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St. James’ Anglican Church © 2008

The Outreach Ministry responds to and calls others to action on local, national, and international issues which influence the well-being of people and their environments. We believe that serving Christ requires us to serve others. We will continue to reach out in love because God reaches out to us and calls us to do likewise.

OUTREACH MINISTRY GOALS   Approved by Ministry Council  May 2008, updated March 2010

• Within 5 years increase financial support and funding to Outreach Ministries for local, national and international projects.

• Within 5 years to expand Outreach programs for the disadvantaged and marginalized.

• Over the next 5 years to provide ongoing education and awareness about social justice and mission interests for our parishioners to enhance their commitment and support for those concerns each year.

• Over the next 5 years to advocate within our parish and the broader community for social justice and mission needs.

• Over the next 5 years to provide emergency assistance and links to the community, for persons presenting themselves for assistance every Wednesday afternoon at James’ Place.

Ministry Sub Committees:

Social Justice and Mission Committee

This committee is responsible for the identification of, education about and allocation of funds to selected local, national and international areas/groups in need, for the purpose of promoting the equality/justice and well-being of people. We believe that service to Christ calls us to serve others.

Couchiching Jubilee House, a transition home for vulnerable women and their children in Orillia, is one of the major local projects supported by St. James through this committee by financial commitments, the maintenance of one of the apartments and the provision of space for surveillance monitoring and meeting areas for the residents’ groups.

St. James provides financial support to local programmes including Sharing Place Food Bank, Lighthouse Christian Ministries Men’s Shelter, Boys and Girls Club, Literacy Council etc. Support for national programmes includes Dioceses with fewer resources including indigenous programmes. International support includes Honduran Student Scholarships and clergy support and Primate’s World Relief and Development initiatives such as disaster relief and HIV preventative programmes.

This committee meets monthly and participates actively in the promotion of its Social Justice and Mission related activities.

Loonie Lunch

A community outreach lunch consisting of hot, nutritious, home made soups, fresh bakery bread, tea/coffee and miscellaneous baked goods is available in the church auditorium every Wednesday, year round from 11.45 am to 1 pm.

If able, a donation of a loonie is appreciated. Attendance at these lunches is upwards to 75-100 people weekly.

Soups prepared by volunteers are always needed. Teams of workers rotate weeks to organize, serve and clean up the lunch activities. Volunteers are always welcomed.

James’ Place

James’ Place is an emergency help programme available to vulnerable people in the community who present themselves in person on Wednesdays between 1 pm and 3 pm in the afternoon. An intake team interviews those who present for assistance.

The service is designed to direct individuals to community sources for help with the problem described and/or assist with short term assistance to enable the client to bridge the time until more long term solutions can be obtained. Such short term assistance might include food vouchers for essential items, assistance with critical transportation or medical needs etc. and advocacy for individuals in need of social service.

Volunteers for this programme who have an interest in supporting vulnerable people and who have some background in counselling/social service are welcome to apply to join this team.

Pennywise Shop 

The Pennywise Shop offers gently used clothing and small household articles for minimal costs to anyone from the community. The shop is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays between the hours of 1.15 pm and 4 pm.

A small group of volunteers called the Monday Morners meets on Mondays to sort and price. Volunteers for this service are welcomed and may commit to work on specific dates on a monthly basis

FaithWorks

This committee is responsible for the promotion of the annual Diocesan Faithworks campaign for financial support to designated community/social services throughout the Diocese. In our immediate geographical area (Orillia) Faithworks supports Couchiching Jubilee House (a transition home for vulnerable women and their children). The group meets on an ad hoc basis to organize fund raising and educational activities.

Edith Barker Penny Fund

Your collection of pennies may be dropped off at the Church office for this fund. Surprisingly the penny collection really does add up to a meaningful contribution over a period of time towards programmes for children. A tax receipt is available if you leave your name and address when you drop off your pennies.

St. Nick’s Shopping Day

St. Nick’s shopping day is an annual event for children in the community to do their Christmas shopping all in one place, at one time and at a very reasonable cost. On the first Saturday of December, children under age 12 are invited to come to St. James to select their Christmas gifts with the supervision of “Santa’s Elves” if needed. Adults may wait for their children but are not able to enter the “shopping area”.

This event requires volunteers year round who will seek very reasonable cost appropriate gift items for all ages to be offered for sale and additional volunteers to set up, operate and take down the sale -day booths etc.

Operation Shoebox

This is a short term initiative (during Advent) during which parishioners may take a shoebox provided and fill it with small useful articles for disadvantaged children in the third world.

Christmas Wish Gift and Food Baskets Project

Needy families and individuals are selected by this committee to receive Christmas gifts and foods at the Christmas season. At Christmas families selected are encouraged to identify the specific gifts that their children may enjoy receiving and then parishioners endeavour to purchase those items to donate to the Christmas gift project. On a specified “wrapping day” all of the gifts are collated and wrapped and sent out to the respective families and individuals. All selected people also receive a generous box of food items to enhance their Christmas celebrations.

Many volunteers are needed for a short period of time for this endeavour. Man power needs are broadcast around the advent season so stay tuned if this interests you.

On Christmas Eve, we may be going out late at night, and we look up and see how the heavens declare the glory of God and firmament showeth His handiwork; and without forgetting that, we go into a little sanctuary and contemplate the little Baby who is god-made-man.  And each of these glories is so nearly all-embracing and all-sufficing, that the greatest marvel of it all is that it is one God all the while.

-Marshall Bowyer Stewart, OHC

If any of the above groups/activities are of special interest to you please contact the church office at 325-2742 for further information and the names of specific individuals with whom you may discuss your interest.