Our outreach and service is guided by Jesus’s command to love our neighbor and build the Beloved Community. Here are a variety of opportunities to love and serve our community.
Contact Joy Shillingsburg, Director of Youth Ministries & Outreach, youth@stjohnswf.org.
There are several opportunities to engage with our Beloved Community in the upcoming weeks! Please consider serving and learning in one of the following ways:
2. Backpack Buddies: As some students return to the classroom, Northeast Wake Backpack Buddies, which is headquartered in our EYC room, is serving children in the WCPSS and the families who attend the Wake Forest Community Meal Program at Hope House and Olive Branch. On Monday Darden, Susan and Sandra and Roxanne packed 100 bags with windows open, masks and socially distanced. Thank you!!! Please check out their work at https://www.facebook.com/northeastwakebackpackbuddies
3. Community Meals: With the help of so many partners, volunteers and Town and County resources we have served our 7,215th meal since April 20th. To see weekly pictures and updates on the meal program and our partners’ contributions please follow Wake Forest Community Meals on Facebook and share with your friends. Check out the February Newsletter
This week parishioners from St. John’s served 90 meals on Monday night at Hope House and 90 meals on Wednesday night at Olive Branch Baptist Church. Thank you, Denise Munz, Jessica, Anthony, Sloane and Mynn! If you would like to help distribute meals on Monday or Wednesday evenings SIGN UP
EYC member Finnian Shail and parishioner Carolyn Stoklas baked delicious desserts to include in our meal bags. If you would like to volunteer to bake desserts on Monday night SIGN UP
4. Habitat for Humanity:
As a member of the Northern Wake Coalition for Habitat for Humanity, you are invited to TWO education & advocacy opportunities with you next week!
Wednesday, March 3 @ NOON
Topic: Provide input to future transportation decisions in northern & eastern Wake County
Who: Northern Wake Faith Coalition & Eastern Wake Faith Coalition
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86520378908
Thursday, March 4 @ NOON (11:40 AM if have not seen Segregated by Design video)
Topics: Race & Housing Dialogue & Update on Building the Beloved Townhome Community
Who: 7 Building the Beloved Townhome Community faith coalitions
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84465861524
Rev. Sarah Phelps and Kenille Baumgardner will be leading a small group discussion along with a dozen other local pastors advocating for fair and affordable housing. Here is the link to the short film if you want to watch it on your own: Segregated by Design
This group leads faith reflection and action on environmental crises such as climate change, and promotes individual and community-wide actions to improve our stewardship of the Earth. This group planted and maintains a lovely Pollinator Garden between our main church and Education buildings as a teaching garden for our preschool and parish community.
Church Net is a Wake Forest coalition of churches that provides financial resources to pay for prescriptions and utility bills for people in the community. Donations are collected at St. John’s. Church Net office is staffed by volunteers from local churches.
Our Joy of Christmas ministry provides gifts and gift cards to local families and seniors at Christmas.
TAM collects donations of food and necessities for distribution to local families. St. John’s has been a part of this organization since its inception and continues to support TAM’s nearly 9,000 clients each year with food donations. When we are back to in person worship, look for the red wagon in the Narthex to deposit food and hygiene items. Visit their website for more information and volunteer opportunities.
Hope House is a ministry of Friendship Chapel Baptist Church. St. John’s supports this ministry which serves weeknight meals and builds relationships in Northeast Wake Forest.
St. John’s participates in a coalition of local churches to help build and fund affordable housing with soon-to-be-homeowner families in Wake Forest.
This ministry packs food weekly during the school year for food-insecure students at local schools.
Each September, many St. John’s parishioners take a 1-mile or 3-mile walk to help raise money to fight hunger locally and around the world.
St. John’s has been the organizing partner of this program housed at the Alston Massenburg Center in which we’ve joined over a dozen church and civic groups to share meals and playtime with children and families in Northeast Wake Forest for 10 weeks during the summer when food insecurity increases for children in traditional calendar schools. This summer program has now been extended due to COVID-19 to serve the food-insecure in our community every Monday night at Hope House from 5:00-6:00 pm and every Wednesday night at Olive Branch Baptist Church from 6:00-7:00 pm. Dinner plates, Backpack Buddies Bags, clothing from Note-in-the-Pocket, and shelf- stable food from Tri-Area Ministries (TAM) and the Northern Community Food Security Team are distributed each week.
ONE Wake is a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-faith organization of 40+ faith communities and non-profits across Wake County. Members of St. John’s work with other leaders from ONE Wake member institutions to research and propose specific local initiatives to address issues creating pressure for Wake County residents such as a shortage of affordable housing and problems in public education. ONE Wake leverages the collective influence of faith communities and community non-profits to create positive change.
