This is the holiest week of our church year. We are called on to reflect on the mission of Christ and His sacrifice for humanity. At the same time, we are also in a key time of transition as the people of St. Stephen’s. As we continue to live into our new realities as a community of faith, we are called on to reflect on who we want to be as a worshiping community. The question we now face is, what do we want to do and be? We are called on to be a mission-minded or missional people as followers of Christ. So, the question for all of us is what sort of ministries do we want to be involved with?
Each year the Episcopal Church asks congregations about the Outreach Ministries and Volunteer Activities they are involved in. Here are some of those they list:
• Food pantry, soup kitchen, or meal projects
• Sustainable food garden/cooperative
• Day care, preschool, before- or after-school programs
• Tutoring or literacy programs
• Health programs (parish nurse, clinics, health education, etc.)
• Community organizing, organized social issue advocacy
• Job placement, job training, employment counseling
• Building projects (such as Habitat for Humanity)
• Support groups (bereavement, divorce, job loss, 12-step, etc.)
• Programs for the elderly and homebound persons
• Clothes closet, thrift store
• Homeless or no-freeze shelter
• Overseas sponsorships, microloans, Heifer Project, Haiti relief
• Refugee resettlement
On Easter Sunday, I will be asking those in attendance to think about what they want us to be involved in. There will be a place where people can write down their ideas or suggestions. We wanted to give everyone a chance to start thinking about this now.
– Father Stephen
