This would be an easy oversight: The church and parish buildings were constructed in 1923 as the carriage house, stable and barn of the Lehmann Estate, the country home of a wealthy Chicago dry goods merchant. When the family fell on hard times decades later, they donated the buildings to the Diocese of Chicago.

Eager to expand into the popular Fox Lake resort area, the bishop and the trustees approved a plan to transform the barn into a church. Parishioners cleared the stables, removed tons of hay from the loft, poured a concrete floor, and created a suitable worship space. A small but enthusiastic mission was born.

About this same time, the community itself began to change. Summer cottages gave way to new homes for year-round residents. During the lengthy tenure of a popular vicar, the mission did not, however, achieve parish status. A series of part-time interim vicars in the early 1990s gamely tried to turn the tide, but in 1995, the diocese began to consider shuttering Holy Family.

Diocesan representatives were surprised, however, when they visited the struggling church. They found a spirited worshiping community that was committed to doing anything necessary to remain viable and growing. In a change of heart, the diocese agreed to provide financial support for a full-time vicar, and gave the bishop's committee the name of the Rev. Mollie A. Williams for consideration. The committee called Ms. Williams.

She responded by introducing successful innovations that have included an aggressive direct mail campaign. In its first year, the campaign raised parish membership by 25 percent and pledges by 33 percent. Holy Family also welcomed 10 new confirmed members last year.

When Ms. Williams arrived at Holy Family, she wanted to help parish leaders understand the job ahead of them. She invited clergy from three small but growing parishes in the Diocese of Chicago to visit and share their stories. After these meetings, the leadership of Holy Family considered their own situation, set goals, and determined to make parish growth through direct marketing its top priority.

"When we looked at the things that had to be done before we could make the campaign a success, I said 'There isn't enough time'," Ms. Williams recalled. "They told me, 'We'll just have to make time.' And they did. They painted rooms, they painted an outdoor sign, and they organized a welcoming committee."

On the Sunday of last fall's every member canvass, Ms. Williams spoke to the gathered community about its unique role as welcoming members to the newcomers who would begin arriving in the following weeks.

"We mailed the direct mail piece to about 8,500 residents of Lake Villa and Lindenhurst," a neighboring town, Ms. Williams said. "Because the homes in these towns are on a rural route, we were able to address them to 'Resident' and have them delivered."

Assisting Ms. Williams in creating the mailing were two parishioners who are marketing professionals, one a commercial artist and the other a marketing executive. The piece briefly outlines the Episcopal liturgical tradition, introduces the priest-in-charge, and invites recipients to visit Holy Family.

Ms. Williams said the newcomers who have been attracted by Holy Family's message have for the most part been young professional couples without children.

"We have a very small children's program at present, which surprises me," she said. "We have been trying to reach families with children, but I have to accept that right now, those may not be the people God is calling to Holy Family."

Ms. Williams used an instructional liturgy to familiarize newcomers - many of whom are former Roman Catholics or from protestant traditions - with Episcopal worship.

"Before each part of the liturgy on Visitor Sunday, I spoke for about a minute about what was going to happen next, and then we did that, then talked about the next part," Ms. Williams said. "After the liturgy, some longtime Episcopalians said they found it helpful as well."

This year, the parish will mail a similar piece two times, in September and again in October. Distribution will include two other towns, bringing the total mailing to nearly 15,000.

"I've seen growth in numbers and in active participation," said churchwarden Don Hammond. "This church had fallen to some pretty low numbers. The new people have changed the whole character of the church, but everyone seems very happy about it. That may seem surprising, but it's been easy to see the positive effect the new people have had."

Larry and Chris Wilson first visited the church in August 1996, and joined in October. "We really felt led to Holy Family," Chris said. We've been really pleased with the growth we've seen. It's been just what the church needed. The direct mail has attracted numbers of people that the church can handle. It's growth that feels comfortable."

Holy Family also has had success with two types of outreach, one liturgical, the other a coffee house. The church offers a lunchtime Eucharist each Wednesday that has a sizable gathering.

"The service attracts Episcopalians and some non-Episcopalians," Ms. Williams said. "[It] has grown mostly by word of mouth. It's also a healing service, and after the liturgy there is a brown bag lunch in the parish hall."

The coffee house was the brainchild of parishioners Barbara Tzimoyannis and Matt Conkrite, who had experience in running this type of gathering place.

"It took some convincing of our bishop's committee," Ms. Williams admitted. "They make sure there is supervision each time the coffee house is held, which is every other Saturday evening. It's held in the parish hall, with live music, and we've found it's met a real need in this rural area. Four of the people who first came to the coffee house have become active members of Holy Family, and others have become occasional visitors."

The positive results of the past year's efforts have strengthened her faith in the community's exciting potential.

"I would like to have 150 people gathering for worship each weekend within three years," Ms. Williams said. "I also would like us to be financially independent within five years. But most importantly, I would like this community to have an understanding of their unique place, and for that to be a more inclusive place. We will grow organically, I'm convinced of that."

Michael O'Loughlin is a member of St. Paul's Church, Riverside, Ill.