St. James Episcopal Church | Outreach Ministries

Outreach Ministries

Our Baptismal promises encourage us to go out into the world and share of our love and our resources. There are many ways to do this. Below are just a few ways that St. James engages in the community and in the world.

Connections -- This is a group of people from across different churches in the Batavia area. We gather together to join in ministry to help our community. This group has been active in providing support to local migrant farm worker ministries.

Social Respite Program -- The second Monday of every month from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. This is once-a-month program, affiliated with the Alzheimer's Association, offers a few hours of respite for care givers while their loved ones engage in a specially-designed program of activities, games and lunch. Pre-registration is required. Call Diana Leiker at (585) 343-6802.

Community Health and Education for Rural Africa (CHERA)
in Support for Kasese Community Health and Education Foundation (KCHEF) in Uganda

Through this program St. James parishioners are able to reach out to orphans and other vulnerable children and contribute to the support of the medical clinic in Kasese, Uganda. These students receive tuition, school supplies, uniforms and a meal in selected schools. The Medical Clinic treats over 28,000 patients annually. By supporting this grass-roots. local organization, we are able to help provide much needed medical care and education to people living in a remote, rural area.

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO encourages people to notice the good things that happen each day, give thanks to God for those blessings and make an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion. Twice a year St. James has a UTO ingathering of donations to be used to help people in need across the world.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care--taking care of people in our St. James community that need a visit, help, or prayer is a cornerstone of showing our love for each other. This takes place in so many ways--birthday lunches, cards, visits, and Holy Communion in the home or hospital.

Every fall, we make apple and pumpkin pies in our church kitchen and delivered to senior parishioners, and those who have a special need. Other pies were brought to community organizations with a note of thanksgiving for their efforts. In December we have our annual cookie baking day. Dozens of cookies are baked and decorated. Some of are served at coffee hour after our Sunday service --All are Welcome! Other cookies are put in decorative tins and delivered to parishioners confined to their homes or residing in nursing homes. All the ideas, donations of food, time spent visiting, baking, and delivering by many, many people made these events possible. We welcome new energy and ideas for new and better ways to bring Christ into people’s lives.