The Altar Guild prepares the church and chapel for worship. This group cares for the special dishes, linens, vestments, and other objects used in our liturgy. For many, the work of the guild becomes an important part of their personal spirituality. Each week the Altar Guild arranges fresh flowers from a local florist for Sunday worship. Anyone in the parish can sponsor a particular Sunday’s flowers by signing up on the large chart in the front hall.

Episcopal Church Women – ECW – is an organization for all women of the Episcopal Church and any interested friends. We sponsor many activities
throughout the year and the proceeds go to various outreach programs and local charities. ECW meetings are held quarterly – January, April, July, and October. We currently meet at 10:30 am for coffee and snacks followed by the business meeting and occasional presentations or guest speakers. We are usually finished before noon. Please consider joining us for a morning of fellowship and parish event planning.

Liturgy-The Work of the People – Many people are part of every worship service.  Acolytes, camera operators, greeters, Lay Eucharist Ministers, Lay Readers and ushers all fill an important role.  If you are interested in helping with one of these, please speak with the rector.

Come to Dinner is a free hot, home-made dinner for the parish, our neighbors, and the community. Meals are served on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm when we all sit down together to share delicious food and good company.

Parish Nursing Ministry volunteers serve the local community with Life Line Screening Events, Red Cross Blood Drives, and blood pressure checks at St. Paul’s.

Backpack Buddies provides children from low-income households with 10-12 pounds of nutritious kid-friendly groceries for afternoons and weekends during the school year. Food packs are delivered to schools and classroom teachers slip them into children’s backpacks. Through food and monetary donations, St. Paul’s has been providing food packs for children at Holcomb elementary school since 2008. Parish volunteers pack food after coffee hour on “packing” Sundays, load and unload food orders, donate non-perishable food items (peanut butter, juice boxes, soup, snacks etc.) and/or donate funds.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry provides hand-knitted shawls blessed at St. Paul’s for parishioners to give family and friends. We hope these shawls become a small sign of our love and concern for others and remind us of the power of prayer. May the prayers stitched into each shawl enfold our family, friends, and neighbors, bring comfort where needed, and bind us to each other. Prayer shawls are available in the church narthex.

The St. Nicholas Faire is held annually the first Saturday of December and the preceding Friday. It features area artists and craftspeople, raffle baskets, baked goods, and home Advent handouts. Proceeds support local charities, parish ministries, and church operations.

H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Eat) coordinates the work of four-member food pantries so people of Oregon City and surrounding communities do not go hungry. We especially support the pantry at First Baptist Church of Oregon City-right next door to St. Paul’s. Begun in 1985, HOPE provides an emergency supply (3-5 days) of food to families in need of assistance. Dignity/hygiene items such as deodorant, toilet paper, and laundry soap are often available. The bulk of the food comes from the Oregon Food Bank, supplemented by donations from local stores, churches, and private donors. A HOPE collection bin is in St. Paul’s Parish Hall for donations of non-perishable food and sturdy paper/plastic bags.

Rahab’s Sisters builds community through radical hospitality with women and gender-diverse individuals marginalized by poverty, houselessness, sex work, violence, and substance use. The Montavilla United Methodist Church currently hosts this ministry. There is a collection bin in St. Paul’s Parish Hall for these needed items:

• Seasonally appropriate clean adult clothing, jackets, and shoes in good condition. (Think to yourself – “would someone want to wear this?”)
• Camping supplies, specifically tarps, tents, and sleeping bags
• Clean Blankets
• Unexpired Pet food
• New underwear and boxers, all sizes