The Fort Worth East Deanery met Monday, April 25 at St. Alban’s, Theatre Arlington, to hear updates on projects going on in each of the four churches as well as their deanery-wide food pantry project.
Updates
Work on the 4 Saints Episcopal Food Pantry, a deanery-wide project to be housed at St. Luke’s-in-the-Meadow, Fort Worth, is continuing. A storage shed is under construction and close to completion. St. Luke’s, St. Martin’s, Keller-Southlake; and St. Alban’s had begun a “17 on the 17th” fundraiser after learning that 17 cents will purchase a pound of food at the food bank; St. Stephen’s, Hurst, has now instituted the drive, too.
On Thursday, May 5, some of those involved in the food pantry will take a field trip to see another area food pantry at work, and on May 12, from 6-9 p.m., some members of the deanery will volunteer at the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Contact the Rev. Karen Calafat if you are interested in participating.
St. Luke’s-in-the-Meadow
Calafat reported that St. Luke’s-in-the-Meadow will begin a theology-related discussion group at the Library Cafe, using Meetup.com as a way to advertise the idea. Their Little Free Library project is being used and benefitting the neighborhood. There is discussion and consideration of using the ‘meadow’ space in between the church and the diocesan offices to create a labrynth.
St. Stephen’s
Fr. Bob Gross noted that members of St. Stephen’s in Hurst are raising funds to replace two large outdoor grills at the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth, where church members prepare meals once a quarter for families staying at the house while their children are hospitalized. Plans are also in progress to begin outreach to Northeast campus of Tarrant County College, about a mile from the church.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields
St. Martin’s has also considered constructing a labrynth, but the method of construction may have to be changed, as the city seemed unwilling to allow a constructed labrynth; the possiblity of using landscaping instead is being evaluated. Numerous sports teams are now using the field five days a week, and this year, the fall Festival in the Fields will be held in conjunction with a tournament organized by the teams. Outreach to the Union Gospel Mission continues to be a focus, with church members and youth preparing 200 sandwiches at a time on “Service Sunday,” the second Sunday of each month.
St. Alban’s
Members are volunteering with the Arlington Life Shelter, watching the children and providing a movie and popcorn while their parents receive services. They also will be participating again with Theatre Arlington in hosting Camp Be-A-Star. Jeph Abara regularly invites members to participate in fundraising footraces to benefit local charitable organizations. Also, with the goal of becoming more visible in the community, members have been attending downtown Chamber of Commerce events, meeting and getting to know members of other businesses and organizations in downtown Arlington.
Mission Trip Presentation
The Rev. Kevin Johnson shared a presentation describing a diocesan mission trip he participated in with his previous diocese in North Carolina. His previous diocese has a long-term relationship with The Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic. On the most recent trip Johnson participated in, the partners built a playground and basketball court for a school connected to the Iglesia Episcopal San Pablo Apostol in Jimani. The idea for the playground grew out of conversations with teachers at the school and with the priest at the church on a previous trip, he explained. Initially, the group from North Carolina was imagining a wooden play structure, but their Dominican partners explained that the weather would destroy it. “It’s so important to listen to each other,” Johnson emphasized. Together, they planned a more comprehensive project that enhanced the school grounds significantly and also elevated the school’s official status according to government regulations, Johnson said.
Johnson explained that a long-term committment to a particular place “creates accountability because you’re going back year after year. We saw how important it was to build trust over time, in both directions.”
Upcoming Meetings
- July 25, 2016 – Deanery Meeting at St. Luke’s-in-the-Meadow, Fort Worth
- October 24, 2016 – Pre-Convention Deanery Meeting at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller