outreach | christ-church

The Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee promotes opportunities for Christ Church and St. Barnabas Chapel parishioners to continue the work of Christ through actively serving the world in God's name. The Committee oversees the awarding of time, treasure, and talent to the greater community. Christ Church supports causes that are local, national, and international.

The Outreach Committee Goals

Identify volunteer opportunities and provide financial support to local organizations especially in the areas of families and individuals affected by poverty and people confronting crisis and need.
Learn about, discuss, and participate in events related to current local and global issues of suffering, poverty and social justice.
Provide relevant information on these issues to the congregation.

Recent Outreach Projects

Purchasing, packing and delivering "backpack blessings" weekend food for preschool children
Donation to the church discretionary fund
Donation to ERD - Episcopal Relief and Development
Donation to Greenbrier Episcopal School
Donation to Open Heart Ministries
Filling Easter food baskets for the Salvation Army
Enabled a homeless mother and children to move into an apartment. This involved cleaning, painting, furnishing, and rent assistance for the apartment.
Preparation of food and assisting with packing of the community Christmas meals
Christmas for a family in the parish
Provided gifts for the Sheltered Workshop Christmas stockings
Food gift cards for families in the community at Thanksgiving
Easter baskets filled with toys and treats for Connecting Link
Ongoing food donations to Shepherds Corner in the basket at St. Barnabas Chapel
Diapers for the Clarksburg Mission and Shepherds Corner
Provide meeting space and serve meals if requested for committees of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia
Provide meeting space for Al-Anon & Alateen. For information contact:
Provide meeting space for AA groups. For information contact:
Provide meeting space for Girl Scouts
Provide meeting space for other non-profit organizations in the community

Backpack Blessings

Thanks to the generosity of our parishioners, we can fill 75 backpacks each week for two headstart programs, one in Clarksburg and one in Shinnston.

Volunteer shoppers purchase the food each week with donated money and it is stored on shelves at Christ Church.

On Sunday mornings after the service, anyone wanting to participate is welcome to help fill the food bags.

Then midweek volunteers take the bags to the designated sites so those children will have food to eat on the weekend.

Christ Church gives each backpack family a grocery store gift card to help with their Christmas dinners.

The Mustard Seed

Special Olympics Summer Games

Over 30 athletes from Special Olympics Harrison County participated in the 2018 Special Olympics West Virginia Summer Games in Charleston June 1-3. Thanks in part to support from Christ Church/St. Barnabas, Harrison County sent a delegation of over 50 athletes and coaches in track, softball, and corn hole.