Outreach
We honor the dignity of each person through our advocacy and outreach efforts. Holy Spirit is in a town where local needs are relatively invisible. We make conscious efforts to look for those needs.
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Despite the challenges of the pandemic during the past few years, we have found ways to engage in outreach and mission with our time, talent and treasure.
Worcester Fellowship is a weekly outdoor church ministry in Worcester that meets in all weather, welcoming the homeless, the formerly incarcerated, the addicted and anyone who does not feel comfortable or welcomed in a traditional church setting. Monthly, we make and take about 50 lunches to share, join in the worship and spend time listening to their stories. We also financially support the ministry on a monthly basis.
Community Breakfast, which was suspended during the pandemic, has recently been restarted. Several parishioners commit to planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up for a monthly breakfast that is open to anyone — not only those in need. A donation is suggested but is not required, and the program is self-sustaining.
Sutton Chain of Lights is another way Holy Spirit opens its doors to the community. It’s Sutton’s kickoff event of the holiday season, occurring on the first Saturday in December. There are a dozen or more venues throughout Sutton that participate, with free trolley service for people to go from venue to venue. Although this is a signature fundraising event for Holy Spirit — with all proceeds going to mission and outreach activities — it is also an opportunity for visitors to see and feel the welcoming hospitality of our church.
Connect Africa is a grassroots organization that helps villagers in Uganda who are struggling to support children orphaned by AIDS. Its mission is to strengthen families by providing sponsorship to orphans and business loans to the guardians of orphans. Connect Africa strives to empower individuals to become self sufficient. The organization works in communities that are often overlooked by large charitable organizations. We provide an annual donation to Connect Africa. Please visit https://www.connect-africa.org/ to learn more!
Local Outreach: It is important to Holy Spirit to support local needs. To this end, we have regular ingatherings targeted to meet specific requests. We have collected laundry detergent for the Diocesan Laundry Love project in Worcester, hats and mittens for elementary students, non-perishables for several food pantries and community fridges including special "birthday bags" filled with everything needed to make a cake and celebrate a birthday, and hand warmers and socks for Thursday Cafe (a weekly gathering connected to Worcester Fellowship). As well, our annual Easter and Christmas monetary collections go to a local cause such as a community fuel fund and a playground renovation nearby the church.
Holy Spirit is strengthened by its ministries. Our community and its ministries are the glue that binds and connects us with each other, both inside and outside the church walls, all while sharing our faith and serving God.