Outreach Ministries

Mission and Outreach Committee

Our Mission is to provide material and spiritual support to foreign, national and local missionaries and mission organizations.

In 2008 COOS provided support to several Foreign missionaries, as well as National and Local Organizations:

Kevin Mason and family – Estonia http://chasinthemasons.kolhoos.ee/info

Michele Perry – Sudan http://www.irismin.com/ministryLoc_southern_sudan.cfm

Brent and Kim McHugh – Turkey www.christar.org/

Camp Coast Care – Long Beach Mississippi http://www.campcoastcare.com/

We partner with other Episcopal churches in the Florida Diocese to organize volunteers willing to spend a week rebuilding homes in the areas devastated by hurricane Katrina. This is year three of a ten year mission project.

The Williams Family YMCA

City Rescue Mission

Jacksonville Campus Ministries

Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church – Jacksonville, Florida

Prison Ministry

Several times a year Kairos spiritual sessions are held within the walls of the prisons in our area. You can be trained to serve on a Kairos team or help provide re-entry services to ex-prisoners in the form of housing, food, clothing, counseling, and transportation.

Cuba Mission

Since 1983, the Diocese of Florida has had a Companion relationship with the Diocese of Cuba. Church of Our Savior has a companion parish, Holy Trinity in La Gloria, Camaguey Province. We support this parish by prayer, donations of altar supplies and vestments and financial aid.

HabiJax

This ministry is part of Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers build homes for our community. No construction experience is necessary.

Storm Relief

St. Mary's Mission

St. Mary’s is an inner city Episcopal outreach center. Donations of food and clothing are accepted in the Great Hall to be delivered to St. Mary’s.

I.M. Sulzbacher Center

The Treasure of the Poor

…excerpt from Bread for the Journey, Henry Nouwen

The poor have a treasure to offer precisely because they cannot return our favors. By not paying us for what we have done for them, they call us to inner freedom, selflessness, generosity, and true care. Jesus says, “when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will repaid when the upright rise again” (Luke 14:13-14).

The repayment Jesus speaks about is spiritual. It is the joy, peace, and love of God…this is what the poor give us…

Experience joy, peace & love of God -

Join a “Sulzbacher” Team and help feed the poor & homeless.

Contact Pam Atkins at pamatkins@comcast.net or Nancy Ray at nancyaray@comcast.net

Teams of Volunteers including the entire Youth Group share their smiles and a hot plate of food on the 2^nd Monday of the month at the Sulzbacher Center. Teams prepare and serve a hardy meal of vegetable beef stew over rice along with cole slaw, rolls and for dessert – Oreo Cookies plus fruit and milk for the children. Each Team is asked to participate 3 times a year and volunteers can “prep” between 3:30 – 5:30 or you can “serve” from 5:30-7:00.

"Feed My Lambs"

This ministry provides meals to disadvantaged families in St. Augustine. Parishioners receive a shopping list for “kid-friendly” items for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Volunteers deliver groceries once a month to needy families.

Friends of the Family

The Friends of the Family ministry helps provide short-term help with shelter, food, and clothing to families in need. Our commitment is to always offer spiritual support and follow the example of Jesus Christ to be servants. Funding comes from special offerings at Christmas and Easter.

Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center

Click here for their website.

Mandarin Food Bank

Donations of food and clothing are collected weekly in a basket behind the last pew in the nave. The items are taken to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Old St. Augustine Road to be distributed to those in need.

Helping Hands

This special ministry assists in many ways. They arrange for small receptions after funerals. They also send cards to new mothers, the sick and to those that need special care.

Ministry of Meals

In times of crisis or other need, the basic necessity of food can be quite a burden. This ministry provides meals to those in need.

Pastoral Care Team

Lay parishioners are specially trained to visit shut-ins and to offer encouragement when taking parishioners to doctor’s appointments.

Flower Visitation

This ministry wants to brighten the day of others with special needs and circumstances. Volunteers include those who arrange the flowers and those who take the Sunday altar flowers to the sick and the shut-ins.

Office Volunteers

Wonderful volunteers give of their time and talent to assist the staff in the Parish Office. Some volunteers serve on a regular basis and others are available as needed for special projects or events.

Crop Walk

The CROP Walk is neighbors walking together to take a stand against hunger in our world. Together we raise awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting. The churches in the Mandarin area have been walking together in the CROP Walk for seventeen years. Twenty five percent of all funds raised go to local hunger fighting organizations like the Mandarin Food Bank.

http://www.churchworldservice.org/CROP/index.html

Outreach Ministries:

Outreach Ministries

Mission and Outreach Committee