Congregational Ministries

Ways we minister to each other in the St. David's community:

Hospitality hour
All through scripture we witness Jesus' hospitality -- we see in His heart an invitation to all as shown by His actions. With an open heart He talks and listens to others, hearing about what's going on in their lives, and sharing what's important in His with them. This is the highest form of hospitality. Every Sunday, we set time aside after each service for people to come down to Stretch Hall, grab a bit of refreshment, and get better acquiainted with newcomers and other members of St. David's family.

Fellowship opportunities
Our fellowship events vary from year to year. Some examples include monthly men's gathering at a local pub, potluck dinners, family nature walks, the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Bunko Night, and Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfasts.

Sunday Bulletin Prayer List
The prayer list in the Sunday service bulletins includes a monthly list and a permanent list. Names come off the monthly list at the beginning of each month, unless your request is renewed. When we remove these people’s names, we say a prayer giving each into God’s continual and loving care. You need to contact the church office each month if you want yourself, your friends or your loved ones on the list.

Emergency Prayer Line
The Emergency Prayer Line is just that – for unexpected surgeries, accidents requiring hospitalization, unexpected diagnoses. These prayers are expected to continue for one week and then, if necessary, are added to the Wednesday Prayer Group list. Sharon Johnson, 509-238-4784, is the person to call if you want someone put on the emergency prayer line.

Wednesday Prayer Group
The Wednesday Prayer Group members are bound by strict confidentiality, and pray daily for those on the parish lists, for St. David’s, our outreach partners, the concerns of the country and world, those who were born and those who died in the past month, and all the group members. Most names are kept on the lists for three to six months unless the group is notified otherwise. Jenean Hughes, 509-326-1058, is the person to contact if you want someone added to or removed from the prayer list.

Lay Eucharistic visitors
Lay Eucharistic visitors are a vital means of connecting our shut-in members to the rest of the church community. On Sundays they take some of the blessed bread and wine from our service to members at their private homes, retirement homes, or nursing homes. As they receive their traveling kit, this prayer is said by the entire congregation: “We send you forth bearing these holy gifts. May those to whom you go share with us in the the Communion of Christ’s body and blood. We who are many are one body, because we all share one bread, one cup.”

Friendly Visitors
The Friendly Visitors divide the list of those who are unable to attend church on a regular basis into groups of two to four. Each Friendly Visitor is assigned a group to visit one or two times a month, or more if they like. There are also members who would rather not visit, and so they make telephone calls and/or send birthday, anniversary, holiday, get-well, and other cards. At Christmas the Friendly Visitors deliver poinsettia plants to those who cannot attend church.

Caring Friends
Caring Friends help St. David’s families and individuals in crisis situations, as a way of fulfilling Jesus’ commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself. The group prepares and hosts receptions after funerals at the church. These can include cookies with beverages, cookies and finger sandwiches with beverages, or a full dinner. The Caring Friends also take food to parish families when someone comes home from the hospital after surgery or illness.

Prayer shawls and baptismal quilts 
Knitting, crocheting, quilting, and weaving bring calm and relaxation to the crafter and provide an opening for quiet prayer, becoming a dual gift for the crafter and the recipient. If you’d like to make a prayer shawl or a baby quilt, you are very welcome to do so. Finished shawls and quilts are blessed on the fifth Sunday of the month (4 times per year) and then stored until needed. Here are some free (and ad-free) patterns from Shawlminisry.com to get you started!  Crochet patterns    Knitting patterns

Visual Arts Committee
Art reflects the beauty of God's world. St. David's has many artists within its community, and has always enjoyed its members' artistic contributions to our worship space and other areas of our facilities. They are described in the Visual Arts section on our Worship Ministries page.  

In 2017 we formed an Arts Committee to encourage temporary artistic contributions and to lightly jury the art that is displayed as appropriate to who we are. Do not be timid -- do not hide under a bushel basket! If you have a piece that you would like to diplay, please see a member of the committee. If you have a piece of inspirational original art by a favorite artist, that too is eligible. We hope to have enough reponse to mount an everchanging display. Another goal is to have collaborative art in which members can participate. Current committee members are Mary Ann Sinclair (chair) and Nadine Grady. We meet as needed, and welcome anyone who has an interest in art or is available to do display work.

Beauty heals; art is visual prayer and participating in art is
living into the image of God as we are meant to engage our imaginations.
-- Mary Ann Sinclair, Arts Committee

The role of art and beauty in the church is deeply significant. These elements lift our minds from the everyday to the divine, reminding us of God’s glory and the transcendence of our worship. They create an environment of reverence and wonder, enhancing our connection to the sacred. Beautiful and distinctive places of worship stand out as beacons of faith in an otherwise uniform landscape.
-- Ecclesiastical Sewing blog