Service to Others

All forms of service are rooted in the Lord’s Prayer when we pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”  Every positive thought, every well-spoken word, every small act of kindness whether it is witnessed or not, will ripple out and find its way… to make changes for the better.  Every and any act of love is important.   

(Common Rule, Chapter 10)

Our members serve other people in the world, our local parishes, or within the Community itself. To God alone the Glory! Here are some examples…

We Serve People in the World…

We have members that are full time care givers for others. Several members are deeply involved in the Kairos Prison Ministry. Others work for women who have been trafficked, the elderly in nursing homes, HIV/AIDS support, or advocate for the Lewy Bodies Dementia Association. Some are Scout Leaders, or promote relationships with indigenous communities and local churches. Some serve Veterans in the Reboot program, working with the homeless as they transition to sheltered programs, or whose work is service such as social workers and counselors. And some of our members work in programs that support the restoration of nature or providing sanctuary for abandoned animals.

We Serve People in Our Local Parishes…

Many of us serve (or have served) on the Vestry of their congregation. We have also served as Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors, as well as Lay Readers, Lay Preachers, Healing Ministers, Intercessors and sacristans. Several members lead other services during the week such as Morning Prayer, Lectio Divina, or Evening Prayer. Several members serve on one or more committees in support of the congregations such as Pastoral Care, Outreach, Building Maintenance, or Nurturing. Some serve their local dioceses as representatives to diocesan conventions, national conventions, or Episcopal Church Women at the diocesan and national level. Some serve in leading formation for new members of the church or mentorships for deacons. We have artists who design for their parish communications. And there is more…lots more!

And we serve our own Community of the Gospel, too!

We have shepherds who do a variety of things to support our fellow members. We have our Guardian who guides the Community, a council that serves to help with business, and a treasurer who keeps our books for us. There’s a Shepherd of Formation, a Shepherd of Missions, a Shepherd of our Friends, and a Shepherd of Member Connections. We have members who prepare and lead weekly and special on-line services, informal on-line gatherings and prayer vigils, and serve in a card ministry. We are blessed to have a chaplain for our Community who is able to minister to us all. One of our members prepares a monthly prayer list, another member is our librarian, and another is a shepherd who prepares our Day-by-Day with the Gospels resources. And, there is a team to prepare and facilitate our annual Convocation and regional meetings.