Each Sunday at 9:45 AM we will be doing a HANDS-ON service activity in our Gathering Area. To make each of these activities a success, we need your help!
Please consider donating any of the following items PRIOR to the Sunday when the activity is scheduled. You may drop off your donations at the front desk any weekday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, or on Sunday morning prior to the date the items are needed.
Traveling and can’t make it to help? Please consider offering a cash donation so we can pick up the needed items for you. Click here to make the donation via PayPal. You can also give cash or check in an envelope marked with ‘Summer of Service.’
PRIORITY ITEMS NEEDED – by Friday, June 3
Back to School Packages for Mothers and Children at Magdalena House
Supplies for School Children
- Insulated lunch box with reusable containers for food and drink
- Backpacks
- Mats for naptime at school
- Crayons
- Pencils
- Markers
Supplies for Mothers Attending School
- Spiral notebooks and binders with notebook paper
- Weekly planner
- Pens/pencils/highlighters
- Reusable lunch box supplies
- Adult backpacks
Our new Connections Center in the Narthex is here to serve you! If you are in need with help or assistance with any of the following, we have iPads available and people ready to answer your questions.
- Check your Ministry Schedule
- Make an electronic donation
- Update your contact information
- Complete an electronic visitor card to request more information about St. George
- Register for an upcoming Baptism or Confirmation
- Submit an electronic Prayer Request (you may also request this through our Prayer Teams)
- Request a Letter of Transfer to become a member of St. George
- Submit a new or updated Promise Plan to St. George for your time, talent, and treasure.
Magdalena House is a transitional home in San Antonio that serves mothers and children who have fled dangerous and abusive lives by providing transformation through education, nurturing community, and programming. (Click here for more about Magdalena House).
We have three mission activities for Magdalena House in June. Please click here for the items that we need to have donated for the following activities:
- Back-to-School Supplies for Mothers and Children
- Newcomers’ Baskets for New Residents
- Birthday in A Bag Kits
- Notes of Support and Encouragement
‘…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1.8, ESV)
Right before the resurrected Jesus ascended to the “right hand of the Father” he promised his apostles that they would not be left alone. Soon, they were to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and each were to embark on a mission that would literally change the course of history.
This outpouring of the Spirit both instilled powerful gifts for ministry and enhanced gifts still unused and undeveloped. Yet once those gifts were unleashed a powerful movement began among the people they encountered as they traveled. Today we look upon that day, the Feast of Pentecost—the day when the Holy Spirit birthed a people who shared their spiritual gifts with others—and we consider that day the birthday of the Church.
The birth of the Church coincides with the unleashing of people, empowered to use their own gifts and talents to proclaim the Good News of Jesus.
My leadership team and I have had much conversation with various leaders in our many ministries. One of the common themes is the difficulty of attracting new volunteers. Likewise, we have had conversations with those who are new to St. George. A common obstacle is the challenge of serving, especially among those with significant time commitments or younger children. Being scheduled on a recurring rotation monthly can be daunting when one is new to a ministry.
Obviously this presents quite the conundrum.
As we have pondered these conversations, it has become increasingly clear that we need to shift our thinking from volunteer recruitment to ministry training. This is important so that we can reclaim our identity as The Church—that is, the “unleashed people of God, empowered to use their spiritual gifts and talents to proclaim the Good News of Jesus.”
At St. George, you will find numerous opportunities for you and your loved ones to be people of action through our Summer of Service. Those opportunities range from backpack stuffing to helping during our Vacation Bible School (VBS). Additionally, with summer travel upon us we will have some openings in some of our Sunday morning ministries, most notably in our Greeter Ministry. Please look over all the opportunities that are available to you to see which one(s) grab your attention and then go and serve.
The other side of the coin is that I will be asking all of our ministry leaders to find appropriate, flexible opportunities for all St. George Community members, especially those new to serving, to sign up to serve in ministry here in a way that fits their schedule. If you are new to serving in the congregation or are considering serving, please know how much you and your gift of time and talent are appreciated. If you would like to participate in a simple, yet highly transformative, Sunday morning ministry come to one of the Greeters’ tables on either end of the worship space and parish hall. You could make a big change in someone’s life just by smiling and saying “Good morning!”[1]
This coming Sunday, sign up sheets will be available in your bulletins for you to offer your time this summer and beyond. We are being called and empowered to be a people of ACTION. I invite you to answer that call from God and share how you can serve here at St. George, in the surrounding community and in the world. May God unleash us through the gift of the Holy Spirit and may we use our gifts to be people of Good News at all times!
Faithfully,
Fr. Ram+
[1] Please note that the Lector and Lay Eucharistic ministry is a bit more complicated in terms of getting on the schedule since these ministries are licensed by the Bishop’s Office. But their leaders are always eager to welcome, train and unleash new servants!
For our July Summer of Service, we will put together backpacks stuffed with school supplies for children at Larkspur and other schools. More information will be forthcoming, so stay tuned. For more information about Larkspur Elementary, click here.
Yesterday the St. George Youth Group enjoyed their LAST on campus Youth Group for the school year. The kids enjoyed some tacos, OJ, and sardines. No, not literally Sardines, but Sardines the game. Sardines is the opposite of hide and go seek. One person hides and everyone tries to find that them and if they do they hide with them. The last person to find the group is “it” for the next game. We had some kids hide in elevators, desks, and closets and other interesting places. Fun was had by all.
The kids then participated in a mini-service project where they put 4-8 quarters in a plastic bag and decorated a St. George Youth label with a scripture or encouraging message. These bags were then dropped of at red box movie machines, Sonic, pay telephones, and vending machines. The goal is to have all who find them to enjoy a free movie, soda, or a happy hour slush on us. We then discussed the importance of gifts and giving back from how God has abundantly given to us. Next week is our end of the year pool party and details will follow!
-Daniel Forman
