The Outreach & Justice Ministries Council is an umbrella organization formed in 2006 to help provide support for St. Michael’s outreach and advocacy efforts. The Council’s mission is to extend Christ’s presence in and beyond the parish in response to social-justice issues and pastoral needs and frequently partners with schools and other agencies both local and abroad. It encourages parish participation and by assisting new and ongoing ministries.
The Council has the responsibility to allocate the designated outreach funds in the church budget to ministries both home-grown and in the wider community. We extend a warm welcome to any who wish to explore issues and ideas for future ministries and use of funds. The Council meets at the church year-round in the evening of each first Thursday.
Recipients of outreach funds distributed locally include:
- Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO)
- Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ)
- William Temple House
- Franklin High School’s scholarship fund for undocumented-student assistance
- Oregon Environmental Justice
- NW Pilot Project
- White Shield
- Kinship House
- Community Transitional School
- L’Arche Portland
Allocations from the Sustainable Development Goals fund include:
- Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) for Syrian, Puerto Rican and Cuernavaca disaster relief
- El Porvenir
- Quilts for Empowerment
- Grass-roots enterprises in Uganda
- Ahli Hospital Free Clinic in Jerusalem
- Vamos!
- Our Family Africa (Plumpy Nut nutritional food supplement)
- Beyond Fistula
- A parish in Mérida, Mexico, for prayer books in Spanish.
In addition to financially supporting these worthy organization, the O&J Council has recently sponsored the Sock Hop Ministry, an ingathering of socks and underwear for folks being released from hospitals and other institutions, held a Refugee Sunday to share the refugee experience with attendees and supported a Quilts for Empowerment benefit. On a regular basis, the Council offers opportunities for holiday giving with an Advent Giving Tree, in which physical and financial gifts were gathered and given to four deserving agencies. June brings the annual Pride Parade, and the Council encourages walking in the parade to represent St. Michael’s and the Episcopal Church in Oregon.