Outreach Ministries

"Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:19)

Service to those within and outside the community of faith is an essential part of the mission of this parish. Currently, we engage in service in the following areas. New efforts in outreach are always welcome.

Episcopal Church Women

The Episcopal Church Women is a long standing organization in the parish whose primary mission is to help those in need. Every month, a member of ECW serves as the contact person for reaching out to those who may be ill, in the hospital, in grief, or have some other need that the community as a whole can address. This group also raises funds through an annual or biannual fair for community organizations that help others in the area. ECW also organizes hospitality efforts after services and receptions as needed after special worship events. Meeting are seasonal in the fall and winter. New active members are always welcome. To learn more please contact the President, Phyllis Partridge.

The Stroud Fund

Through the generosity of Dr. Morris W. Stroud III, a permanent outreach fund was established in 1990. Income from this fund is disbursed for community needs and projects by the Stroud Committee. Applications are welcomed from individuals and groups and are processed on a Quarterly basis. The Fund distributes approximately $32,000 a year. You can download an application here.

Bar Harbor Food Bank

Parishioners are encouraged to bring non-perishable food regularly to church which is then transported to the Bar Harbor Food Bank and available to those in need. Additional help in encouraging donations and transporting food is always needed. Contact the Church office.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Begun in 2009, this vital ministry is engaged in by both year round and seasonal members of the parish. The group meets on Thursday mornings, weekly during the summer, and bi-monthly during the rest of the year to pray together and support each other in knitting shawls for those with special needs. Shawls are mailed or delivered to those who are sick or in grief, or in need of special prayers for any reason. Recipients are not always members of the congregation. To request a prayer shawl, please contact the church office. For additional information or to join this group, please contact Claudine Catlin (summer and overall coordinator) or Phyllis Partridge (year round coordinator).

Haiti Partnership

In 2009 we began exploring the possibility of providing direct support to a parish or mission in Haiti. To begin, we hosted a Haitian Art show in early June. Proceeds from that event were set aside for future work in Haiti. The January earthquake has slowed down any partnership efforts but those will be renewed as soon as the Episcopal Church in Haiti is ready. The Haitian Art show will be repeated again on Memorial Day weekend in 2010. In the meantime we continue to collect monies for Episcopal Relief and Development, designated for the Church in Haiti.



Campfire Coalition

The Parish is part of a coalition of non-profits organizations on Mount Desert Island that raise funds to help those who need assistance to pay for heating oil. In addition to individual and Stroud Fund donations, we participate in periodic fund raisers to sustain this important means of support. The program is coordinated by Harbor House in Southwest Harbor and administered by The Seacoast Mission in Bar Harbor. Donations should be sent to Seacoast Mission with memo: Campfire Coalition.

Ice Cream Give-away

In the summer the parish demonstrates its love for the local community by distributing free ice cream cones on Main Street in Northeast Harbor on Thursday afternoons. Volunteers are always appreciated for this fun event. Contact Robin Graves or Axie Diana.