Serving Beyond the Church

Opportunities to Serve

Christ & Grace Episcopal Church offers a host of opportunities to serve the community, the region and the world. Parishioners are committed to the Great Commandment: To love God and our neighbor as ourselves.

Downtown Churches United Lunch Program

We provide lunch for the homeless 6-7 times a year at The Hope Center. Even throughout the pandemic, when guests could only receive bag lunches, we had fun determining how we could make the meals both nutritious and varied.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Dinners

The Department of Social Services identifies needy families, and Christ & Grace provides complete turkey dinners for them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We typically help at least 40 families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Christmas Joy Ministry

Christmas gifts (toys) and gift cards for clothing are purchased for a large number of elementary-age students in local schools who would not otherwise receive gifts. Additionally, gifts are given to residents of a nearby assisted-living facility whose patients are of very modest circumstances. Gifts are wrapped and delivered shortly before Christmas. (Nearly 60 parishioners volunteer for this program.)

Martha Merritt Food Pantry Collection

Parishioners donate generously to the Martha Merritt Pantry. Gently used clothing are also one of the ways we support Martha’s pantry.

Jackson-Field Home For Girls

Garments and toiletry items are picked up or delivered to the Jackson Field Home.

Micro-Loans

We provide small loans for low-income people in second and third world countries through an organization called Kiva, which works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems.

Episcopal Relief & Development

ERD, the charitable branch of our denomination, collects donations through our church on ERD Sunday and after national or international calamities. Through the ERD Christmas Gift Catalogs, members can help poor people around the world enhance and develop growth opportunities.

One-Time Outreach Services

Over the years, Christ & Grace has provided “on the spot” help in many ways. We’ve participated in “Adopt a Family” activities in stressed circumstances, provided assistance to individuals with particular short-term needs, supported Palestinian Christian from Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and Middle East, and have been active in a variety of local and international assistance programs in our neighborhood and around the world.

Funding Charities

The Outreach Committee distributes designated funds from our budget and endowment income to more than 30 local, national and international charities.

Scouts

We are delighted to sponsor a new Cub Scout Troup! This is a co-ed group: Boy Scouts has made Cub Scouting available to all youngsters. Dr. Ann Ifekwunigwe is the contact for this program, which provides fun and educational activities for youngsters, most of whom are from our neighborhood.

Email Scouts