| Christian Ministry and Outreach
Ministry of the Clergy
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you
have love for one another. John 13.34 & 35
As a parish, we strive to live this new commandment and become
disciples of Jesus Christ. Our priests are called to lead
us, by their example and their sacramental ministry, into
this hope. They prepare and baptize those who seek to enter
the Body of Christ. They call the faithful to the Eucharistic
Table to celebrate our life together in Christ. They proclaim
the Gospel by preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and caring.
And they prepare the dying for death, peace, and a holy rest.
The clergy visit the hospitalized sharing Holy Communion and
the anointing oil of healing. They also visit the homebound,
newcomers, and parishioners keeping the community bound together
in Christ’s love. They prepare those who seek the blessing
of the Church in Holy Matrimony. And they call those in need
to repentance, and they pronounce the forgiveness and mercy
of God to all.
Some seek the pastoral care of our priests in spiritual direction
or pastoral appointments. Priests are available to speak personally
and privately with those who desire the care, wisdom, and
love of the Church.
Appointments with the Clergy are best made by calling the
Director of Administration. In an emergency, our Clergy are
available 24 hours a day.
Ministry of the Laity - Outreach
At Holy Comforter we strive to share “our lives, our
gifts and our resources.” Parishioners eagerly support
both recurring monthly outreach with the Good News Partners
and special holiday drives. On the first Saturday of every
month volunteers meet at the church and car pool down to Good
News Partners in Roger’s Park to work with under-privileged
children for the morning. On the third Saturday of the month
we prepare, deliver and serve dinner for approximately 150
homeless and hungry at the Good News Soup Kitchen. For Easter
the parish collects and delivers holiday baskets to area churches
and not-for-profit organizations. Thanksgiving brings a food
basket drive and at Christmas parishioners buy presents for
needy children chosen from a “Jesse Tree”.
Funding for outreach comes from two major sources, the annual
Housewalk and parishioner offerings at the Easter and Christmas
celebrations. The highly popular Housewalk is held the first
Wednesday of October. Preparing for and staffing the Housewalk
is a major volunteer undertaking which also serves as an important
yearly focus for fellowship and getting to know new church
members. The money raised for outreach is overseen by the
Stewardship Committee which is charged with selecting and
administering a major Mission Partners project as well as other gifts to deserving organizations. The Mission Partners project receives approximately half of our total giving and is designed to connect us on a deeper level with a selected organization both financially and interpersonally. The first Mission Partners project saw Holy Comforter support the growth of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Evanston. Our current mission is with Church of the Advent and Nuestra Senora de las Americas, two Episcopal congregations in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. The mix of one major Mission Partners project and funding of specific yearly requests from deserving organizations insures
that Holy Comforter’s outreach program will both reflect
the parish’s diverse charitable interests and have real
impact on the ability of recipient organizations to reach
their goals. For those interested in more detail, a complete
list of outreach donations is available through the parish
office.
Ministry of the Laity - Inside
the Parish
As a true community of the faithful we work hard to minister
to all the needs of the parish. The following parish life
and liturgy ministries are only a partial listing of the many
ways to stay involved at Holy Comforter.
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Altar Guild
Members of the Altar Guild prepare the Sanctuary
for the liturgies of the Church and care for the sacred vessels,
altar linens and vestments.
Bridge Ministry
Support is provided to parishioners experiencing
employment-related transitions by offering resume reviews,
arranging interview opportunities and mentoring.
Choirs
There are three choirs that enrich our worship experience. Rehearsal times are:
Adult Choir (High School-Adult) - Wednesday 7:30 — 9:00 pm
Junior Choir (Grades 3-6) Thursday 4:15 — 5:00 pm
Children’s Choir (Grades 1-2) - Sunday morning during Church School
Eucharistic Visitors (EV)
Following the celebration of Holy Eucharist at
one of the services on Sunday, Eucharistic Visitors are sent
out from the congregation “bearing these Holy Gifts, that those to whom you go would share in the communion
of Christ’s Body and Blood.” After training and
licensing, the EV’s share the communion of the assembled
congregation with those members of the parish who are homebound.
If interested, please see the Rector.
Flower Guild
The Flower Guild purchases, arranges and cares
for the floral arrangements used in the Church.
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
(LEMs): Eucharistic Ministers assist the clergy at
the altar during the Eucharist, serving as chalice bearers
and lay readers at Sunday and special liturgies
for a three-year term. After training and licensing by the
Bishop, LEMs are added to the regular rotation. They vest
and process. If interested, please see the Rector.
Ministry to the Homebound
Holiday flowers, cards and home visits are a few
ways in which the parish stays connected to those parishioners
who are homebound.
Ministry of Motherhood (M.O.M.)
Women of every age and stage of life join for
worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, and fun.
Newcomers’ Ministry
The Newcomers’ Committee provides a special
welcome to those visiting the parish and helps new members
become integrated into the life of the parish
Shawl Ministry
Novice and experienced knitters meet weekly for prayer, knitting and conversation. The shawls are given to the sick and bereaved of the parish. |
Stewardship
Christian stewardship is accepting the gift of life from God
with a grateful heart and responding to the gift with gladness
and generosity. At Church of the Holy Comforter we seek to
live our life in joy and gladness as a response to God’s
abundant love and grace. The clergy and lay leadership work
hard to make the budget process transparent, minimize waste
and adhere to the annual budget to insure proper expenditure
of the money raised in our annual canvass. The canvass is
conducted in the Fall, and each family is asked to review
their financial commitment to the parish and respond to the
Stewardship Committee’s charge for the upcoming year.
On Celebration Sunday families present their pledge at the
end of the service. It is the Sunday when we come together
to show our commitment to the life and work of Holy Comforter.
Newcomers who are interested in officially joining Holy Comforter
are asked to complete a pledge card .In the spirit of Christian
Stewardship we ask only that everyone do the best they can
in supporting the work of the church.
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