Ministries
Boy Scout Troop 379
St. Martin’s and its Men’s Club sponsored and organized Boy Scout Troop 379 back in 1960. The troop consistently earns the coveted Quality Unit Award. It currently has 22 members.
The troop takes monthly trips to earn merit badges and learn outdoor skills. These have included a 50-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail, a week-long summer camp in the north Georgia mountains, rock climbing, camping, and fishing in the Tennessee River, canoeing the Flint River, snow skiing in North Carolina, and water skiing on Lake Hartwell. Its high-adventure trips have included bareboat sailing/snorkeling/fishing in the Bahamas, canoeing in Canada, kayaking and glacier climbing in Alaska, rafting the Grand Canyon, and hiking in the Rockies at Philmont Scout Reservation and, most recently, a trip to Costa Rica.
In its proud history, Troop 379 has produced over 100 Eagle Scouts – an honor achieved by fewer than 5 percent in the Boy Scout ranks because the Eagle rank requires years of diligent effort, including 21 merit badges, 7 separate rank advancements and a substantial work project to benefit the community. Some of the Eagle projects on the St. Martin’s campus include customized racking and shelving in the basement, retaining walls along the parking lot bank, prayer gardens and walkways along the property perimeter, landscaping along Lanier Drive and Windsor Parkway, construction and installation of outdoor stairs, and landscaping along Ashford Dunwoody. Off-campus Eagle projects have included a bridge in High Point Park, outdoor stairs at Wieuca Baptist Church, and 24 picnic tables at Chastain Park.
Troop meetings are Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in St. Martin’s Gable Hall. If your son is 11 years old, has completed the fifth grade, and is interested in outdoor adventure with his friends, contact John Burton at johnaburton@comcast.net or (404) 597-3122 for information.
Daughters of the King
The Order of the Daughters of the King is an Anglican lay religious order open to all confirmed women who are members of the Episcopal Church (or a church that is in communion with it). Members participate in a 12-week period of study and reflection, leading to lifelong vows of prayer and service. St. Martin’s St. Clare Chapter also helps with funeral services, receptions and special events. The group meets on the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m. for refreshments, followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. All women are invited to attend anytime. To learn more, email 2018-19 Co-Presidents: Carol Roberts (canrobe@bellsouth.net) and Dinah Howell (dinahandharry@bellsouth.net).
Junior Daughters of the King
The Junior Daughters of the King (for girls 7-21) make a promise of daily prayer and service and work to grow in Christian faith and commitment through fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. Members experience the joy of belonging to a fellowship in which love of God, others, and self is the framework for their meetings, hobbies, and ministry to others.
To learn more, email Judi Oakley, director (gableoak06@comcast.com) or Kelli Mack, co-director (mack1199@bellsouth.net).
Endowment Fund
In 1971, The Reverend Martin Dewey Gable personally began what is now the Endowment Fund of St. Martin in the Fields. Its purpose was (and still is) to enable the parish to fulfill more completely its mission through the development and enhancement of the parish, its facilities, and ministries, beyond what is possible through annual operating funds.
Over the years, the Endowment Fund has been used to support Suthers Center, help purchase a new HVAC for the church, expand the Columbarium, and renovate the Bride’s Room. It has also helped support outreach efforts like Emmaus House and IOH.
As Episcopalians, sharing our wealth, both spiritual and material, has long been a cornerstone of our heritage. At St. Martin-in-the-Fields, we not only give God thanks for our material blessings, but we also acknowledge our responsibility to use those gifts wisely and to his glory. Many Episcopalians choose to share their accumulated resources through a planned giving program. In this way, each of us can help ensure that the life of our parish, that has so richly enhanced our own lives, will be there to fulfill that role for others for years to come.
Since the corpus of the fund is never spent, every gift to the Endowment Fund is a gift that will last forever. For this reason, members of St. Martin’s often give to the Endowment Fund in memory of loved ones or to commemorate an important event in the life of their family.
Through the generosity of parishioners and friends, the fund has grown considerably. To learn more, email Allocations Committee Chair Dennis Matthews (dennis.matthews@ruffalonl.com).
Guidelines for Allocations Requests to the Endowment Fund
Episcopal Church Women
All women of St. Martin’s are automatically members of ECW.
MEETING DATES
Daughters of the King — 2nd Saturday of the month
Junior Daughters of the King — 2nd Sunday of the month
St. Anne's Chapter — No regular meeting time
St. Elizabeth’s Chapter — 2nd Tuesday of the month
St. Margaret’s Chapter — 2nd Wednesday of the month
St. Mary Magdalene’s Chapter — 1st Wednesday of the month
St. Monica’s Chapter — 3rd Wednesday of the month
Men’s Ministry
All men of St. Martin’s are automatically members of this group. Regular events include a monthly breakfast gathering with special speakers, weekly Bible Study, and service to others through ministries like Habitat for Humanity.
THANKSGIVING DEEP-FRIED TURKEYS PROGRAM
Every November, The Knights of St. Martin hold a Deep-Fried Turkey Sale for the Thanksgiving holidays – an annual parish tradition since 2006. As anyone who has bought one in the past will attest, these turkeys are a delicious treat to share with family and friends – without the work of having to prepare it yourself! Quantities are limited, so sign up early.
To get on the list or to volunteer to help, contact Tim Peek at timhelnat@bellsouth.net or (404) 252-2372. Additional deep fryers and propane tanks are also needed. Gobble, gobble!
In addition to your turkey order, you can also contribute $20 to the Emmaus House Thanksgiving basket program. Every Thanksgiving Emmaus House provides a turkey, side items, and greens for 250 families. Even if you don’t order a turkey, you can donate to their cause to help fund these Thanksgiving baskets.
Prayer Garden Brigade
The Prayer Garden Brigade gathers to clean up, pull weeds, and put down mulch on a regular basis. With just a wee bit of maintenance and cuttings from some of our plant lovers’ gardens, our prayer garden remains “a thing of beauty” and “a joy forever.” The brigade welcomes any and all (especially folks with green thumbs!).
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every Monday in the church Parlor from about 2 to 4 p.m. to make shawls for anyone who needs them, parishioners or not, Episcopalians or not.
Started in 2008 by Deacon Edith Woodling, then Chaplain of St. Martin’s School, the Prayer Shawl Ministry is for anyone who likes to knit or crochet or would like to learn. They are fashioned with prayers and love and are intended to convey those feelings and actions to the recipients.
Prayer shawls may be kept as long as they are needed and then, if desired, passed on or returned to be used by others. Materials for prayer shawls are donated by the members of the ministry and by others who wish to help in this ministry. There are no dues or officers.
New ideas are welcome – for example, recent ideas were for infant caps for hospital nurseries and chemo caps for cancer patients. Recently, the Prayer Shawl Ministry donated 52 red hats for babies to the American Heart Association’s newly formed Survivor’s Support Group. Kimberly Goodloe, a heart disease survivor received the donation; she informed us that the hats were presented to the nursery and neonatal units at Northside Hospital to raise awareness of heart disease among children and infants.
Anyone who knows of a need for a shawl may have one for the asking, or the clergy are glad to deliver them. Call the church office for more information or to give or receive a shawl.
S.A.G.E.S
The S.A.G.E.S (Socially Active, Growing, Engaged Seniors), formed in 2014, offers opportunities for seniors to stay actively involved in social, educational, and fun activities within the Atlanta area. The group holds five or six gatherings a year – all daytime events. Events are announced through the parish calendar, and all are welcome.
The group has gone to the Ringling Brothers Circus with former circus priest Father Graham, attended Sunday afternoon choral performances by Song of Atlanta and Michael O’ Neill singers; spent a day at Gibbs Gardens in North Georgia, gone to plays, and toured historic Oakland cemetery. They also hold very popular holistic exercise classes on Wednesday mornings at the church, led by Jo Yoshimura. The 4- to 8-week sessions are held at various times during the year.
For more information, to volunteer to help coordinate, or to make event suggestions, contact Dottie Palmer (soalady@gmail.com).
Scouts BSA Troop 160- Open to girls ages 11-17
Scouts BSA Troop 160 – Open to girls ages 11-17
On February 2nd 2019, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church made history by starting one of the first Scouts BSA troops for girls in the country. In the first six months of operation, the troop has gone snow skiing in North Carolina, camping and hiking multiple times in North Georgia and ziplining and whitewater rafting in Columbus, Georgia. This girls only troop is open to girls ages 11 – 17 in grades 6 – 12. Led by former and current leaders from the Boy Scouts Troop 379, the leaders of troop 160 plan to offer the same high-adventure program and trips for girls that have been experienced by their counterparts in the all-boy troop. Come be a part of history and join the troop. All interested scouts and parents are invited to contact John Embleton today at jembleton@rockco.com or 404.545.1603.
Stephen Ministry
When a crisis comes into our lives, it can help to have friends who care. Sometimes a person from within our faith community can help in ways that truly make a difference.
At St. Martin’s, Stephen Ministers are lay people who have completed a formal training program that, coupled with their experience and a two-year minimum commitment, prepares them to listen, and comfort fellow Christians in times of need. They do this in a sensitive, impartial way that is loving, supportive, and completely confidential.
Stephen Ministers complement the primary role of the clergy. They are available as helpers (not rescuers), listeners (not advisors), friends (not counselors). They are caregivers, but always remember that God is the cure-giver!
Inspiration and guidance for the Stephen Ministry comes from St. Stephen who, in the early years of the church, was charged by church leaders to minister to the needs of the congregation: “…and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 6:5)
There are many scriptural passages that charge us today with this duty:
“Beloved, since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another… If we love one another, God lives within us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
Who are helped by Stephen Ministers? People who are hospitalized. The grieving. Those suffering loneliness. The divorced or separated. Those who are dying – and their family and friends. Those who are unemployed. The homebound. New parents. Those in spiritual crisis. Victims of accidents. Often referrals come after the person in crisis has met with a member of the clergy who may suggest this additional source of help. The Stephen Minister’s purpose is always in a supportive role to the clergy – not to replace them. Strict confidentiality is a crucial aspect of this ministry. Also, only men are assigned to men, and women to women.
Once the potential care receiver has requested or given permission for direct contact, a Stephen Leader will contact the person and then assign a Stephen Minister.
St. Martin’s periodically conducts training classes for Stephen Ministers. Initial training is 50 hours covering various topics such as listening, Christian assertiveness, caring for the dying and their families, issues related to aging, and many, many more. Training classes are generally once per week and conclude before Easter.
To learn more, speak to any Stephen Leader or email stephenministry@stmartins.org. You may request a Stephen Minister for yourself, a relative, or friend, but a Stephen Minister will only be assigned with permission of the care receiver.