Although St. Timothy’s has always valued community service, in the past few years we have very consciously initiated ministries that provide direct support to our closest neighbors and the most vulnerable in our community. We also give our time and talents generously at the diocesan level.
St. Timothy’s lay leaders coordinate a twice monthly prayer service at Grant Cuesta Rehabilitation Center, across the street from the church, developed in response to a request from the Activities Director. The service includes prayers, passing of the peace, and DVD viewing of a previously taped 9 am family service from St. Timothy’s. Residents enjoy the lively music and presence of young children. About 30 residents and their families attend these services.
Several parishioners are Spiritual Care Visitors at our neighboring El Camino hospital. This ecumenical ministry is a program of the chaplain’s office. Volunteers visit and pray with patients for about an hour on a weekly basis.
St. Timothy’s is situated next to a large park. Last year a Relay for Life event was held in the park and many of our parishioners provided hospitality to the walkers. 300 sandwiches were made and served with a smile to the walkers helping to bring the light of Christ to an otherwise cloudy, rainy day.
The Employment Assistance Ministry (EAM) of St. Timothy’s is the creation of three retirees responding to the unemployment crisis in the valley. These experienced business professionals began providing assistance in resume writing to job seekers within our parish as well as in the surrounding community. Since its inception in 2008, EAM has served dozens of job-seekers. EAM directors are now training other churches within our diocese to offer similar services.
Our church also has an ongoing relationship with Santa Maria Urban Ministry in nearby San Jose. Parishioners volunteer various gifts such as serving as their treasurer, tutoring children, teaching CPR classes, assembling school backpacks in the fall, supporting a pajama drive, organizing our annual Oktoberfest fundraiser, and giving ongoing monthly donations.
Other church members volunteer regularly with Habitat for Humanity and Our Daily Bread, which supplies lunches three days a week at St. Thomas Episcopal in Sunnyvale. Every Christmas, St. Timothy’s sponsors 10-20 families of prisoners by providing gifts and food through the “Adopt a Family” program of Catholic Charities. Covenant groups at St. Timothy’s also gather health kits for the homeless every March for Mountain View Community Services.
On the Diocesan level, St. Timothy’s parishioners are known for a high level of involvement and commitment. In addition to providing delegates, we have a long time volunteer who has served as the diocesan treasurer, vice chair of the commission on ministry, diocesan search consultant (for St. Jude’s) and on committees such as the strategic planning team and the conference educational resource team. Another parishioner has traveled with our bishop to our partner dioceses in Western Tanganyika and Gloucester, England to forge a deeper relationships with our Anglican kin. St. Timothy’s also generously supports the Tanganyika scholarship program, enabling students to pay tuition and buy the uniforms and supplies necessary to attend school. Two parishioners with a passion for safety now serve on a brand new Diocesan committee formed to implement the disaster preparedness initiative given by Episcopal Relief and Development.