Art Ministry

The Artist-in-Residence program provides emerging artists, working in any visual medium or performance genre, studio and exhibit space in the Hunter Parish House & Gallery. In exchange, the artists provide workshops and master classes for parishioners and the larger community. Our goal is to develop a meaningful and multilayered cultural exchange, encouraging discovery and exploration of our individual and collective creativity.

Blessing Bags

Blessing Bags is a congregational ministry that gathers together once a month to assemble approximately 50 colorful bags filled with travel size toiletries, hygiene items, and facial masks along with seasonal items like hand and feet warmers, socks, caps and gloves. Blessing Bags are given throughout the month to the unsheltered citizens of Chicago.

Dorcas

Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

Since 1871, the National Episcopal Church Women, ECW, have championed women’s rights and the Christian foundation of God and family. They are a ministry of the Episcopal Church and celebrate that Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Their women’s ministry and children’s programs feed, educate, and provide community grants around the world. They are a volunteer organization that creates a legacy for Episcopal Church Women to lead future generations with stewardship in Christ.

Feeding Ministry

St. Thomas Feeding Ministry is a highly organized outreach organization dedicated to serving all persons who desire a balanced meal. The members of this ministry believe that it is essential that we all follow the tenets of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by doing our part to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. This year we are working in tandem with the Chicago Food Project by providing bags of fresh groceries.

Meals are served every 2nd Saturday of each month from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the months of November and December warm clothing is generally provided to those in need of such items. All are welcome.

Youth Ministry

A relatively small parish, St. Thomas offers a safe, inviting, supportive and spiritual opportunity for youth of all ages pre-k through high school and outreach support to our college students.

Youth Minister Wanda Norris has 18 years of youth pastoring, has been trained in Keeping God’s Children Safe, Youth and Family Ministry, Progressive Youth Ministry, Telling the Truth about Racism and serves on the National Church Committee of Youth Planning.

We provides intentional opportunities for youth to engage through Sunday School, acolytes, Baptism, Holy Communion and Youth led activities; while learning the order of service for the Episcopal Church youth are encouraged free self expression as they present to the congregation and social media on issues of social injustice, black history, women’s history, Christmas, Easter etc.

The Youth community outreach program provides services to children from disenfranchised and marginalized communities with extended parental support and spiritual guidance.

As God is always present, St. Thomas welcomes and supports all children who enter in at all times.