MINISTRIES

Art Ministry

The Art Ministry provides local artists an opportunity to showcase their creations through monthly exhibits in our gallery. The varied artists have included talented parishioners, including the youth, as well as Holy Comforter artists. Multiple mediums have been featured: paintings, photography, ceramics, jewelry, turned wood items, millinery, and other hand-made crafts. The work of the ministry includes finding and scheduling the artists, installing their work in our gallery, introducing the artist through articles in the Weekly eNews, and the accounting of sales. Not only do the artists have an opportunity to sell their work in our gallery, but Epiphany earns profits through 25% of sales. For our youth and Holy Comforter artists, all proceeds directly benefit these two groups. Over the last 20 years the Art Ministry has contributed over $30,000 to various parish ministries and improvements to the church building and interiors. The Art Ministry confers with the Rector annually to determine the best way to allocate the profits. Visit epiphany.org/epiphany-gallery to learn more about the Art Ministry and this month's artist.

Liefy Smith, Co-chair

Page Love Smith, Co-chair

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Church of the Common Ground

The Church of the Common Ground is a worshiping community of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which provides support for the spiritual, social, emotional and physical needs of Atlanta’s unhoused men and women. A weekly outdoor worship service, Morning Prayer services, Bible studies, and a foot clinic provide community, inspiration and healing to housed and unhoused men and women. Once a year, Epiphany holds a shoe drive to benefit the clinic.

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Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM)

DCM (www.decaturcooperativeministry.org) is a faith based non-profit currently supported by 38 congregations with the mission to “help families facing homelessness to settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives filled with peace, hope, and opportunity.” DCM helps families achieve self-sufficiency through three programs: Project Take Charge, which provides emergency assistance with rent, mortgage, utilities and food as well as financial management classes; Hagar's House, which provides emergency shelter for homeless women and children; and Family House, which provides long-term transitional housing.

The Rev. Carmie McDonald, Associate Priest for Community Engagement and Family Ministries

Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM)

DEAM provides short-term assistance to families in Decatur, both financial for emergency expenses (e.g. utilities and prescriptions) and food. Epiphany supports DEAM with a monthly monetary donation. Semi-annually, parishioners bring pantry goods to Epiphany for DEAM's pantry. Epiphany members also volunteer in the DEAM office and pantry located at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Decatur. Learn more at https://www.deamdecatur.org/.

Doug Runnion, Representative

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Earth Guild

Epiphany’s Earth Guild joyfully practices environmental stewardship to care for God’s Earth and our communities. We partner with one another and with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) to provide ongoing education about issues pertaining to environmental injustice, earth care, and the climate crisis, and to support their Annual Interfaith River Cleanup. We also provide opportunities for Epiphanites to encounter God in creation, by organizing hikes, field trips, and other outdoor activities.

Carol Bartlett, Chair

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Emmaus House Ministries

Emmaus House (emmaushouseatlanta.org) is a center for community life on the corner of Hank Aaron Drive and Haygood Avenue in the Peoplestown neighborhood just south of Turner Field. Founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, Emmaus House offers direct service and education programs for youth, adults, seniors, and families each year. Emmaus House also houses The Muriel Lokey Center which offers assistance with government benefits, rent, utilities and health care; a food pantry; Georgia Identification vouchers; and a prison ministry.

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Emmaus House engages and supports partnerships with organizations both within and outside Peoplestown to further enhance the well-being of neighbors. Epiphany has a long history of volunteering at Emmaus House, including for the Saturday arts program, summer camp, the Lokey Center, and the Meal at Home Thanksgiving Dinner program.

The Rev. Carmie McDonald, Associate Priest for Community Engagement and Family Ministries

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Episcopal Church Women Programs

Every month the Epiphany Church Women (ECW) makes sandwiches for the Muriel Lokey Center at Emmaus House. The sandwiches are given to people in the neighborhood who come to the center for assistance.

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The ECW administers the Catherine D. Harvey Legacy Fund. The Harvey fund was created to assist with meeting the basic needs of individuals and families and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential for self-sufficiency. The Fund is administered by the Episcopal Church Women of the Church of the Epiphany. If you have any questions about the grant process or whether your organization qualifies, please contact the Harvey Fund Advisory Board.

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The application cycle opens each year on September 10. Applications must be received by October 10.

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Gateway Center Meal Ministry

The Gateway Center’s mission is to connect people experiencing homelessness with the support necessary to become self-sufficient and find a permanent home. Epiphany provides a meal at one of Gateway's shelters, Evolution Center, which is a 100-bed, long-term shelter. Volunteers cook at Epiphany and then serve the meal at the shelter on the 2nd Friday of each month. There are options to help prep, cook or serve the meal.

Anne Kerner, Co-chair

Sally Walker, Co-chair

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Haiti Partnership 

Epiphany’s Haiti Partnership provides financial support for two programs designed to alleviate childhood hunger and empower Haitian entrepreneurs. Both are administered by our long-term partner in Haiti, the Rev. Kesner Ajax. Rev. Ajax leads a scout troup of over 300 boys and girls, Groupe La Renaissance Scout Anglican d’Haiti, and our donations help to ensure that scouts receive a hot meal during their weekly meetings. Rev. Ajax also manages a program that furnishes motorcycles for scout parents to use as taxis, helping to generate income for their families. Program participants pay a portion of the cost of the motorcycles to the scout troup each week, and at the end of twelve months they own the motorcycles outright. For more information, or to contribute to either program through Epiphany’s Haiti Partnership, please contact Kim Finnegan.

Kim Finnegan, Chair

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​​Holy Comforter

Holy Comforter is an Episcopal mission located in southeast Atlanta. Approximately 60% of its congregation lives with mental illness. Holy Comforter opened the Friendship Center in 1997 in response to public funding cuts that reduced day programs for persons living with mental illnesses. Twice a week the Center provides fellowship, art, gardening, games, music, meals, and social interaction. There is also a weekly Community Supper co-sponsored by area Episcopal churches, including Epiphany.

Over the years, members of Epiphany have taught in the wood-turning program, helped with Friendship Center meals, and provided Community Supper dinners. Volunteers are needed in this diverse community for teaching art and gardening programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, driving vans, helping in the office, visiting with the people of Holy Comforter, preparing and serving Community Meals, and much more.

Jeanette Hanson, Chair

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Interfaith Children's Movement (ICM) Partnership

Epiphany is collaborating with ICM and its other faith partners to create a Georgia where all children can thrive.  ICM operates at the intersection of advocacy, faith and intergenerational engagement, empowering youth and adults to be active agents of the change they wish to see in the world.  (See ICM’s website at www.icmgeorgia.org)

Kay Lee, Representative

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Racial Justice Group

Epiphany’s Racial Justice Group (ERJG) seeks to live more deeply into our baptismal covenant by loving our neighbors as ourselves, respecting the dignity of every human being, and striving for equity and justice so that all may flourish.

• We commit to continuing education on current and historical systemic racism in our culture. 

• We engage in regular examination of our lives and the formation of our innermost selves, asking God to create a spirit of love for our neighbors within us.

• We partner with others and God to take action in the world, living as anti-racists and working toward becoming the beloved community. 

Suzanne Yoder, Chair

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Refugee Ministry

In partnership with resettlement agencies, Epiphany supports families displaced by war and unrest in their native countries. This ministry has worked to resettle families from Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Syria, and Afghanistan. The families we serve are in immediate need of a home and mentoring to get them through the first several months of transition. Often, they come with very little assets of their own. We help them by providing food, clothing, furniture, and household goods. Children are enrolled in school and provided with school supplies. Parishioners donate many of the items and the parish covers others through the community engagement budget.

Volunteer opportunities are rewarding and include providing friendship, tutoring, mentoring, transportation, navigating government agencies, and exposing the family to American culture. The ministry is currently focused on longer-term support for an Afghan family but would like to expand to welcome new families again. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Erin Braden or Ellyn Bryan.

Erin Braden, Co-chair

Ellyn Bryan, Co-chair

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