Reaching Out
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39
There is a strong tradition of reaching out at St James, both locally and globally.
Locally
The Smithtown Food Pantry
St. James was one of the founding members of the Smithtown Emergency Food
Pantry, which opened in 1984. The Pantry operates Monday through Friday from 9.00am to 12.00 noon, and is staffed entirely by volunteers from seven churches in Smithtown Township; church members also donate most of the food. In 2007, 448 familes were served and food amounting to 14,261 meals was given away.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. For over ten years we have been a Covenant Congregation supporting Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, providing construction volunteers and financial resources to build houses with and for people who otherwise could not afford to own a home. We also collect school supplies for back-to-school backpacks for families in Habitat homes.
Good Friday Blood Drive
Every Good Friday, after our afternoon service, St James hosts a blood drive. This has been a tradition for over twenty-five years, helping the Long Island Blood Bank to replenish area blood supplies. Members of the parish and the community at large participate, giving sixty to eighty pints of blood every year.
Protestant Campus Ministry
Just down the road in Stony Brook is one of the campuses of the State University of New York, SUNY Stony Brook. As part of our commitment to our community, we are a founding member of and long-term financial contributor to the Protestant Campus Ministry, a ministry supported by Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed Churches in our area and providing a part time chaplain to reach out to students, faculty and staff and support them in their faith.
Adopt-a-Family
Each Christmas, we provide a needy family (selected by the Family Consultation Service of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island) with gifts of toys and clothing.
Pick-a-Star
Every December, a Christmas tree is set up with the names of housebound parishioners and residents of UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) group homes. Parishioners select a star and buy and wrap a gift for the person; the gifts are delivered, accompanied by the singing of Chirstmas Carols, by members of our youth group (aka Santa and the Elves).
Other local needs
We at St James are frequently involved in providing for local needs as they arise. Recently, we have collected business attire for homeless men in Manhattan so that they have someting to wear when they apply for jobs, and clothing for children in foster care, who often arrive with nothing. The Webster Room, located in our Christian Education Building, is regularly used by outside organizations as another form of Outreach to the local community. Groups currently using the room include a Recovery Group and a women's spirituality group. Also, a number of parishioners participate in a CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture), supporting local agriculture and sustainable farming practices.
Globally
Bread for the World
Bread for the World is a Christian movement against hunger. Founded in 1974, Bread for the World's members have lobbied Congress and the administration to bring about public policy changes that address the root causes of hunger and poverty in the United States and overseas. It is a nonpartisan organization supported by 45 denominations and many theological perspectives.
As well as providing financial support and hosting an annual dinner, St James particiaptes in the annual "Offering of letters," when we join with people of faith throughout the country to write letters to Congress in support of hunger-fighting legislation.
Episcopal Relief and Development
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 principles of compassion, dignity and generosity as we work to heal a hurting world. It takes its mandate from the words of Jesus, found in Matthew 25: 37-40, that call us to feed the hungry, care for the sick and welcome the stranger.
In Lent, many parishioners skipped lunch on Fridays and donated the money they saved to ERD; when our teenagers raised money towards the cost of a new boiler for the Sunday School wing, they donated 10% to ERD to keep other people warm.
Counting Prayers
As part of our commitment to the achievement of the Millennium Developemnt Goals, St James was the first church to sign up for Counting Prayers, committing to pray this prayer each week in our Sunday services.
Fair Trade Coffee
As part of being more responsible global citizens, we now use fair-trade, organic, shade grown coffee at church functions; we also have the coffee available for sale.Two blends are available, Pacific (Guatemalan and Sumatran Mandheling) and Santa Cruz (Sumatran Mandheling and Mexican Altura). The coffee is roasted and ground in Massachusetts; we normally order every two months. To purchase, fill in this form and mail it to the church office, or talk to the vicar after any of our services.
