Organized by Karen Shelton, the Director of Prayer Ministries team maintains a regular schedule of prayers for the congregation, community and the world. Team members may engage in votive-stand prayers, healing prayers, prayer chain, private prayer, and other areas of worshipful prayer. These ministries offer opportunities for small group prayers or individual prayer from home.
Volunteers also may join the prayer chain to make phone calls to, or on behalf of, any persons needing prayer. Prayer team members also may participate in “Ashes-to-Go” on Ash Wednesday, in which the Priest and others are stationed street-side in downtown Grove to administer ashes to interested passersby.
Another ministry related to prayer is the Serendipity Prayer Group, coordinated by Karen Shelton. This small group meets once a week for private prayer on behalf of others. All information shared in the group is confidential.
Ambassadors are volunteers who give tours of the building to visitors, introduce them to other members, make sure they are comfortable and free to worship. Often, the ambassadors will help visitors find a seat in the sanctuary and orient them to our worship service, possibly sitting with them.
Mentors are congregation members willing to take visitors to lunch, deliver them a gift at home, invite them to the mentor’s home, and engage in other forms of fellowship and relationship building. These volunteers are comfortable sharing their faith journey with others for mutual understanding and engagement. The overall goal of this ministry is to integrate newcomers into the regular fellowship.
This ministry features two primary activities: card-making and mailing greeting cards. Volunteers make beautiful cards for use in our church office. They are sent to first-time visitors to St. Andrew’s and to members who are ill – or just to stay in touch with parishioners.
Volunteers also mail cards from our Gift Shop to each person in the congregation to celebrate their birthday or anniversary.
The ECW at St. Andrew’s has a long and rich history with this worldwide sisterhood. Coordinated by Fran Rahn, ECW is known and recognized for its charitable and missionary works. Every woman in the congregation is a member.
This ministry aims to deepen the spiritual lives of all church women and to encourage activity in support of local, state and global missions. Our large and active group at St. Andrew’s raises funds each year to support local outreach, such as the Grove Crisis Center, Humane Society and the Christian H.E.L.P. Center. In addition, ECW raises funds to provide a scholarship for the Education for Ministry (EFM) program.
Coordinated by Diana Smith, the women in this group create Prayer Quilts for the severely ill or injured to let them know that God is present as they recover. Once the quilt is assembled, the congregation has the opportunity tie the strings and pray for the recipient.
Prayers and Squares is a national organization, which has been active at St. Andrew’s since October 2003. Beginning quilters are always welcome!
ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 555 E. Third Street | Grove, OK 74344 (918) 801-2203