OUTREACH/SERVICE MINISTRIES AT ECR

Blood Drive

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew chapter at ECR has maintained a 22-year outreach ministry in which parish members donate blood to save lives in the community. We give as a part of our personal stewardship, in thanksgiving for our many blessings. We also receive credits we can pass on to communicants who are in need of blood.  We have donated more than 1,200 units of blood during this time and saved many lives in the process. 

 Columbarium 

This ministry administers the operation of the Columbarium (a structure of vaults to receive ashes of the dead).  The bronze structure located at the rear of the Canadian Chapel contains 75 niches. Interment rights may be purchased by members or former members for themselves or their families.  Having this columbarium available to our parish members has proven to be a great comfort to families during the loss of a loved one.  By planning ahead, much stress is relieved. 

Girling Lectures  

ECR works in coordination with Girling Healthcare Advisory Council to bring informative lectures on topics of interest to seniors on a monthly basis.  ECR provides a friendly meeting place and light refreshments while Girling schedules the speakers and presents the program.  In addition, a Girling nurse is always on hand to take blood pressure readings for those who are interested.  ECR is reaching out to the senior community in this ministry in which seniors gain valuable knowledge while making friends in a relaxed social setting.

Holiday Fair 

The Holiday Fair is an on-going annual church fund raising activity that helps to support the operating budget of our church.  This is one of the best ways our church members come together as a community in fellowship and fun to share this spirit with our surrounding neighboring community.  We offer many activities for our visitors to enjoy such as: a Silent Auction; home made baked items; holiday cookies sold by the pound; hand made holiday and year round items crafted by our St. Lydia's Guild; fresh made coffee and pastries; plants; and our youth gets involved with cooking and selling hamburgers, hot dogs, and drinks.  We offer booth rentals to outside vendors giving them an opportunity to join in our fun.  Our Fair is usually planned around the first two weeks of November. 

Hospitality

This is a ministry everyone can participate in by just signing up to provide welcoming refreshments following the Sunday services and for other special events.  A coordinator provides the sign-up sheets, publicity and encouragement for people to volunteer, and reminders to ensure that ECR hospitality is extended to our visitors and parishioners every Sunday.

 Lay Pastoral Care

The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection has had a Lay Pastoral Care Group since the 1970s. One person is assigned each week to serve as Lay Pastor, with duties of assisting the rector in visiting the sick or housebound. This group was integrated with Lay Eucharistic Ministry after 1987.  We are a group of seven teams. We consider ourselves messengers of God’s love. We visit sick and homebound persons as needed, in hospitals or their homes; take holy communion to them after church on Sundays; take them altar flowers; mail cards, pew bulletins, and sermon copies to them, and keep in touch by phone.

Threads of Love  (see separate web page for this ministry)

Thread of Love is an outreach ministry that consists of sewing and delivering special items to premature infants and their families.  If you can sew, crochet, knit, or would like to learn to, then please considering offering your talents. Non-sewing items include cutting, assembling and packaging.   This ministry's workday is each Tuesday. In addition, there is a meeting that typically falls on the 1st Sunday of the month. Please note that attendance of this meeting is not a requirement to participate in this ministry.

Thrift Shop (see separate web page for this ministry)

The Thrift Shop consists of a volunteer group which resells items such as clothing, furniture, appliances and other household items to customers at very affordable prices. Items are attained through individual contributions and estate sale pickups.  We also do outreach during the year with vouchers for the needy, other in kind situations, donations to Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, Annual Coats for Kids Program and St. Johns Community Center.  We provide a loving and caring environment and 100 % of our proceeds (minus sales tax and other small expenses) go to the Church operating budget. We are always looking for volunteers. Operating hours are M-F from 10:00 to 1:00 and also the 1st and 3rd Saturdays (same hours).

United Thank Offering 

The United Thank Offering is the joyful and tangible response, prayerfully offered, to blessings received from God, and this response provides blessings to others.  This ministry encourages individuals to say prayers of thanks for blessings received and to deposit coins in the Blue Box. It is not a fund-raising ministry, but a prayer-raising ministry.  Twice a year (fall and spring), these coins are gathered together and united with coins from all over the Diocese. They are then returned to God’s world through UTO grants.  These grants are awarded within our own community as well as all over the world.  While the money is certainly a benefit to the grant recipients, what is more important is all the people these coins represent, their prayers, hopes and thanks for all the many benefits and blessings that flow from God alone.