Last week, I started this newsletter series to thank those ministries and people who are often unseen, yet who serve faithfully at St. Michael’s. To continue, I want to start with the Prayer Shawl group, led by Vickie Ridges. This group meets when COVID allows, and knits the prayer shawls and prayer shawl squares that you may have seen around St. Michael’s. You may also remember the very large collection we blessed and sent to the homeless in the city at the start of the winter. Thank you to this group who continue to knit and serve faithfully helping those in need of warmth and comfort.

Coming up on Sunday, Lent 1, March 6, you will also see the Men’s Friday Fellowship coordinating a food drive, in conjunction with the Outreach committee. Thanks for Lou Longo and Dave Evans for their leadership. These two groups have not stopped at all, and continue to meet and serve many. The Men’s group meets Friday mornings at 6am; it may be too early for this priest (with kids who need to get ready for school), but it may be just the place for you to find a prayer group and give-back opportunity. The Outreach Committee hardly needs any introduction, with Ann Ryba at the helm they organized a concert last summer to raise an additional $40k for local charities. Behind the scenes, this committee takes the 10% from our annual budget and distributes it to charities through its grant process. In 2021, that totaled more than $100,000, thanks to the concert and tithe from the church budget.

Outreach is a vital part of St. Michael’s, and we look forward to a time when we can resume our mission trips to Guatemala, lead by Dave Evans and visiting Porch de Solomon. And our Sudan partnership continues, as COVID allows, to help the Theological School in Renk. It is hard to list all of the ways this church reaches outside its walls to help others, but I also want to thank those who coordinate the Reverse Advent Calendar, the soup kitchen at Redeemer, Elgin, and the Christmas Baskets.

To cap it all off, our gift shop downstairs runs as a non-profit, donating all of their proceeds to women and children’s support organizations each year. With Nancy Carney, Marti Callahan, Vicki Ridges, and the other dedicated volunteers this ministry is a one of the last Episcopal book stores in our diocese, and does tremendous work.

Blessings each of you, and read through the rest of the Sword for other important updates.

Blessings,
Jesse+