CHURCH NURSERY
Although babies and children are always welcome in our sanctuary, free childcare is available most Sundays for children newborn- age 3 1/2 years during the 10:00 am service. The nursery is down the right-side hall at the end of the entry (narthex) – ask an usher for directions. Parents can fill out an information form and leave their child in the loving care of our two experienced, Safe Church-trained, paid caregivers. At Communion time you are invited to bring your child into the worship space to have Communion with you. There is no charge for using the nursery and visiting families are welcome to use it. Children who have a fever or do not feel well should not be placed in the nursery but kept at home. Nursery caregivers are Covid-vaccinated and a Hepa air purifier will be used in the room. We give our caregivers the month of August off so the nursery will be open for parents to use but not staffed.
WORSHIP FOR CHILDREN AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
St. Gabriel’s family ministry respects the need for our students to have their own way of worshipping as they start on their journey to learn to love Jesus. As we teach and celebrate the love of Jesus we strive to support parents, grandparents, and other grown-ups in their role as their child’s main spiritual mentor. In church school, we provide child-centered classrooms that respect the ways children learn. We offer worship and responses that help children grow their faith and develop a relationship with a loving God and their church community.
Church School
During the school year church school meets in-person during the 10:00 am worship service in two classrooms. They will go into one of two classrooms organized by grade level (unless there is a family service):
- Church school: Preschool- 3rd grade in classroom #2
- Jr. Youth Group: 4th grade- 7th grade in classroom #4
After classroom time, students will be brought by teachers into the sanctuary to take Communion with their families. Children are always welcome to sit with their families in service, as well. Feel free to ask one of our ushers about the options for your child, including which classroom is most appropriate for them. In late June and July church school will be one-room and all-age at 9:00 am, and in August children can sit at tables together in the sanctuary with quiet activities.
SENIOR YOUTH GROUP (8th – 12th GRADE TEENS)
St. Gabriel’s youth ministry strives to supplement and support the spiritual teaching of parents, grandparents, and other adult mentors who are our teens’ most important spiritual guides and teachers. Our goals are: to create an accepting community of teens and leaders who gather for worship, discussion, bonding and fun; have a place for youth to go on Sunday morning; present service and outreach projects to work together to make a difference in the world; help others; learn servanthood; provide mentor opportunities for youth to work with children as well and older adults to mentor our youth; promote our Episcopal principles of inclusion, respect, tolerance, compassion, service and social justice; and encourage and strengthen life-long ties to the Episcopal Church. All adult volunteers are background checked and Safe Church trained.
Late Middle/High School 8th-12th Graders either meet with youth leaders in classroom #1 during 10:00 am service or are invited to sit in the 10:00 am service on the purple fleece-covered pew with other youth and leaders, then meet afterwards in the sr. youth room classroom #1.
Once a month the group will have a special activity, usually on Sunday after church, either a service project or a fun outing. Senior youth group takes the summer off unless a special event is scheduled like a mission trip.
During the school year and in the summer, there are also many other opportunities for service for teens including serving as a reader, usher, or acolyte for worship services. To see the ministry opportunities for teens to get involved in to serve their church please click on the tabs below. Please contact our family minister Page Clothier at familyministry@stgabrielpdx.org with questions or to volunteer for these ministries.
Acolytes
What: Lights the Altar candles; is part of the Procession starting the service; sits near the altar to assist the clergy at the Eucharist, the Gospel reading, and other tasks during special services.
When: Every Sunday at the 10:00 am service.
Training: Held a few times a year, usually before high holy days, and usually after a Sunday service.
Altar Guild
Mission: The St. Gabriel Altar Guild serves our congregants by being stewards of the worship environment and by supporting our clergy during worship services. This is not a ministry that has direct contact with fellow congregants but works behind the scenes to support the act of worship.
What: We set up/take down the altar accouterment for every service, make sure everything stays clean and in good shape, and arrange the flowers; do a deep cleaning of the sanctuary twice a year.
When: We have a rotating roster so currently each person serves for a regular Sunday about once every 7/8 weeks. Special services, like Holy Week, are by sign-up. During non-pandemic times, we have monthly dinner meetings – the first Tuesday at 7:30 – which are pot luck. Our meetings tend to be as much fellowship as business.
Sunday A/V Producer
Duties: Run the cameras at church during either the 8:00 am or 10:00 am service and log into Zoom from the computer in the sacristy to be the e-usher.
Equipment: None. All equipment is provided
Skills: Computer savvy and an aptitude for technology
When: Sundays
Gabriel Center
This is the community and congregational outreach committee for the church.
Mission: To be a resource to our neighbors over a broad range of services and activities. This is not intended to be an evangelical project but rather an effort to be available for anyone to feel welcome, nurtured, and valued.
When: The second Tuesday of the month at 5:00 pm, presently via Zoom. We are a group of about six people, with shared leadership responsibilities. No training is necessary to join in and we would love to welcome some new volunteers.
What: the community garden; providing items as requested for PCC Rock Creek Panther Pantry; the Friendship Circle; Beaverton Clothes Closet; and the Beaverton Resource Center; and other charities in need of support.
Gabriel’s Friends Animal Ministry
Mission: The purpose of the Gabriel’s Friends Animal Ministry is to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of the animals who share our lives. We are also here to offer prayers and support if an animal friend faces health challenges, or for those facing the loss of an animal companion.
Recently, the Gabriel’s Friends Ministry has begun collaborating with the Gabriel Center to find new and creative ways to take our animal ministry out into the community. As the restrictions due to the pandemic are lifted, Gabriel’s Friends is poised to grow. We would love to have new members, and Youth are particularly encouraged to join!
We maintain a photo album of our members’ pets, which resides in our sanctuary as a symbolic reminder of their importance.
We would like to hold the Prayer Service for Companion Animals regularly, perhaps once or twice a year. This service would do very well as a continuing Zoom service. Zoom has the advantage that people do not have to transport a pet to church – thus allowing the attendance of a much wider range of pets. It also allows people who have limited mobility or who live at a distance to attend. One idea might be to have our youth create an animal-centered service, either for Zoom or Hybrid worship.
When: there are currently no meetings, but projects are in the works.
Healing Ministry
What: Lay members offer healing prayer for any who requests it. Since the pandemic prayers are offered remotely. Prior to the Pandemic Healing Prayer would be provided every Sunday at the 10:00 am service on a rota schedule.
When: Meetings have historically occurred every other month on a Saturday.
Scheduling ministry
Mission: Oversees scheduling for Ushers (In-Person only), Greeters, Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM’s), and Readers.
These are for the 8:00 and 10:00 am Sunday services as well as most special services (i.e. Easter, Maundy Thursday, Christmas, Holy Friday, etc…). Healing Ministry and regular Wednesday services are scheduled separately as are E-Ushers and Technologists.
When: Positions are scheduled during each church quarter (March, April, May / June, July, August / September, October, November / December, January, February) and volunteers may hold multiple roles during service (i.e. An Usher may also be a Reader) though I try to avoid it when creating the schedule each quarter.
Training: No special training is needed; if you volunteer, a general description will be sent to you and most communication is done through e-mail. The most important thing is to be on time and flexible; things don’t always occur exactly as they are written out.