Christ Episcopal Church
in Kent, Ohio
Outreach Ministries
Feeding the Hungry
Jesus put a lot of emphasis on feeding hungry people and so do we.
Our volunteers:
- -Collect food (and, while we are at it, cleaning supplies, personal care products, blankets, school supplies and Christmas toys) for the Lord’s Pantry at Kent Social Services
- -Partner with Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church on Water Street to provide hot meals at their Saturday Lord's Lunch program
Providing Clothing & Household Goods
The Phyllis Zumkher County Clothing Center was named in honor of our late member, Phyllis Zumkher, and is run by our ministry partner Family and Community Services, Inc. The Center distributes gently used clothing and household goods at no charge to anyone in need in Portage County.
The first and third Tuesday of each month, our volunteers:
- -Collect, sort and display donated items
- -Assist clients with finding what they need
- -Staff special events, like assisting kids with picking out outfits from the Halloween costume room in October
Helping the Homeless
Throughout the year we collect and donate money to The Miller Community House, which provides emergency shelter and supportive services to men, women and children experiencing a housing crisis. Each holiday season we collect and wrap gifts for the children at the Miller House.
Supporting the Mentally Ill
Social Justice Ministry
This ministry strives to be politically neutral, welcoming Republicans, Democrats, Independents and the unregistered, focusing on concrete actions to confront political actions by the federal and state governments that run contrary to Christian values, as understood by the Episcopal Church, or to support those actions which are in accord with gospel values.
We strive:
1. to clarify and explain the nature of an action or event announced by the executive branch of the federal government, most often by Donald Trump, and the positions taken on that event or action.
2. to explain how the event or action conflicts or conforms with Christian values, being careful to acknowledge that different Christians may lay stress on specific Christian values or different Christians may understand different ways in which Christian values may be expressed or implemented; and
3. to suggest concrete actions that one can take each day or week to support Gospel values.
One thing is sure: to do nothing is not acceptable – at a minimum, it would make the non-actor complicit with and approve of anti-Christian events and actions or fail to endorse or support those actions and decisions that support advocates of Christian or democratic values.
If you or anyone you know is interested in striving for specific ways to resist anti-Christian values and actions in government, please contact us to join the list. Also visit the Episcopal Migration Ministries website for ways you can help make a difference!
Summer Mission Trip
Every year in June adults and youth from our church join with other local Episcopal churches to spend a week in service outside our community. In past years we have rehabbed housing for the poor in rural areas in southwest Virginia and northwest Pennsylvania. Some of the projects we’ve done are:
- Built ramps and rooms for disabled people so they can stay in their homes.
- Rebuilt porches so people can safely enter and exit their houses.
- Fixed broken locks and gates so children have safe and secure homes.
- Remodeled an upper story of a house to double a disabled person’s living space
- Painted a town’s first homeless shelter.
Adults teach the youth hands-on carpentry skills and step back so youth can take the lead at each worksite. Our days are spent with hard work, our afternoons with fellowship, and our evenings with devotional time.
