Ministries

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild prepares the altar in the church and the chapel for services. The
Guild is responsible for the altar linens, vestments, and altar flowers.
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Acolytes

Forty-six youth acolytes participate regularly in the services as torchbearers, crucifers, banner carriers and servers. They are also active participants in a special Festival of Lights celebration during Epiphany.
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Readers and Lectors

Readers and Lectors read lessons and the Prayers of the People as scheduled. Youth Lectors regularly read the Psalm and the second lesson at the 10:15 AM. Sunday Eucharist.
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Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors

Eucharistic Ministers assist at the altar at all weekend services. There are also Eucharistic Visitors, who take the sacrament to shut-ins.
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Health Ministry

A multi-faceted program providing everything from blood pressure monitoring to helpful advice. This ministry is being led by Maureen Joos and Loran Manni, registered nurses.
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Music Ministry

Sing a Joyful Song onto the Lord.
The choir sings at the 9:00 a.m. Eucharist and at special services. Organist and choir director, Hugh Kronrot, plays one of the finest pipe organs in the region.
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Christian Education

Christian Education Mission Statement

The mission of St. Peter’s Church includes following Christ through “study.” In fulfilling this part of our mission, we seek to provide quality Christian Education programs for all ages. Specifically, the mission statement of the Christian Education Council (CEC) is as follows:

Our goal is to create a loving and caring environment in which people of all ages come to know Jesus Christ and to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord. This relationship is encouraged to grow by teaching each adult, child and youth the meaning of being a disciple of Christ and the ways in which He empowers us to minister to others in our daily lives.

Christian Education for Children

From 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, students as young as age three (if potty trained) are encouraged to participate in our Elementary Education Program. The program includes students at the following grade levels:

Pre Kindergarten – Kindergarten Godly Play is taught at this level and invites children to wonder about themselves, God, and the world in a way that is playful and meaningful.
First through Third Grade Episcopal Children’s Curriculum is taught in Grades 1-3 and is organized into four units: Old Testament, New Testament, Sacraments, and the Church.
Fourth and Fifth Grade Living the Good News is lectionary-based and incorporates both the lectionary and The Book of Common Prayer and follows the three-year cycle of Sunday scripture readings.

Christian Education for Youth

Journey to Adulthood (J2A) is a complete youth ministry program of spiritual formation for 6th - 12th grades. It uses Bible study, prayer, rites of passage, outreach ministries and both serious and playful activities to underscore its core principles:

Manhood and womanhood are free gifts from God.
Adulthood must be earned.

There are three two-year segments of the program:

Rite-13: The first two years (6^th & 7^th graders) that focus on celebrating the individuality of each young person and their creative potential.

J2A: The middle portion of the program (8^th & 9^th graders), engages youth with the skills and critical thinking involved in adulthood. The youth plan and embark on a pilgrimage together at the end of this segment.

Young Adults in Church (YAC): A mentor-based program helping older teens (10^th & 11^th graders) to discern and carry out a ministry within their church or in the larger community. Vocation and development of a personal credo are also emphasized.

Students involved in these programs have classes from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings and also participate in monthly God in 4 D Youth Group Events Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. and other retreats and events sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey and St. Peter’s Church.

Christian Education for Adults

Adult Study Hour: On Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:00 p.m., participants meet in the chapel to learn about the Bible and their own faith lives. Adult Education programs include multi-week sessions on seasonal topics in Advent and Lent, the Equipping the Saints Bible study method, and other educational series.
Education for Ministry (EFM): This seminar group consists of six to twelve participants and a trained mentor(s) who meet weekly over the course of a nine-month academic year. These meetings are usually from two and a half to three hours in length and offer an opportunity to discover how to respond to the call to Christian service. Participants meet on Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m.
St. Peter’s Readers: On the third Monday evening of each month, participants meet at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the book they are reading and how its messages connect with their everyday lives.

Special Programs

Vacation Bible School: Each summer, the parish offers a week-long evening program for children that is full of fun activities, music and opportunity to learn about the love of God working in the world today.
Intergenerational Programs: At various points in the year, children of all ages come together in the parish hall to participate in special programs outside the classroom setting, often based around high holy days. Events include, but are not limited to, Bread-Baking for Easter and Wreath-Making for Advent.

Confirmation Class

As a new class of students becomes ready for confirmation, they will meet with the Rector for a series of classes to explore this step toward reaffirming their baptism and becoming adult Christians. The time and scheduling of the classes depends on the visitation schedule of the Bishop and the availability of the candidates.

Special Events and Liturgical Programs

Throughout the year, students present special liturgical programs such as the Christmas Pageant, Stations of the Cross, the Passion on Palm Sunday and Wonderbox presentations in which each elementary level class talks about what they are learning in Sunday School. In addition, retreats and other special events are available through the St. Peter’s Church and the Diocese of New Jersey throughout the year.

Nursery

Our new nursery is located between the narthex (lobby) and the parish hall and is available for children from 6 months to 3 years during the Christian Education classes from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. and the 10:15 Family Eucharist on Sunday mornings. Volunteers staff the nursery and provide a safe and nurturing environment for our infants and toddlers. Beepers are available for parents so that they can be notified if they are needed to comfort their child. Children three years and older are encouraged to attend the 3-year-old Sunday School Class if they are potty-trained. There is no fee for these services. For more information, see the Nursery Brochure.

Chapel

Children from age 3 to the second grade are invited and encouraged to attend Children’s Chapel at the beginning of the 10:15 Family Eucharist. We open our worship time with singing, then read the Gospel lesson for the week and offer a craft or other activity to illustrate the Bible story. Children are also encouraged to share their thoughts and prayers for the week, learn the Lord’s Prayer and are then dismissed back to the main church in time for the Peace and to share in the Eucharist.

Community Ministries and Sunday School

Each academic year, the Sunday School adopts a fundraising project. The Christian Education Council (CEC) approves a project proposal made by the Community Ministries Chairperson. In the past few years, the projects supported have included Ryan’s Well, the Heifer Project, building houses through Food for the Poor, support for St. Andrews Church and School in Louisiana, and the Build a Village Project through Church World Service. Funds are raised through a number of events such as the rummage sale and other donation drives.

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Community Ministry

Community ministries through the church are coordinated by the Community Ministries Committee, and include activities and events primarily geared to address the issue of poverty both locally and around the world. Many of our community ministries take place throughout the year:

Project Interaction Sunday Breakfast Program at St. Paul’s Church in Camden

Volunteers are needed the second Sunday of each month to serve breakfast to those in need. If you are interested, contact Richard Trimble for more information.

St. Paul’s Church Clothing Drive

In addition to the Sunday Breakfast Program, St. Peter’s has started an ongoing clothing drive for St. Paul’s Church. Each month when the volunteers go to serve breakfast, they also deliver donated clothes from the parish. Clothing can be dropped off in the office wing of the church.

St. Vincent de Paul Society Collection

On the third Sunday of each month, the parish collects items for this local ministry. Bulletin announcements explain what items are being collected, and grocery bags are distributed for collecting the donations and delivering them to St. Peter’s Church.

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Burlington County

The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Burlington County was created to provide shelter, meals, and support to families without homes. "Host" congregations provide lodging and meals for up to 14 people for one week every two to three months on a rotating schedule.
As the “Support Congregation” for Medford United Methodist Church, which acts as the host congregation, St. Peter’s Church offers the use of our shower in the evenings from 7:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with volunteers to act as hosts and provide supervision. We also offer breakfast for our guests on Saturday morning during our IHN week.
Volunteers are also needed:

To prepare dinner and bring food to the church by 5:30 p.m.
As dinner hosts from 5:30p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
As evening hosts from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
As overnight hosts from 8:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m.
To drive the guests to the day center in Mount Laurel. IHN provides a 14 passenger van. Morning drivers arrive at church at 6:30 a.m. and the afternoon drivers arrive at the church at 4:30 p.m.

Caps and Laps

This caring, comforting and knitting ministry meets the 4th Tuesday of each month from 1-3 p.m. in the library. Caps for babies and lap blankets for the sick and elderly are created and donated to those in need

Collections for the Anna Sample House for the Homeless

Donations of small toiletry items can be made throughout this year and given to the Anna Sample House. Donations are collected in wicker laundry baskets found throughout the church.

Christian Children’s Fund Sponsorship

The parish sponsors two children through Christian Children’s Fund: Francisco Jobsmario Rodrigues of Brazil and Felix Marca Ayala of Bolivia. Along with regular sponsorship dollars, parishioners can make special donations to the boys and send letters and cards.
Contributions for either boy can be sent to: Christian Children's Fund, P.O. Box 26507, Richmond, Virginia 23261-6507. It is wise to cite St. Peter's contact number: 002577284, as well as the child's name, project number and country of residency

Special Community Ministries Projects

Along with our ongoing ministries, we also coordinate special projects at certain times of the year, including:
Adopt-a-Box and Pack-a-Sack collections for the Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council (IHOC) of Camden County
Donations of food and gifts during the major feast days of Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Work with Habitat for Humanity and the Food Bank of Southern New Jersey
Collections of business clothing for the SEED Store, sponsored by the Living Faith Christian Center, which provides back-to-work clothing for participants entering the workforce
Participation in the CROP Walk in Medford, an annual event in the fall sponsored by Church World Service to raise funds to fight poverty and hunger both locally and globally

For more information, contact a member of the Community Ministries Team or Deacon Helen Orlando. Thank you for your interest in serving people in need.
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Fellowship

Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning

Following each Eucharistic service the parishioners have the opportunity to continue breaking bread with each other. On Saturday, after the Sunday Vigil Eucharist, parishioners socialize while enjoying some snacks, cheese, wine, and other non-alchoholic drinks. On Sunday, after each Eucharist, parishioners enjoy a light breakfast and coffee.

Dinner Groups

The church currently has three versions of dinner groups in operation. One group meets and goes to a restaurant for dinner. Another is comprised of small groups of 8 to 10 who meet in members’ homes and collaborate in providing the meal. The third group meets in the parish hall and those attending bring an entrée to share with others. These groups help members meet and get to know each other and have proven to be an effective means of increasing involvement in church activities. Members frequently invite fellow dinner group members to participate in other parish activities and organizations.
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Pastoral Counseling

Thelma counsels whatever situations God brings her way. Everything in life has brought us to this crossroad. She's been told her approach is non-judgmental, so the environment is not threatening. If you seek an appointment, please call 856428 0447 and, if no one answers, please leave a message. There are also business cards on the parish hall bulletin board outside Father Bob's office or you may inquire within the office, whatever you feel more comfortable doing.
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