2021 Outreach of the month January - ACTS Counseling Center February- Second Helpings March- Fellowship of Christian Athletes April- Pregnancy Center May- St. Luke's Missions June- The Literacy Center July- Pocket Full of Sunshine August- Hilton Head Heroes September- St. Luke's Preschool October- NOC - Neighborhood Outreach Connection 5th Sunday - Anglican Relief and Development November- Memory Matters December- Kairos Prison Ministry
Outreach of the month
The St. Luke’s Outreach of the Month program is a means by which St. Luke’s parishioners can “give back” to both local charities outside of the church and to organizations within the church that support missions or activities that reach people beyond our own membership. The core of the program involves selecting twelve Outreach of the Month recipients from a qualified set of applicants and then organizing them so that funds can be collected and distributed each month.
The inspiration for this program is found in Matthew 25, when Jesus taught his disciples by saying, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Outreach of the Month recipients are chosen based on a specific set of criteria, outlined as follows:
Priority is given to organizations that have involvement by St. Luke’s parishioners. One of the reasons for this is that in this way, St. Luke’s funding follows St. Luke’s tangible involvement with time and volunteer effort.
Priority is given for needs that involve capital expenditures or special, one-time projects, and is not meant for operational expenses.
Consideration is given for how a particular organization’s project or mission may aid in the spiritual development of individuals or may be a witness of Jesus’ love, by giving aid to their physical, mental, intellectual or emotional well-being.
Each fall, applications are received by the Outreach Committee for selection for the upcoming calendar year. Organizations that apply are typically tax exempt, non-profit organizations or other ministries that support charitable, non-profit efforts, such as the St. Luke’s Missions team. It is an objective of St. Luke’s to be a tithing church for outreach causes and the Outreach of the Month program fulfills this goal.
Once the Committee finalizes selection of the Outreach of the Month recipients for the upcoming year, each recipient is notified and assigned a month to be featured. During the designated month, special collections from parishioners can be taken weekly during worship services. The collections are kept entirely separate from the regular church offering and are given in full to the recipient after the month’s end.
If you are interested in serving on the Outreach Committee, want to learn more about the process, or have a suggested recipient, please contact Jamie Evans, Outreach Committee chair at jsevans129@gmail.com.