"...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)37(M((Mm
Outreach is all about responding faithfully in the name of Christ to the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of people outside of our St. Margaret's community. There are many ways St. Margaret's serves the world around us, and you are invited to take part in these ministries:
The Green Team
The Green Team is made up of members of St. Margaret's interested in supporting and promoting good environmental stewardship. Among other things, we collect batteries and light bulbs (CFLs) for recycling, and volunteers take care of the recycling needs at the church.
Disaster Preparedness
The Outreach team has developed a specific disaster preparation and response plan for St. Margaret's, and encourages parishioners to develop individual/family emergency plans.
At different times during the year, St. Margaret's supports the Arkansas Rice Depot, collecting food and volunteering to work to eliminate hunger in Central Arkansas.
Episcopal Relief and Development
Episcopal Relief & Development is an international relief and development agency and a compassionate response to human suffering on behalf of The Episcopal Church of the United States. Our work to heal a hurting world is guided by the principles of compassion, dignity and generosity.
St. Francis House operates a Social Services Dept., to provide food, clothing, utilities, rental assistance and medicine to the poor and homeless. On Wednesdays,
Members of St. Margaret’s are needed to minister to those who find themselves in social, economic, or legal problems. Work in various areas where St. Francis House staff identifies a need. Volunteers are needed to answer phones, computer skills, filing, and handy man jobs. Some volunteers do things from their own home.
Kairos Arkansas: Bringing Christ's Love to Prisoners and Families
Kairos is a Christian, volunteer, lay-led, ecumenical, international prison ministry, in which men and women volunteers bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and to their families. Kairos' three programs aim to serve three distinct needs:
The Men’s and Women’s Ministry:
Addresses the spiritual needs of prisoners. Kairos volunteers go into prisons in teams of 30 to 40 to pray, share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, share meals and fellowship with the incarcerated on a one-to-one basis. The first visit is a three-day event, during which time the team teaches a short introductory course on Christianity. Subsequent visits are monthly half-day reunions with the prisoners over a twelve-month period.
Kairos Outside:
Provides spiritual healing to families of the incarcerated, who often feel that they too are "doing time". Spouses, parents and other relatives of prisoners meet with teams of Kairos volunteers to share their faith and gain strength from Christian community.
Kairos Torch:
Provides a ministry to youthful offenders, the most rapidly growing segment of the prison system. Because young people between the ages of 13 and 19 are generally housed in smaller institutions than adult offenders, smaller-sized teams participate in this ministry.
To get involved in Outreach Ministries, contact Leah Braswell.