Ministry + Mission

Ministries

Acolytes

Acolytes serve at Masses, Solemn Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and seasonal liturgies. Girls, boys, women, and men are trained in a variety of liturgical roles to complement the worship of God. Immediate openings exist for Low Masses on Sundays at 7:45 a.m., Monday evenings, and Tuesday mornings. Acolytes and/or lectors are also needed to officiate on Saturday evenings at Shrine Prayers and Evening Prayer.  If these ministries are calling you, please contact Jack Raffetto.

The Altar Guild

The Altar Guild is the ministry of preparing the sanctuary for worship and is done largely “behind the scenes” by members who are faithfully on duty at the altar year round. The duties of the Guild involve the preparation of the sanctuary and chapels for Mass on weekdays and Sundays, holy days, festival days, and special occasions, including weddings, funerals, and baptisms. Altar Guild members provide setup and cleanup for services throughout the week and are assigned to a mutually agreeable duty schedule. The Altar Guild also cares for the linens and vessels used in the Eucharist, as well as brass furnishings, altar frontals, vestments, and other liturgical garments. For more information, contact Kathy Dirks.

The Flower Guild

The Flower Guild uses floral and decorative material as an integral part of liturgy to enhance the worship experience for our Parish. This ministry offers a wonderful opportunity to channel creative artistry into a spiritual service. We welcome volunteers with any level of arranging-skill or availability. For more information, contact Susan Granum or William Glass.

The Lectors’ Guild

The Lectors’s Guild is composed of persons who have been selected and trained to read the lessons at services. Lectors are assigned to read the lessons on a rotating basis. Recruitment and qualification sessions for persons seeking to become lectors are held annually, and refresher training sessions for those already serving as lectors are held as needed.

Mission

Afghan Refugee Relief

In 2022, St Paul’s will be sponsoring an Afghan refugee family. This is a major commitment, but it will be a rewarding one! Helping the stranger is a Biblical imperative (Exodus 22:21). Christ reminds us that whenever we feed, clothe, and house someone in need, we are doing the same for Him (Matthew 25:38-40). We will need the efforts of as many people as possible in our parish and community to succeed. So read on, and then get involved!

Logistical Support

Moving is a huge endeavor, changing countries even more so. Our refugee family will need all kinds of support if they are to succeed. We have eight teams designated to support our refugee family -the Employment Team (which helps our family find jobs), the Food and Clothing Team (gets them the nutrition and clothing they need), the Finance Team (teaches basic financial literacy skills), the Housing and Furnishing Team (helps the family find a home, and assists them in picking out appropriate furnishings), the Welcome and Social Team (welcomes our family when they arrive, and plans fun outings for them), the Transportation Team (helps our family get around, and teaches them about how transportation systems in our area work), the Adult Tutoring Team (English language and other skills as needed), and the Child Tutoring Team (assist with school work).

All teams will be coordinated and supervised by the Afghan Refugee Relief Committee. We need at least four team members on each team in order for the team function successfully, so please do not hesitate to sign up for as many teams as you want! Click here to sign up.

Grate Patrol

Grate Patrol has provided uninterrupted weekend breakfast distribution to the homeless in downtown DC since 1981. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, volunteers deliver hundreds of healthy breakfasts to people living on the streets. In cold weather, many of the people we serve sleep outside on heating grates, hence the name of the program. Grate Patrol needs volunteers to boil eggs and to set up bags anytime Sunday-Thursday, prepare food on Fridays at 2:30 p.m. in the Dining Hall, and deliver bags starting at 5:45 a.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Participation provides a terrific opportunity to meet fellow parishioners and our friends on the street. For more information, visit our Grate Patrol page.

Food Drive

St. Paul’s runs a continuing food drive that provides non-perishable, non-breakable food items donated by parishioners to the Foggy Bottom Food Pantry. The photo above shows clients moving through one of the Pantry’s twice monthly food distributions. Food donations can be placed in the container at the rear of the nave. Canned fruit and vegetables (green beans, peas, and collard greens), and peanut butter are especially appreciated. If every parishioner bought an extra can of tuna or box of cereal on weekly shopping trips, imagine how many we would feed! Contact pantry@stpauls-kst.com.

Georgetown Ministry Center

St. Paul’s is one of a number of religious congregations and neighborhood partners that support the Georgetown Ministry Center (GMC) which provides services, including counseling and outreach, to people living on the streets of Georgetown and the West End. GMC provides assistance to the homeless that complements the parish’s direct feeding programs. St. Paul’s is represented on the Board of Directors. Contact GMC@stpauls-kst.comGMC@stpauls-kst.com for more information or check GMC’s website, http://georgetownministrycenter.org.

Interested in learning more? Don’t see your spiritual gifts reflected in any of these ministries? At St. Paul’s we value gifts of time and talent as well as treasure. Contact our Parish Coordinator, Dylan Thayer (dthayer@stpauls-kst.com) to find where God is calling you in our community!