Mercy

Knowing that justice and mercy work hand in hand, Christ Episcopal Church has a strong tradition of reaching out to meet the needs of others. 18-25% of CEC’s annual operating budget has been allocated to Outreach over the years. Remembering the compassion to which Jesus calls us, we are encouraged that whenever we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, or visit the imprisoned, we have done it for him. And so, we strive to fulfill the vow we make in our Baptismal Covenant to “seek and serve Christ in all people, loving our neighbor as ourselves.” (BCP p. 305) Following the example of the earliest Christians in the Acts of the Apostles we reach out to “Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the Earth,” spreading our opportunities to serve and to share throughout our neighborhood communities, regional and national concerns, and care for the needs of others internationally.

Amistad Mission- Our outreach through Amistad Mission helps to provide a loving, Christian home where abandoned, abused and orphaned children in Bolivia can thrive and become the leaders of tomorrow and to transform impoverished Bolivian communities through childcare, education, health care, nutrition, water and agricultural development. During our years of relationship with Amistad Mission we have built Casa San Francisco, a loving Christian home for 8 to 10 children at any given time.
Information for the January 2011 trip to Bolivia

Beaches Community Health Care - Christ Church is a founding partner, along with Sulzbacher center, of this free clinic supporting the working poor and homeless for the Beaches community by providing basic healthcare, referral services, mental health services, prescription support and dental care.

Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM) - The mission of BEAM is to keep families housed through short term assistance and by collaborating with other agencies to get families the long term help they need to become self-sufficient. Christ Church helps thousands of Beaches area residents at risk for being pushed over the financial edge by even a small misfortune return to self-reliance. Monthly donations of food and many opportunities to volunteer our time keep Christ Church connected in hands-on care through this ministry.

Beaches Habitat for Humanity - Christ Episcopal Church shares in the ministry of building simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with God and families in need. Volunteers are involved in construction, as well as providing help with family selection and support, public relations, youth programs, construction skills training, and volunteer services. Working side-by-side with the family who will live in the house, our volunteers experience the joy created when a family is able to realize their dreams of home ownership

Betty Griffin House - Protection, temporary shelter and counseling, are provided for victims of domestic violence and their minor children. To learn more about our ministry with them, join us for their informational presentation, “If these walls could talk,” in their St. Augustine Outreach Center.

Bloodmobile Ministry - Partnering with the Florida/Georgia Blood Alliance, the Bloodmobile comes to the San Juan campus several times a year so that we have the opportunity to give the gift of life by donating blood.

Dignity-U-Wear - Dignity-U-Wear provides new clothing and personal care products to children and their families who are homeless, battered, abused and left behind. Assistance is continually needed to process and sort new clothing donations as well as clerical, administrative, and IT support.

Dreams Come True - This organization is dedicated to granting the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses and supported by the Episcopal Church Dance Ministry with proceeds from their annual peformance of The Nutcracker.

Episcopal Diocese of Florida Mission - As a mission station of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, Christ Church tithes 10% of our income to the mission of the church, as well as providing many opportunities to serve and lead the programs and ministries of the broader church.

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) - Episcopal Relief and Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States, guided by the Episcopal Church’s principals of compassion, dignity, and generosity as we work to heal a hurting world.

Family Promise - An interfaith hospitality network, Family Promise provides temporary shelter, meals, hospitality and case management for Jacksonville area families experiencing homelessness. Christ Church helps to provide these resources currently and is exploring the possibility of becoming a host congregation so that we can welcome families into our church, and offer meals, hospitality and overnight accomodations for one week each quarter on a rotating basis with other area congregations

Fresh Ministries - This is an interfaith ministry whose goal is to eradicate poverty, improve race relations and build stronger communities. As we work together to improve people’s lives and bring hope to the living in distressed conditions, their “6 Point Community Initiative” includes: Be The Change International, Siyafundisa (“Teaching Our Children,” project to reduce HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa), Beaver Street Enterprise Center, Communities Empowering Youth (a program based on Helping America’s Youth Initiative, started by Laura Bush involving activities and services
to reduce juvenile crime and violence, child abuse and neglect), East Jacksonville Neighborhood Resource Center, Jacksonville Hospitality Institute, and Eastside Neighborhood Association.

Grab-A-Bag Food Ministry - The last Sunday of every month, parishioners grab a brown grocery bag and return it on the first Sunday of the month, filled with non-perishable food that is used to stock the pantry shelves of B.E.A.M and St. Mary’s Mission.

Kairos - The mission of Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work for them, and to assist in the transition in becoming a productive citizen. We have teams of people from all denominations who help provide regular weekend retreats inside North Florida’s prisons, as well as retreats at Marywood in Jacksonville for those women who have a loved one in prison.

Mission House - Christ Church is a founding member and primary supporter of Mission House, an ecumendical outreach center dedicated to helping the needy and poor throughout the Beaches by ministering to their material , physical and spiritual needs through in-house and referral services. Whenever possible, those clients are assisted in developing an independent, constructive, self-reliant and fulfilling life.

Pontevedra, Spain - Christ Church in Pontevedra, Spain is a joint effort between the Diocese of Spain and Christ Episcopal Church to plant a new church. This young ministry brings an Anglican identity, with the unique touch of our church here in Ponte Vedra Beach, to a group of worshipers in a wonderful local community.

St. Mary’s Mission - The mission ministers to Jacksonville’s inner city families by providing much needed food each month. Christ Church also provides tons of food to help stock the pantry and also provides an onsite summer camp at St. Mary’s for children in the neighborhood to strengthen academic skills in preparation for the coming school year, as well as scholarship assistance for St. Mary’s youth to attend Camp Weed.

United Thank Offering - Sponsored by Daughters of the King and the Episcopal Church Women, our United Thank Offering is a ministry to expand the circle of thankful people by providing members with little blue boxes to be strategically placed so that coins become a dily sign of our blessings. When gathered twice a year, the coins become a blessing of outreach to meet the needs of others throughout the world.