Outreach Ministries

Outreach and Ecumenical ministries primarily outside our own walls.

The Missions Oversight Committee coordinates the missions work of various outreach groups.
Contact: Ken MacDonald

East Greenwich Ecumenical Social Concerns Committee meet monthly to oversee many human services in East Greenwich, including the Food Pantry at St. Luke's, the Thrift Church at First Lutheran Church and the Co-Op Nursery at East Greenwich United Methodist Church. This committee works in conjunction with the town in the distribution of bread all week long at the various churches.
Contact: The Rev. Ricky Brightman

The Giving Tree provides gifts for needy children and family members of East Greenwich at Christmas time.
Contact: Peggy Rubel

Ecumenical Food Cupboard is housed in Room 3 in St. Luke's, town hall side entrance and is supported ecumenically. Volunteers staff the food cupboard which is open 10:30 am - 12:00 noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Contact: Jim Dickerson

Soup Kitchen volunteers from St. Luke's carpool to set-up and serve the meal at Grace Church in downtown Providence from 2:00-6:00 pm on the first Saturday of each odd-numbered month.
Contact: Lauri Messier

Habitat for Humanity of West Bay and Northern Rhode Island is an organization founded on Christian principles whose goal is to provide decent affordable housing to people in need and to give a "hand up, not a handout" to those who qualify. This affiliate is one of four in RI and serves sixteen communities, extending from East Greenwich to the MA border. Affiliates are self funding and work to eliminate poverty and substandard housing by building homes in partnership with individuals, churches and companies in the local community. Volunteers are needed for site selection, family selection, publicity, fund raising, etc. as well as the actual construction of homes.
Contact: Jim Rezendes

Circle of Respect for Everyone (CORE) offers educational programs about topics ranging from genocide, nonviolence, Islam and the environment. It seeks to promote communication and understanding between people, reflecting our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being. The group meets on occasional Sundays at 9:00am.
Contact: Elizabeth McNamara

The Missions Committee disburses the proceeds raised from various fund raisers for Mission Outreach throughout the year. The MacDougal Fund for Outreach is administered by the committee, with vestry approval.
Contact: Lois Plante

East Greenwich Elderly Affairs committee works on senior services and meets monthly in the Town Hall. Their goal is to get a permanent senior center for our residents. For now, St. Lukes Church is our center, serving meals and hosting activities for seniors five days a week.
Contact: Barbara Farrell

St. Elizabeth Volunteers take part in the Sunday Chapel Services weekly at St. Elizabeth Home. Father Craig is one of the priests that serve. Our volunteers, usually two weekly, help out once a month setting up for communion and getting chapel ready. We assist the priest and help the residents to and from the chapel. It is a very rewarding ministry and very much appreciated.
Contact: Barbara Farrell

ACI (Adult Corrections Institute) Ministry to Prisoners Parish members donate cards and other spiritual material to the ACI Chaplain to support pastoral care of inmates.
Contact: The Rev. Ricky Brightman, Deacon

The Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island has as its mission to provide assistance to Rhode Islanders by raising and distributing funds to church-related and other non-profit organizations and programs. St. Luke's participates each year along with the rest of the churches in the Diocese.
Contact: Arlene Serdakowski

United Thank Offering (UTO) The first United Thank Offering began in 1889. The women of this era were inspired to pray and give thanks for their daily blessings, putting small change in a "blue box." UTO is collected once a year by the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of the Diocese and then distributed through the National UTO Committee. Giving money is an outward and visible way to say thanks. It is a way to respond to Christ's command to love God, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to go into all the world to preach the Gospel. Every cent that is collected through Blue Boxes and Blue Envelopes is given away in grants.
Contact: Suzanne Benson

Episcopal Relief & Development is a ministry of the Whole Church for the Whole World. It is the major response by the Episcopal Church to God’s call to serve Christ in all persons, to love our neighbors and to respect the dignity of every human being. Funds are raised and distributed for emergency relief, rehabilitation, and long-term development programs.
Contact: Evelyn Brchan

Support for Theological Education has been a long standing committment of St. Luke's. By committing 1% of its net disposable income, as well as a special offering collected on STE Sunday, St. Luke's contributes to the education of seminarians at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, where our own rector received his training.
Contact: The Clergy

Top of Page