our ministries
Saint Paul's 213 North Main Street Suffolk, Virginia 23434 757-539-2478
The Men's Breakfast, held each Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., is open to anyone. Those
attending enjoy a church cooked breakfast which is followed by a short Bible study.
The Women's Study Group, a sub-group of the Episcopal Church Women, meets the first Monday of each month, October through June. The group is a social and service organization open to all women attending St. Paul's. The group's purpose is spiritual enrichment, growth in Christian faith, and formation of friendships through book study, discussion, prayer, and socializing. The Women's Study Group also ministers to church newcomers through the presentation of welcome gift bags and to the sick and homebound by participation in the Loaves and Fishes Ministry. The group makes donations to the Genieve Shelter, Boy's Home, Jackson-Feild Home for Girls, among others, by monies received from the sale of the church cookbook, mugs and note cards.
A Mission Committee recently was formed in the church. The committee currently is exploring ways in which the resources, both time and talent, of the congregation can be put to use in making the downtown Suffolk area a better place to live and worship. Once the committee decides on a particular mission or missions, volunteers will be asked to step to the plate to assist.
Parishioners at St. Paul's strive to meet the needs of those in the community by offering a variety of outreach programs and by offering to others the use of the church's physical structure.
Food Pantry-Every Monday morning, a small group of parishioners gathers in Randolph Hall to fill bags with non-perishable food items, to be given to those in need. The various items sometimes are donated by persons in the church or the community, but, more often, are purchased from a local vendor by monies donated by church members. Envelopes marked with the words Food Pantry can be found in the pews during each service and persons are encouraged to make donations.
In November of 2009, volunteers from St. Paul's and from the surrounding community finalized plans for a Thanksgiving Dinner for those in need in the community. Flyers announcing the dinner were distributed to local organizations and turkeys, collards, and yams, among other food items, were donated and prepared for the event. On Thanksgiving Day volunteers served dinner in Randolph Hall and also prepared take-out meals for people to enjoy in the privacy of their homes. The success of the 2009 dinner, the congregation's first, was followed up in 2010 (with 279 meals served) and is now considered an annual outreach event.
Randolph Hall is used by Alcoholics Anonymous for meetings on Friday evenings. This has been a ministry of St. Paul's for many years and reflects the congregation's belief that we should do what we can to assist persons in overcoming addictions and in making improvements in their lives.
On the second Saturday of each month, the church library is the site of an innovative effort to assist young people in improving reading skills. The BARKS (Books and Reading for Kids in Suffolk) program uses certified therapy dogs as a reading partner with young people who have difficulty reading or who can read but have problems reading aloud. A child, usually in a grade from K through 5, is paired with a therapy dog and the dog's handler (owner) and reads aloud to that dog. The setting insures privacy and is a non-judgmental one.
The Women's Study Group, a sub-group of the Episcopal Church Women, meets the first Monday of each month, October through June. The group is a social and service organization open to all women attending St. Paul's. The group's purpose is spiritual enrichment, growth in Christian faith, and formation of friendships through book study, discussion, prayer, and socializing. The Women's Study Group also ministers to church newcomers through the presentation of welcome gift bags and to the sick and homebound by participation in the Loaves and Fishes Ministry. The group makes donations to the Genieve Shelter, Boy's Home, Jackson-Feild Home for Girls, among others, by monies received from the sale of the church cookbook, mugs and note cards.
A Mission Committee recently was formed in the church. The committee currently is exploring ways in which the resources, both time and talent, of the congregation can be put to use in making the downtown Suffolk area a better place to live and worship. Once the committee decides on a particular mission or missions, volunteers will be asked to step to the plate to assist.
Parishioners at St. Paul's strive to meet the needs of those in the community by offering a variety of outreach programs and by offering to others the use of the church's physical structure.
Food Pantry-Every Monday morning, a small group of parishioners gathers in Randolph Hall to fill bags with non-perishable food items, to be given to those in need. The various items sometimes are donated by persons in the church or the community, but, more often, are purchased from a local vendor by monies donated by church members. Envelopes marked with the words Food Pantry can be found in the pews during each service and persons are encouraged to make donations.
In November of 2009, volunteers from St. Paul's and from the surrounding community finalized plans for a Thanksgiving Dinner for those in need in the community. Flyers announcing the dinner were distributed to local organizations and turkeys, collards, and yams, among other food items, were donated and prepared for the event. On Thanksgiving Day volunteers served dinner in Randolph Hall and also prepared take-out meals for people to enjoy in the privacy of their homes. The success of the 2009 dinner, the congregation's first, was followed up in 2010 (with 279 meals served) and is now considered an annual outreach event.
Randolph Hall is used by Alcoholics Anonymous for meetings on Friday evenings. This has been a ministry of St. Paul's for many years and reflects the congregation's belief that we should do what we can to assist persons in overcoming addictions and in making improvements in their lives.
On the second Saturday of each month, the church library is the site of an innovative effort to assist young people in improving reading skills. The BARKS (Books and Reading for Kids in Suffolk) program uses certified therapy dogs as a reading partner with young people who have difficulty reading or who can read but have problems reading aloud. A child, usually in a grade from K through 5, is paired with a therapy dog and the dog's handler (owner) and reads aloud to that dog. The setting insures privacy and is a non-judgmental one.