deep relationships with other believers. It is where faith moves beyond Sunday morning and becomes part of everyday life.

We want every person who calls St. Paul’s home, at every age and stage, to have opportunities to grow deeper in their understanding of Scripture, stronger in community and more mature in Christ.

The Next Mile will create additional capacity for Life Groups, Bible studies, Christian formation, pastoral care and other gatherings that allow people to know Christ more fully and walk alongside one another in faith.

Our goal is not simply a larger church. It is a church growing deeper in Christ.

Parishioners seated at round tables in the parish hall, talking together over a shared meal.
Hands resting in blessing on a parishioner’s head during prayer.
The parish gathered at table

The Gospel does not stop at our doors.

Jesus calls us to love our neighbors, care for those in need and make His love visible through our actions. That calling is being answered already at St. Paul’s. But the need has outpaced our space.

Our food and clothing ministries serve neighbors throughout our community. Volunteers give their time to welcome, listen, encourage and meet practical needs. The Next Mile will allow us to expand that work — and do so more effectively.

With greater capacity and more intentional ministry space, we can serve more people, strengthen relationships and respond to needs with dignity, compassion and the love of Christ.

Mercy is faith made visible.

A volunteer kneeling beside a child during a vacation Bible school morning at St. Paul’s.
Members of St. Paul’s standing together in worship, some with hands raised, others with hands folded in prayer.
Volunteers at work

These three pillars are not separate ministries competing for attention or resources. They are deeply connected.

  • Head

    Christian Education forms the foundation.

  • Heart

    Discipleship develops a mature life of faith.

  • Hands

    Ministries of Mercy put that faith into action.

Where the work begins

Reimagining Skardon Hall

Building for Ministry. Now and Next.

Skardon Hall has served St. Paul’s faithfully for many years. But today, the building simply doesn’t function for the ministry needs of our church.

The challenges go far beyond outdated finishes or an inefficient floor plan. Skardon Hall is facing significant structural and environmental issues that must be addressed.

The white clapboard portico of Skardon Hall, its carved name sign above the entry, shuttered windows along the wall and steps rising to the door.
Skardon Hall today

What we are facing

Six conditions

  1. Extensive mold requiring costly mitigation
  2. Water intrusion around aging HVAC units; full heating and cooling replacement
  3. Substantial wood rot throughout the structure
  4. Foundation settlement that has compromised the floor system and requires new joists
  5. Electrical systems in need of major updates
  6. Plumbing systems in need of major updates

Documented conditions, Skardon Hall

Weathered exterior siding and trim on Skardon Hall showing paint failure and deterioration.
Exterior
An interior hallway in Skardon Hall showing damaged wall surfaces and dated construction.
Hallway
Staining and surface damage on an interior wall of Skardon Hall.
Wall

Repairs alone

More than $1.5 million in repairs, before restoration or meaningful reconfiguration even begins.

And even after those repairs, the existing layout would still need to be significantly reconfigured to support the way St. Paul’s ministries operate today.

More importantly, investing heavily in repairing the existing structure would still leave us with a building that does not adequately serve our current ministry needs or provide the flexibility and capacity we will need in the years ahead.

Rather than investing significantly to preserve a space that no longer works, how can we steward these resources to create a place designed for the ministry God is calling us toward?

The Next Mile gives us the opportunity to reimagine Skardon Hall around mission.

  • A place where children can be formed in Scripture.
  • A place where adults can gather for discipleship and Christian community.
  • A place designed intentionally for the life of St. Paul’s today, while providing the flexibility to serve generations still to come.

This is not simply about replacing an aging building. It is about creating the capacity for ministry to flourish.

The concept

What we are working toward.

These drawings are early concept work, not final architecture. They show how the campus could be arranged so that Christian education at Trinity Classical Academy, discipleship and ministries of mercy each have the room to do what they are called to do.

The shape will change as the design develops. The purpose will not.

Concept — design not final

An aerial concept rendering of the reimagined St. Paul’s campus: clustered buildings under red roofs set among trees, linked by walks and courtyards.
Concept rendering — the reimagined campus

The season

Why
Now?

The needs at the center of The Next Mile are not ideas for the future.

  • Christian education is forming children and students in biblical truth now, in our parish ministries and at Trinity Classical Academy, but the need is growing.
  • Discipleship ministries and Life Groups are creating deeper relationships and spiritual maturity — and meeting space for groups of all kinds is vital.
  • Ministries of mercy are meeting real needs throughout our community, and month over month there are more people coming to receive services and support.

The opportunity before us is to strengthen the ecosystem that connects them all.

Young people and leaders at St. Paul’s standing in a close circle with heads bowed, hands laid on one another in prayer.
Youth of the parish, praying together

Through conversations with parish leaders, the Vestry, ministry leaders and members of St. Paul’s, there is a shared sense that this is the season to move forward.

We believe God has established this body, in this place, at this moment, for His Kingdom purposes.

We are ready to run The Next Mile.

The outcome

An Investment with Generational Impact

The impact of The Next Mile will extend far beyond a building.

Children sitting in a long row along the edge of the playground at Trinity Classical Academy on a bright morning.

For Children & Students

  • More opportunities for strong, consistent biblical instruction.
  • More space for Christian education, and for the classrooms of Trinity Classical Academy.
  • More opportunities for children to develop an identity and worldview rooted in Christ.
A bishop laying his hand on a young person's head at the altar rail during a confirmation, the family gathered close around them.

For Parishioners

  • More opportunities to participate in discipleship at every age and stage of life.
  • Stronger Christian community.
  • Greater capacity for Life Groups, Bible studies, pastoral care and theological formation.
A young girl in a classroom at Trinity Classical Academy giving a thumbs up, classmates and a teacher behind her.

For Our Community

  • Expanded ministries of mercy.
  • Greater ability to meet physical and spiritual needs with dignity and compassion.
  • A stronger Gospel presence in Summerville.

The ultimate outcome is not measured in square feet.

It is measured in lives formed in Christ, for Christ, for generations.

The goal

A $5 Million Investment in the Future of Ministry

An investment in the future of ministry

Our goal is to reimagine and expand Skardon Hall and strengthen the ministries it will serve.

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Realizing this vision will require St. Paul's and our broader educational community to work together.

We recognize that this is a significant undertaking. We also believe this is a significant moment.

The Next Mile is not simply an effort to raise money. It is an invitation for each of us to prayerfully consider how God is calling us to participate in work that can have an impact far beyond our own lifetime.

Our commitment

We are committed to approaching this campaign with truth, transparency and faithful stewardship — communicating clearly, using resources intentionally and remaining focused on the ministry this investment makes possible.

Your part

The Next Mile Begins with Each of Us

Pray Serve Give

There is a place for every member of St. Paul’s in The Next Mile.

Pray

Seek God’s direction for St. Paul’s and for your own role in this moment.

Pray for our church, our leaders, our ministries and the generations who will be shaped by the work we undertake today. Most importantly, ask God what He is calling you to do.

Serve

Step more deeply into the ministry happening around you.

  • Serve in Christian education, at St. Paul’s or at Trinity Classical Academy.
  • Join a Life Group or discipleship ministry.
  • Become part of our ministries of mercy.

Give your time and talents to the work God is already doing through St. Paul’s.

Give

Prayerfully consider making a sacrificial financial commitment to The Next Mile.

We are asking households that call St. Paul’s home, and families who have been blessed through our educational ministries, to consider what God may be calling them to invest over the next three years.

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The Next Mile is about more than creating places for ministry. It is about filling those places with people committed to the work of Christ.

We will accomplish it together

An evening lantern lit beside the white clapboard wall of St. Paul’s, with the walkway leading past it toward the parish buildings.

Connect

If you have questions about The Next Mile, we would be glad to talk with you.

Parish office
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Telephone
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Email
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The parish office is confirming these details, and they will be published here.

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