OUTREACH
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The parish survey that was conducted as part of the search process for our new rector indicated a high level of interest in broadening our outreach commitment at St. James. In response to this finding, your Outreach Committee undertook two major initiatives. The first was the creation of an outreach questionnaire that was distributed to the parish, looking for your personal involvement in ministries as well as ministry opportunities that you might be aware of. The second initiative undertaken was interviews with representatives of all the ministries that St. James supported financially in 2015.
Key information gathered through these two exercises was as follows:
The ministries that received financial support from St. James through the Outreach Committee budget of $60,000 for 2016 are as follows:
The incredible flooding that occurred this summer in Louisiana brought us all together in various ways to assist those effected by the flood. The Outreach Committee committed $5,000, which along with your extraordinary personal donations of money, food and supplies, brought needed relief to our diocese in Louisiana.
The Fairhope Police Department reached out to St. James for support of a back to school project. The hopes here were to provide youth in at risk Fairhope neighborhoods an opportunity to see our police officers in a positive fashion, and to provide needed materials for these boys and girls to return to school. We set a goal of $250; but when the dust cleared, St. James had contributed over $1,260. Five parishioners assisted the officers the day of this successful event.
The Path to Peace brought together more than 20 Baldwin County churches of different denominations and races; ACT II (All Churches Together), the Fairhope and Daphne Police Departments, and Ecumenical Ministries to plan and execute a day of racial reconciliation, peace and unity that gathered more than 650 at the Daphne Civic Center for a peaceful march, food and fellowship, and a worship service. St. James continues with these many community partners in its ongoing service that can be found at www.pathtopeaceal.com and on Facebook at pathtopeaceevents.
This year Father De introduced us to another wonderful opportunity to bring food to the needy with our Harvest Day celebration. Again, a wonderful response as the Ecumenical Ministries cupboard was filled to the brim.
The Christmas season at St. James brings several opportunities to help those less fortunate, or maybe just lonely. Through Ecumenical Ministries’ Angel Tree program, we were offered the opportunity to purchase gifts for the young and the elderly. Prison Fellowship Ministry gives us an opportunity to not only purchase gifts for the children of a parent in prison, but to personally deliver these gifts and see that look of surprise. Last, but not least, dozens of gifts were donated, and hand delivered Christmas morning to our veterans at the Veterans Home in Bay Minette.
I am sure that there are a number of outreach ministries that members of St. James participated in that are not mentioned in this report. We look forward to 2017 and the opportunities for St. James to participate even more in serving the needs of our community.
Outreach Committee
Bud Doyle
Ann Fargason
Dee Gambill
Mary Mullins Redditt
Teresa Smith
Bruce Stone
The parish survey that was conducted as part of the search process for our new rector indicated a high level of interest in broadening our outreach commitment at St. James. In response to this finding, your Outreach Committee undertook two major initiatives. The first was the creation of an outreach questionnaire that was distributed to the parish, looking for your personal involvement in ministries as well as ministry opportunities that you might be aware of. The second initiative undertaken was interviews with representatives of all the ministries that St. James supported financially in 2015.
Key information gathered through these two exercises was as follows:
- The needs of our community and the opportunities for ministry are many.
- Many parishioners at St. James are involved in, and provide leadership to many of
these ministries. - The ministries that St. James supports financially are serving our community
needs responsibly.
The ministries that received financial support from St. James through the Outreach Committee budget of $60,000 for 2016 are as follows:
- Beckwith
- Wilmer Hall
- Cursillo Duvall Fund Ecumenical Ministries Women’s Care Medical Center Alabama Free Clinic
- Read Aloud Baldwin
- Fairhope/Pt. Clear Rotary Youth Club Prodisee Pantry
- Young Life Eastern Shore
- Family Promise
- The Shoulder
- Kairos Prison Ministry
The incredible flooding that occurred this summer in Louisiana brought us all together in various ways to assist those effected by the flood. The Outreach Committee committed $5,000, which along with your extraordinary personal donations of money, food and supplies, brought needed relief to our diocese in Louisiana.
The Fairhope Police Department reached out to St. James for support of a back to school project. The hopes here were to provide youth in at risk Fairhope neighborhoods an opportunity to see our police officers in a positive fashion, and to provide needed materials for these boys and girls to return to school. We set a goal of $250; but when the dust cleared, St. James had contributed over $1,260. Five parishioners assisted the officers the day of this successful event.
The Path to Peace brought together more than 20 Baldwin County churches of different denominations and races; ACT II (All Churches Together), the Fairhope and Daphne Police Departments, and Ecumenical Ministries to plan and execute a day of racial reconciliation, peace and unity that gathered more than 650 at the Daphne Civic Center for a peaceful march, food and fellowship, and a worship service. St. James continues with these many community partners in its ongoing service that can be found at www.pathtopeaceal.com and on Facebook at pathtopeaceevents.
This year Father De introduced us to another wonderful opportunity to bring food to the needy with our Harvest Day celebration. Again, a wonderful response as the Ecumenical Ministries cupboard was filled to the brim.
The Christmas season at St. James brings several opportunities to help those less fortunate, or maybe just lonely. Through Ecumenical Ministries’ Angel Tree program, we were offered the opportunity to purchase gifts for the young and the elderly. Prison Fellowship Ministry gives us an opportunity to not only purchase gifts for the children of a parent in prison, but to personally deliver these gifts and see that look of surprise. Last, but not least, dozens of gifts were donated, and hand delivered Christmas morning to our veterans at the Veterans Home in Bay Minette.
I am sure that there are a number of outreach ministries that members of St. James participated in that are not mentioned in this report. We look forward to 2017 and the opportunities for St. James to participate even more in serving the needs of our community.
Outreach Committee
Bud Doyle
Ann Fargason
Dee Gambill
Mary Mullins Redditt
Teresa Smith
Bruce Stone
