Ministries
To get more information about any of these ministries Contact us.
Outreach
By Outreach we mean that we seek to serve our neighbors and those in need irrespective of their geography with Christian compassion and the expressed love of Jesus to minister to the least among us. One example is the establishment of a Community Supper, working collaboratively with Ascension and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church where more than 100 young people and families from Lincoln Heights Village are fed once per month.
Parish Health Ministry/Community Garden
Emerging from
a diocesan wide program, the St. Simon's Parish Health Ministry has become full-grown very quickly. In addition to several health screenings each year, educational materials and programs are shared with the congregation in an effort to improve our peoples' well-being. In addition to healthy lifestyle teaching, the ministry works hard to promote good nutrition. Several members of the parish who work in health care fields assist with the program. Blood Pressure Screening 2nd Sunday of the month following the 9:00 AM service.
Music Ministry
Currently, we have one chancel choir. We have one gospel choir which supports our worship every 3rd Sunday, and other special liturgies as needed. Efforts are currently being made to develop a children's choir. African drums are occasionally used in the Sunday liturgy especially Easter, Men & Women’s Day and Christmas. Other musical genres are being considered with the availability of musicians.
African Dummers - Introduction of the St. Simon African Drummers
Learning can be fun! - With this thought in mind, the purpose of the St. Simon African Drummers is to prepare our participants to succeed in this new age - the Knowledge Age. It is through the joy of making good, and synchronized music that our group members experience several characteristics required for success in the Knowledge Age.
Intergenerational Collaboration – Just because an individual is elder doesn’t mean that the older individual is more infallible. All of us have experienced something like my granddaughter teaching me how to use my iPhone. Our group ranges in age from 8 to 76. Because our music is written, each of us can hear another’s errors. In practice sessions, all of us learn by listening intently and collaboratively correcting each other.
Independence – Since our music is polyrhythmic, each of us may be playing a different set of notes. These notes must synchronize to make good music. Each player knows his/her role by reading the notes then playing them in the proper sequence and tempo necessary to generate good music. We learn to hear the difference between harmony and dissonance.
Reading – We learn to read the measures then collaborate to make music. Learning to read and perform music at a high level's aids the ability to read a book (for instance) and transfer those literal symbols into knowledge. This helps participants become lifelong learners through the symbol translation required to gain different types of knowledge.
Historical – Because we realize that our African drums are of the type played 9,000 years ago to facilitate long-distance communication with other Africans, we gain a different and historical perspective on the African portion of our multicultural heritage
Sewing Ministry
Several of the women meet each Monday morning to work on various sewing projects. Their primary output is handcrafted quilts, although other projects are always in evidence. Quilts have been given to all new babies in the parish, to residents of area nursing homes, and to many of the sick and shut-in. Some masterpiece quilts are raffled each year to help financially support the program.
Altar Guild
Every congregation has an Altar Guild to care for the things of the Altar and worship. St. Simon's enjoys an exceptionally fine group of people who take pride in this vital ministry. Often unseen and unsung, these women go about their work as a part of their devotion. Business meetings are held quarterly, led by the co-directors of the guild.
Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
St. Simon's Church has a very active chapter of the Episcopal Church Women. Meetings are held monthly following the 9:00 am service. The activities and ministry of the ECW are wide-ranging, but primarily support the mission and ministry of the parish in ways not always realized. Their efforts make a significant contribution to the annual budget of the parish. The most visible aspect of this ministry is the annual "Men and Women's Day" when a speaker is brought in and the "Woman of the Year" award is given. The ECW also holds an annual retreat for members and friends at a nearby conference center in Indiana.
Men and Boys Ministries
The name of our men's group is a bow to a period in St. Simon's history when young men were a part of this ministry. Now those young men are more involved in youth activities. The purpose of the group's efforts is to serve the life and outreach of the parish. Each year the men collect turkeys and other food items for distribution as Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to needy families in the area. The men sponsor a major fund-raiser for the parish annually at a nearby community recreation center -- which has the additional blessing of much fellowship. The annual "Men and Women's Day", brings in an outside speaker and designates the "Man of the Year" recipient. The men also sponsor the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper each year. They also, not insignificantly, contribute much physical labor around the buildings and grounds.