Outreach

Outreach is the ministry of reaching beyond our church walls to the community at large, locally, regionally, nationally and globally. In addition to the monthly and seasonal activities we engage in for outreach, our members also support a number of initiatives of the National Church, such as Episcopal Relief and Development.

In the summer of 2006 one of our parish families traveled to the Gulf Coast to help in the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Other members serve in a variety of ways through community organizations and nearby agencies.

Saint Bernard’s Church enjoys a long legacy of community outreach. Over the years, its parish ministries have developed into programs that have taken on a life of their own in the wider world. Some of the regional services flourishing today that had their start in Saint Bernard’s Parish include The Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, Gill St. Bernard School, and the Career Forum of the YMCA.

Many members of the parish give of their time, talent and treasure to charity and educational boards on the local, state and national levels. The Episcopal Church encourages this ethos and values the altruism and philanthropy of its members to all worthy humanitarian causes.

GRACE’S KITCHEN

Grace’s Kitchen is a community feeding program in Plainfield, New Jersey, that offers meals to area residents. It is housed in Grace Episcopal Church, a member parish of the Watchung Convocation of Churches. Parishioners of Saint Bernard’s are encouraged to sign up each month and join our lay leadership for this service opportunity.

On the last Saturday of each month a group of parishioners offer their time in Grace’s Kitchen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. under the supervision of the kitchen’s director. Families can work together and parents bring children to help with food preparation and distribution.

Grace’s Kitchen also provides dry goods, canned foods and recycled clothing to guests of the program.

A sign-up sheet for 2007 will be posted periodically in the Great Hall. For more details about the program and signing-up, see John Smith, whose contact information is available through the Parish Office (Telephone: 908-766-0602, extension 5 or E-mail: saintbernards@verizon.net).

DONATIONS & COLLECTIONS

As a parish we support local food and clothing drives that are taken up seasonally. Parishioners often champion particular causes and organize fundraisers and relief efforts for needs that touch their hearts.

Information about collections are usually posted on the community bulletin boards in the Parish House and available through the regular channels of communication in the parish, including This Week at Saint Bernard’s, the Faithfully Yours Newsletter, and the Sunday Notices & Announcements.

SAINT BERNARD'S COMMUNITY FUND

Saint Bernard's Church oversees a relief fund for individuals and families in the wider community. Started and grown in the years after 9/11, the Community Fund makes one-time grants to applicants who qualify.

In recent months we have disbursed aid to a family that lost its home in a fire and to various young people in need of financial support for personal care.

The fund is administered by members of the Saint Bernard's Vestry and Finance Committee. Advocates of cases for application, including area clergy, school counselors, social workers, and case workers, should contact the Parish Office for more information on the application process.

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If you are interested in learning more about Outreach, please speak with Sue Smith whose contact information is available through the Parish Office (Telephone: 908-766-0602, extension 5 or E-mail: saintbernards@verizon.net).

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care is a ministry of care giving in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is available to those who have been hospitalized, or who are home bound, as well as to others. We offer this ministry to parishioners and friends of the parish who call upon us for support both temporarily and in an on-going way.

The clergy of Saint Bernard’s Church are committed to offering pastoral care to parishioners in time of need. Drop-in counseling by appointment is available and referrals are made to a wide range of helping agencies. Pastoral direction can be of enormous benefit in periods of personal crisis.

A Pastoral Care Committee, made up of lay volunteers under the supervision of the clergy, offers helping services to parishioners and the wider community. The committee meets monthly with the clergy to review ministry needs and organize its work.

VISITATION MINISTRY

The Pastoral Care Committee organizes and implements visits to the sick and elderly who need our support. Visitations may be occasional or periodic, monthly or made more frequently. They can take the form of a simple hello to deliver flowers, or involved conversation, prayer and reading. We encourage our care givers to nurture a relationship of helping with those they visit.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTRY

Saint Bernard’s clergy trains and licenses lay members of the congregation to serve as Eucharistic Ministers. We send them to homes and hospitals to administer the sacrament of Holy Eucharist to parishioners and others. We do this on Sundays after the morning worship services. We currently have a group of Eucharistic Ministers who make visits several times a month.

RECOVERY GROUPS

Saint Bernard’s Church hosts a number of weekly meetings of Alchoholics Anonymous recovery groups. These meet in the evenings in the rooms and hall of the Parish House. A schedule of meetings at Saint Bernard’s is available from the local AA leadership.

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For further details on serving in or calling upon the services of Pastoral Care, please speak with Laurie Felber, whose contact information is available through the Parish Office (Telephone: 908-766-0602, extension 5 or E-mail: saintbernards@verizon.net).