Below are many of the organized ministry committees at Emmanuel led by lay leaders within the parish. This is not an exhaustive list and some summaries have not been submitted as of yet.
Note that there are many other areas that parish volunteers have assisted with through out the year including the Backpack Project, planning for Shrine Mont parish weekend, organizing youth and other multi-generational fellowship gatherings or outreach projects, Clean-Up Day, Greening of the Church, Easter Egg Hunt, as well as organizing Angel Tree gifts for children and residents of English Meadows. Also the annual event, Holiday Market.
If you are looking to get involved at Emmanuel this is great resource! Some areas remain open and looking for volunteers to organize. Volunteer opportunities are often shared within Emmanuel's weekly email newsletter.
If your ministry is missing or if information needs updating, please contact the church office.
Acolytes
An acolyte is one who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties. Young people are warmly welcomed into the ministry of acolyting at Emmanuel Church. Through annual or semi-annual training sessions, an effort is made to create an atmosphere wherein the acolytes may be confident in their roles and upright in their involvement in the solemnity of the service. At the same time, they are relaxed in the knowledge of the moral support, gratitude and appreciation they receive from both priest and congregation. Training sessions are generally followed by pizza meals so that fellowship is fully felt!
Crucifer: The Crucifer is seen as the “head” of the acolyting team and is asked to take responsibility for helping to guide the others before and during the service. The Crucifer carries the Cross in and out, sits in the sanctuary, and assists with Communion. Torchbearer: Torchbearers carry the torches, representing the light of Christ, into the church. They process and recess together following the cross and sit in the nave, flanking the baptismal font. Gospel Carrier: On some occasions an acolyte will carry the Gospel Book, the word of Christ, into the church. For more information about becoming an acolyte or would like to volunteer as head of this ministry please contact the church office. Altar Guild
Altar Guilds are members who care for the Altar area of the church. Their duties include altar hangings or paraments, altar linens, Eucharistic vessels, wafers and wine. Other duties may be assigned. All efforts are executed with a sense of reverence for the Glory of God and the Love of Christ. Emmanuel has 4 Altar Guild teams who serve one Sunday per month. Fifth Sundays are taken in turn by teams. Set up usually involves Saturday time. Sunday time covers pre-service set up and after service clean up. The Altar Guild usually serves at weddings and funerals. Linens are taken home and washed and ironed by Guild members. Other duties involve filling candles with oil as well as polishing silver and brass. Communication is usually by email so Altar Guild members should be emailers. If you would like to be a part of this ministry please contact Beth Askew askewbe(at)msn.com.
Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour provides a weekly time and space for fellowship after the 10 a.m. service on Sundays. The Coffee Hour hosts each Sunday are in charge of food, beverages and managing clean up. We feed 75 - 100 people who gather for coffee and tea, food and fellowship every week. Full details on what is needed weekly and coffee instructions can be found here. Please direct your questions and ideas to Diane Fraser at dfindlayfraser(at)gmail.com
Thank you for supporting this vital ministry of hospitality! Comfort Shawl Ministry
The Comfort Shawl Ministry is an opportunity for those who knit or crochet to make shawls or lap robes for individuals who are battling an illness, facing personal difficulty, or celebrating a milestone event. These are knit or crocheted by church members and are then blessed during a service. A card with prayers for healing is attached and the shawls are given to someone who needs an “outward and visible sign of God’s love”. The pattern is suitable for beginners and we are always happy to assist anyone who needs help or supplies. We can even show you basic knitting or crocheting stitches if you want. We welcome donations for yarn and encourage those who can to make a shawl. Instructions are available by contacting the church office at 540-456-6334 or Janice Fischer at jlwfischer(at)gmail.com
Crozet Cares ClosetPersonal care products are basic necessities for our health and daily comfort, yet many of these items are out of reach of our neighbors. To help meet this urgent need, Emmanuel has joined others to form the Crozet Cares Closet to collect and distribute items such as soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, deodorant and toothpaste, which are not covered by SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Items for donation will rotate among the participating churches on a monthly basis.
We look forward to our Crozet Cares Closet official “launch date” of Saturday, July 1, 2023, when items will be available from 9-11 AM at Scott House (located on Rt. 250 between Emmanuel Episcopal Church and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Church.) We are sustained by the generosity of donors to help us build a foundation of care. For more information, please contact CrozetCaresCloset(at)emmanuelgreenwood.org. Disciples Kitchen
Disciples’ Kitchen is a hot meal program hosted by several churches in the western Albemarle and Waynesboro area. Emmanuel Episcopal serves lunch on the third Monday of even months, (February, April, June, August, October, and December) at the Second Presbyterian Church in Waynesboro. EEC serves a delicious breakfast on the third Saturday of odd months (January, March, May, July, September, and November) at the Basic United Methodist Church in Waynesboro. Those who are unable to attend the food service can still help by purchasing or preparing food, leaving items in the Emmanuel kitchen before 9:30 AM on the day we serve. For more information or volunteer with this worthy cause contact Barbara Fuhrman at btfuhrman(at)gmail.com.
Emmanuel Family Meal TeamWe strive to stay connected and provide practical support to those in our Emmanuel family. As part of this effort, we enjoy preparing meals for those who may be recovering from surgery, illness or otherwise want us to lend a hand. We are so grateful to those who have joined us in this effort. If you would like to join our group, please contact Susan Duke at 703-615-0226 or SusanSDuke(at)gmail.com.
Flower Committee
The flower committee is reforming. We are looking into options for sourcing flowers locally and opportunities for flower arranging to add to this ministry. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the church office.
Friendship DinnersIf you are looking to connect more deeply over time in fellowship with fellow congregants, consider signing up to participate in a friendship dinner circle! Groups are typically formed in September for this engaging experience. Groups of 4-5 couples are selected with one couple as the group leader to coordinate the meal scheduling. It is then a rotation one household to the next with each couple bringing a side dish, dessert, wine or whatever is required to make a lovely meal. By no means is any group confined to just doing dinners, it can be an outing, a lunch or brunch. The idea is to engender fellowship over a meal and get to know your parishioners. Please contact Sandy von Thelen for more information. ~ thegeneralsvt(at)gmail.com.
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NurseryThe Nursery ages 0-2 (sometimes up to 5 years of age) is a safe and wonderful place for children to play and learn new skills while their parents are attending church. Whether you are a member or a guest we welcome you!
The nursery is located in the Parish Hall (accessed by covered brick walkway opposite the church entrance) and opens at 9:30a.m. There is someone there until 11:30a.m. (unless notified). The nursery will always try to maintain two people at all times. There are lots of fun activities for the children to do. The children play with Legos, coloring books and make jewelry; to learn shapes and colors. This also helps with hand eye coordination. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help in the Nursery, please contact the Office and leave a message for Causey Hope. Readers: Lectors and Intercessors
Readers are essential to the worship service at Emmanuel and a great way to participate in our worship service. Lectors read the weekly lectionary/scripture readings. The readings are sent in advance and a pronunciation guide is provided on the sign up page. The intercessor reads or prays the The Prayers of the People which are a powerful and deeply meaningful component of our weekly worship as a community. Learn about each of these opportunities and sign up to participate from Sign Up Genius page.
Rockfish Gap Food Pantry
The Rockfish Gap Food Pantry provides nutritious food to needy individuals and families living in Albemarle and Nelson counties and is a Partner Agency of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Food is distributed at Scott House (7585 Rockfish Gap Turnpike) on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Clients can choose from a variety of non-perishable food items, meat (including donated turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas), and a variety of fresh produce.
Formerly called the Bread Fund, this feeding ministry is in its 38th year and in 2022 distributed over 12,000 pounds of food to 332 people from 174 households. After moving from Holy Cross to the Emmanuel Scott House, the number of clients grew with the increased visibility and central location. The Bread Fund is operated exclusively by volunteers, most of whom are parishioners from Emmanuel Greenwood and Holy Cross churches. Volunteers are welcome to participate on Distribution Day, Restocking Day (the second Wednesday of each month at 10 am) or both. Food donations can be left in the Bread Fund basket in the Parish Hall, and monetary donations can be mailed to the church, or placed in the lock box in the Narthex. For further information contact: Nancy Avery 434-989-6209 nla14(at)msn.com Or Cindy Kirchner 434-361-2553 cinki124(at)gmail.com. Special ReceptionsSpecial Receptions such as Funeral Receptions, Bishops Reception, Pancake Breakfast, Church Summer Picnic, are coordinated with the parties involved to set-up and run the event. In most cases, we reach out to church members for help with set-up, serving, clean-up and providing food for/during the event. For funeral receptions, we often work with the family, or a caterer that they choose. We also coordinate closely with the sexton, church administrator on dates, church hall set-up, and kitchen requirements. For more information on helping with this ministry please email Maria Fox maria1772therese(at)yahoo.com.
StewardshipStewardship begins not with a campaign, strategy, or plan. It is not rooted in the nuts and bolts of running a church. Stewardship begins with our awareness of God's abundance and our response. Being grateful and responsible stewards of the gifts we receive from God is at the heart of stewardship. It is about reaching out to build relationships and to serve God from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity.
Each Fall, Emmanuel Greenwood solicits financial pledges for the coming year. Pledges allow the church to more effectively plan and budget for the coming year. This happens with leadership and organizational help from a group of volunteers that serve each year on the Stewardship Committee. If you are interested in serving on the Stewardship Committee, please contact the church office. Ushers
Ushers welcome parishioners, distribute bulletins, help seat people, take up the offering, guide folks to Holy Communion, help with parking when needed, and assist with any special needs during the worship service. In addition, ushers are present at most funerals/memorial services performing the same functions as stated above. If you would like to be an Usher or would like more information, contact Harry Lankenau, 434-760-9507 or email hlankenau(at)icloud.com.
Warm Clothing Ministry
Emmanuel's Warm Clothing Ministry is conducted in conjunction with The Clothing Center located at 815 Bolling Ave., Charlottesville VA. The Clothing Center has been in existence for over 30 years. They provide clothes to people living on the street, people living in shelters, people coming out of prison and men with addiction problems living at Mohr Center. Collection of clean and gently worn warm coats, fleeces, sweaters, snow pants, socks, boots, hats and scarves for children and adults will be held during the month of October and the first two weeks in November. Collection boxes will be available in the parish hall for parishioners to deposit there donations.
There is also a tie in with the Rockfish Gap food Pantry distribution effort at Emmanuel in that a voucher can be placed in the food bag allowing the individual to pick up a bag of clothes four times a year at The Clothing Center. Volunteers are needed to gather the clothing placed in the boxes every Sunday and deliver them to The Clothings Center on Monday. At the present time, the virus has limited the acceptance of clothing to Mondays only. Welcome Committee
The purpose of the Welcome Committee is to be a follow up conduit for both first time church attendees and newcomers that have recently joined and are integrating themselves as new members. For more information contact, Harry Lankenau (hlankenau(at)me.com)
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