St. David’s Ministries and Outreach

St. David’s has plenty of things going on, many ministries to become involved in, and new ones to explore. Suggestions are always welcome!

Here is a list of what is currently going on at St. David’s. Training is provided for ministries connected to the Sunday morning services.

If you’d like more information, please speak with the various coordinators or contact the church office.

Ministries

Acolytes (Fred Malaby)

A group of our young people (and a few adults) are trained to serve on the altar as torchbearers, servers and crucifers. Their participation as acolytes helps to make the liturgy run smoothly, deepens their understanding of worship, and builds a sense of ownership in their church.

Altar Guild (Wanda Jablonski)

The members of the Altar Guild prepare the altar for Sunday worship, and other special services, maintain the vessels and vestments, and make sure that the various church appointments are in order and beautiful.

Book Club (Evie Bain and Barbara Turner)

This group provides an opportunity to enjoy fellowship and share thoughts about particular books. The books chosen range from spiritual to science fiction, and everything in between. The Book Group includes a wide swath of people, both parishioners and friends of St. David’s.

Buildings and Grounds (Evie Bain and Betsy Barber, Junior Wardens)

St. David’s is always looking for volunteers to upkeep, maintain, and improve our church property.

Choir (Alan Cotnoir)

St. David’s Choir is seeking new members to join us in raising our voices in song and providing a prayerful atmosphere at our 10 a.m. Sunday Mass. Drawing from the Hymnal 1982 and other sources, the choir offers a wide range of songs and hymns, including contemporary interpretations of traditional religious music. Choir rehearsal is held Thursday night at 7 p.m. from September through early June, with Sunday morning warm-up at 9:30 a.m. Ages 8 and older are invited to join. Please contact Alan Cotnoir, music director, for more information.

Coffee Hour Hosts (contact the office at St. David’s)

Coffee Hour hosts offer hospitality after the 10 a.m. service each week to churchgoers. The hosts make the coffee and provide snacks to encourage an atmosphere that fosters sharing and fellowship with our St. David’s family.

E-Lamp (Grace Malaby)

St. David’s emails out a weekly eNews that serves to keep parishioners up to date with parish events/news, schedules, etc. If you would like to be on the email list for the eLamp or place information in it, please contact Grace at spock4ever@aol.com.

Eucharistic Visitors (Sue Hurn)

The Eucharistic visitors are sent forth from the Sunday morning liturgy to take the sacrament to those who are unable to attend church. Safe Church Training, offered periodically by our diocese, is a required part of the training for this ministry. The diocese also offers periodic workshops to hone skills.

Flower Guild (Betsy Barber, Sue Greenbacker, Rosemary Soscia)

The St. David’s Flower Guild provides the flowers for the interior of the church, grown in their own gardens, year-round. Donations are always welcome.Gardening Group (Evelyn Bain and Evelyn Seifert)
Gardening is a big activity at St. David’s, beautifying the many flowerbeds on the church grounds. Help is always welcome, as is expert advice on how to make things grow! Join us.

Library

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

St. David’s has its own self-serve lending library. Our collection includes books for all ages, and covers many topics and themes. To borrow a book from the St. David’s library, take a look through our two bookshelves in the Lower Hall, or visit the online catalog http://www.librarything.com/catalog/SDOH. Find your book then write your name and the book title in the check-out notebook in the wicker basket. Borrow the book for a reasonable amount of time on the honor system. When you’re finished reading, leave the book in the return basket. All new materials for the library are purchased through donations, not from the church budget. If you’re interested in donating books or funds to grow the Library, please contact Andrea Hutnak at andreahutnak@gmail.com

Liturgy Leaders (contact the office)

Our various liturgy leaders keep our worship running smoothly. They read lessons, lead the prayers, and serve chalice. They are an invaluable part of the service, helping to create a sense of dignity and focus to our worship.

Loaves and Fishes (Tom Blackinton)

A member of Loaves and Fishes Rhode Island, the St. David’s team collects monetary donations in the vase located in the Narthex and provides dozens of meals to the homeless in our area.

Outreach Committee (Michael Sheldon)
We regularly collect food for the Interfaith Food Pantry and serve as volunteers there, collect cards for the incarcerated at the ACI, and toiletries for those in need. Twice yearly, we help (prepare, serve and clean up) at the Epiphany Meal Site, which provides a hot meal every Saturday for the hungry. Once a month, we make sandwiches for the residents and their children at Sstarbirth, a residential facility for those trying to overcome drug and alcohol addiction. We are always open to suggestions of new ways to be sharing and supportive to our community.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

St. David’s has a history of a ministry of crafty individuals creating items for those in need. While this group is not currently meeting, we’re hoping someone will take the lead in bringing it back.

Stewardship Committee (Fred Malaby)

This group takes a slightly different shape each year. What does it mean to be a good steward of all that we have been given? This is the question at the heart of all that is connected to stewardship.

Sunday School

Our teaching staff provides a nurturing and engaging environment for our youth.
Teachers work faithfully at making the story of faith come to life. New teachers are always welcome. Sunday School operates from mid September to mid June.

Ushers and Greeters (contact the office at St. David’s)

Ushers usher and greeters greet! Without them, we would be like sheep without a shepherd. The usher is the first face one sees upon entering the church. They set the tone for both newcomers and regulars. The usher shepherds people through the collection at the offering and guides their movement towards communion.

Worship Committee (Linda Guest)

Our work can be divided into three purposes. The first deals with the “normal” Sunday to Sunday services and sometimes the Saturday services. We aim to make these services flow smoothly, clear up “glitches”, and enrich the worship experience at St. David’s.

Our second purpose centers on planning special liturgies and observing the seasons (Advent, Lent, Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, etc.). We strive to respect St. David’s traditions, as well as to introduce new fresh ideas. This includes planning special programs for Advent and Lent.

Our third purpose is to serve as an advisory group to the priest, as well as a group to whom parishioners can voice their concerns and to make suggestions about worship.

Questions? Comments? Did we forget anything?

Speak with the leader of the particular group  or contact the Church office at (401) 942-4368 or by email at stdavidsonthehill@verizon.net.

Outreach efforts

Loaves & Fishes RI

St. David’s participates in Loaves & Fishes RI, a ministry that uses a catering truck and a large group of volunteers to bring food, clothing, personal hygiene products, warm greetings and a friendly face to individuals and families living on the streets or on the margins of our communities.
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Our parish LFRI group accepts cash donations in the vase located in the narthex, and can arrange acceptance of other contributions at the church.

For more information, contact Tom Blackinton at (401) 828-7131 or by email at tomb1944@verizon.net.

Church Beyond the Walls

Church Beyond the Walls meets at the Cathedral of St. John, located at 271 North Main Street, Providence, at 11 a.m. to prepare food for Coffee Hour following the 2 p.m. service at Burnside Park.
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Groups like ours are vital to the continued success of Church Beyond the Walls, which meets every Saturday, regardless of weather. The CBW congregation depends on groups like ours to help get them through these tough times, feeding them body and soul.

Parking at St. John’s is located on the right, just beyond the light in the small lot. If you are planning to bring your car to Burnside Park, it is recommended that you bring a bag of quarters to feed the meter. Most times we just walk to the park.

After the service we support a Coffee Hour and then head back to St. John’s to clean up and put away to prepare for the next week. For more information, contact Ben Sprows.