Saturday, March 28, 2015

Update from the Outreach+Mission Team

Our new Showers of Blessings need YOUR help!
Contact Lynne Fish 
lynnegfish@gmail.com
Paula Peeling shares notes from the recent  Outreach+Mission Team meeting.  

If you are interested in joining, meetings are 2nd Tuesday of every month, 4pm-5:30PM in the Guild Room
 
*Ellen Meier introduced the Stephen Ministry program which is starting at St. Paul’s. With 11 St. Paul’s lay people signed up to receive extensive training, the Stephen Ministry will provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered one-to-one care to people who are hurting- a death, divorce, loss of job, severe illness, etc. Parishioners interested in learning more and receiving training may contact Ellen Meier.

*Budgets are a tool to meet your ministry’s goals and projects. There was meeting consensus to devote the April meeting to a realistic budget discussion.

*Over the past 3 months ideas have been placed on the table for you to react to and get the juices flowing. Based on your reactions, modifications, and some actual expenses incurred we are now ready to allocate the remaining budget in April. Before the meeting I will provide you with the budget, as we currently understand it, including amounts earmarked by Chapter, and expenses already incurred and promised. Our group will then allocate approximately 80% of the remaining discretionary budget. This would leave 20% for unexpected expenses, and also year-end grants to our partners.

*Jerry Motto is meeting with Rev. Susan Astarita to learn more about being the Episcopal Refugee Network liaison.

*Janet Collins has agreed to be the liaison to Dorcas House/Vida Joven. Thank you!

*Plastic bags for sleeping mats for Sr. Karla’s homeless youth will be collected on Sundays through April 12. There is a drop-in receptacle at the entrance to the Cathedral in the Queen’s Courtyard.

*Gladys King announced she has a volunteer to create a St. Paul’s Cathedral informational brochure to be used as a handout by the Docents. There is also a need for new docent nametags. She has requested $300 to help meet this need.

Ministry highlights-

*Showers of Blessings (see picture above)- This will start the 2nd Saturday morning in April and will continue the same time every month. There will be an ongoing need for hygiene items (Red Cross Comfort Kits were given as an example). Storage for items associated with the program and the upcoming Interfaith Shelter is in flux. (Lynne Fish)

*Parishioners interested in pursuing more outreach from St. Paul’s to the homeless are meeting with Rev. Colin Mathewson.

*New Shoe Campaign for Maundy Thursday foot washing has collected 55 pairs of shoes and $400 cash from our SPC community. (Bob Carney)

*50 pizzas were delivered to the Fisher House (the Ronald McDonald-type house for the Balboa Hospital) by FOMOS (Susan Astarita/Kim Sorrell)

*April 19 is EarthDay in Balboa Park. Phil Petrie and Simpler Living are organizing the day. Volunteers from our SPC and others who are interested are needed! (Phil Petrie)

*Day of Peace in September is focusing in on a keynote speaker and theme. Currently bullying in elementary school is a probable topic. (Rev. Richard Lief)

*St. Paul’s has earned the title of a Fair Trade Congregation. Certain educational opportunities for our community are to be offered throughout the year. For more information check these Facebook sites: San Diego Task-Force for Economic Justice and Fair Trade USA (Carolyn Lief)

*Dowtown Fellowship of Churches sponsored a successful trash pickup day in downtown with 20-25 volunteers. The Diocesan Service Summit is working on a presentation about homelessness to reps from the Diocese by the Rescue Mission’s Vice-President of Development, Michael Johnson. (Gary Arps)

*St. Luke’s will present the May 17 Evensong paying tribute to the “Martyrs of Sudan.” Each year in May, the Episcopal Church commemorates the martyrdom of Christians in the Republic of Sudan. Approximately 2 million people, many Christian, died between 1983 and 2005. (Lucy Larrabee)

*Cathedral 4 the City evangelism group meets on the last Friday of the month at 12:30 at the LGBT Center on Center St. in Hillcrest. Anyone is welcome to attend. (Elaine Graybill)

*A regular donor to UPTOWN Community Service Center has recently died. Uptown asked that the earmarked money for Uptown as approved by Chapter be offered in its entirety now to help meet expenses. $1,000 will be sent. (Vicki Hoppenrath)