Along with the worship of God, community or fellowship of believers, and missions or evangelism, ministry is one of the pillars of the New Testament church. It is not the calling of some, but the privilege of all believers. It is how we can “…serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
Ministry is about giving of ourselves and our time, talents, and resources to bless and help others. When we serve in ministry, we will find our greatest joy and most fulfillment in life.
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about or joining any of our ministries.
Our Music Ministry
St. Giles music ministry consists of three different types of music:
(1) The choir consists of a large range of vocal talents that practice Wednesday nights from 7:30 – 8:30 PM. We are always looking for new members for this group that specializes in a variety of music from contemporary to traditional hymns and choral anthems.
(2) The Praise and Worship Band features contemporary music and cross-over music that includes religiously inspired music from the likes of today’s Christian radio stations as well as some of the greatest artists in spiritual rock music from the past fifty years – with songs from artists like Glenn Campbell, Norman Greenbaum, and The Doobie Brothers. They also perform songs from some of the greatest religious musicals of all time, including Godspell and Jesus Christ, Superstar. Their arrangements include special soloists and small ensembles. Don’t miss this!
(3) Our very special Bell Choir often performs both with the choir and solo and adds a special element to our overall music ministry. We are happy to teach “Bells” to anyone interested in joining our music ministry.
Presbyterian Women
Presbyterian Women (PW) is an inclusive and caring community of women, committed to working toward God’s promise of wholeness for all people. Our PW group is responsible for a multitude of things going on at our church that benefit the entire church as well as the community. They are responsible for providing dinner for our First and Third Wednesdays get-togethers. This group gets together twice a month to form the “Sew & Sews” group (all women are invited to attend), that makes, among other things, lap robes for those that are wheel-chair bound and prayer shawls for those feeling the need to create a sense of personal space for prayer during times of crisis.
PW also oversees our two Circle Groups – which spend time together monthly for the purpose of Bible study and discussion – The Rebekah Circle which meets the 2nd Friday of the month at 7PM and the Ruth Circle, which meets the 1st Thursday of every month at 2PM at the church.
Their fellowship activities include the Evening Birthday Bunch who meet monthly to celebrate the birthdays of that month and a monthly Bunco game which meets on the 3rd Friday of the month at 7PM.
PW have also been very involved in reorganizing our facilities to make the best use of our space, as well as raising money to replace or revive old spaces.
They are also responsible for the large undertaking of our annual Parking Lot sale which sends money received to our sponsored charities, including the Good Samaritan fund. All in all, this is a lively and active group of women working together and playing together to greatly enrich the lives of all at our church and within our community. If you are looking for a way to “give back”, to serve, to enrich your own life as well as that of others, please join us!
Outreach
The Outreach Committee has many opportunities to serve others throughout the year. Each month we have a group that volunteers at the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry of Orange Park. Volunteers sort through clothes and donations and prepare weekly food packages for local families in need. Additionally, we collect donations directly from the church on the 1st Sunday of the month and deliver them to the Clothes Closet the following Monday.
We serve the community with one or two food basket drives a year. We also have a gift drive at Christmas for children. Other collections during the year include new underwear and socks for back-to-school children and coats and blankets for the winter. St. Giles is proud to be one of the largest contributors to the annual Postal Food Drive, where we “man” the College Drive post office. The Outreach Committee also sponsors the “Good Sam” fund and the Two Cents a Meal fund which provides donations to our sister church in Jamaica. In 2022, we contributed to the Mayfield Presbyterian Church in the rebuilding of their church after the tornadoes in Kentucky. We are always looking to expand our “outreach” beyond our community in the future.
Gentle Yoga with Pastor Jake
Everyone is invited to our free Gentle Yoga class every Wednesday at 10am in the Fellowship Hall. We also offer a Zoom option so you can practice from the comfort of your home. The class began in September 2018, not long after Pastor Jake began serving St. Giles. We had no interruptions in practice due to COVID thanks to our adapting to Zoom classes during the pandemic.
“I dreamed of holding yoga classes at church as soon as I began a regular yoga practice in 2016,” says Pastor Jake. “St. Giles has given us this wonderful opportunity to practice self-care, as well as connect with others, through gentle movement, stretching, and balancing exercises. Peace of mind and spirit becomes much more accessible when we feel physically balanced. Classes are also an introduction to breathwork meditation, that is, prayerful listening.”
Pastor Jake completed his 200-hour Yoga Instructor training at Wilmington Yoga Center in North Carolina. We practice “Kunga Yoga” which is a vinyasa style of yoga with the added focus of connecting to others through acts of service. (“Kunga” is a Kinyarwandan word meaning “to help” or “serve”.)
CONTACT US IF YOU’D LIKE MORE INFORMATION OR IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN ONE OF OUR MINISTRIES.
Call the Church Office at (904) 272-1244 or email us if you’d like to receive a Zoom invitation to Pastor Jake’s Yoga class.
MINISTRIES
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh;
rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:13)