Here is the 2022 Annual Report for the 2023 Annual Meeting on January 29, 2023.
In it are Vestry & Delegate nominee info, reports from the clergy, vestry wardens, and lay ministry leaders. Also included are church statistics and financial records for the year 2022.
We are introducing a new tradition at St. Martin’s! Beginning in January, we will have a Eucharistic worship service on the first Thursday of each month. The service will be offered with special intention for those who have died during the past month. If you would like us to lift the name of a loved one, please email the name(s) to the parish administrator, Anika Rinker at stmartin@stmartininthefields.org. Each service will begin at 11:15 am.
First Thursday Eucharists will typically be “said” services (i.e., we will not have music). If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to worship during the week, please join us.
The first service will occur on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 11:15 am. We will celebrate the feast of The Epiphany and those 3 fellows who successfully followed a remarkable star.
All are welcome!
Do you have the gifts of empathy and compassion? If so, you could help people in need by becoming a Stephen Minister. Please complete the application here. For more information, contact Deborah Diehl, Stephen Leader, at deborah.diehl@
Stephen Ministry is Christ caring for people through people. It is one-on-one Christian care for individuals facing a variety of life challenges – people who are experiencing grief, divorce, job loss or relocation. Stephen Ministry allows trained laypeople, who are members of our congregation and have received 50 hours of specialized instruction, to share the journey with those who are facing a crisis such as disability or chronic illness; those who are hurting and experiencing loneliness or isolation, caregiver stress and burnout, or parenting struggles. Stephen Ministers listen, care, encourage, pray, and provide emotional and spiritual support. They can be counted on to be dependable and trustworthy.
Stephen Ministers and care receivers are matched confidentially by gender and compatibility. Stephen Ministers and their care receivers meet for about one hour each week, or every other week, for as long as there is a need. The identity of those receiving care and all they discuss remains private and confidential.
The Stephen Ministry program is available to all adult members of the congregation. If you would like to discuss whether a Stephen Minister may be able to help you, please contact our Rector, the Rev. Alan Bentrup at alan.bentrup@stmartininthefields.org. If you know someone in our congregation who you think might benefit from the support of a Stephen Minister, please tell them about our program. Anyone with questions may contact our Stephen Leader, Deborah Diehl at deborah.diehl@stmartininthefields.org.
The December 12, 2021 meeting of the Prayer Shawl Ministry was even more meaningful than usual. Fr. Alan and Rev. Paula joined us in blessing our handcrafted items for donation to Union Gospel Mission and Presbyterian Night Shelter.
Items included
What a Blessing it is to share Christ’s Love with our brothers and sisters in need of a bit of comfort and support.
Gifts from our Angel Tree can bring Christmas joy to children at Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County who otherwise wouldn’t have as much holiday cheer. Give with your heart, and make it your goal to help disadvantaged children with Angel Tree gifts this year. It’s an easy, three-step process to share this special love:
Our congregation will bless these gifts and pray for the recipients at our 10:30 am worship service on December 21.
Like so many things in life, there is far more involved in Angel Tree gifts than just things that we buy. At a time of year when Christmas reveals the gift of our God who loves us all, we provide love and hope and intentional, personal support to the poor and homeless in our county. Let’s continue in fruitful ways to live out our church’s core value of service – to share the abundance of our resources, talents and love with each other in our community, country and around the world.
Questions on the Angel Tree gifts? Please email Linda Seeber at lrseeber@sbcglobal.net.
If you’re looking for a meaningful Christmas tradition for yourself or your family, here is an idea that keeps the focus on the needs of others. An Advent calendar is a traditional way to count the days to Christmas, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation. This REVERSE Advent calendar invites you to put one item of non-perishable food or select gifts aside each day in Advent as a gift for people served by 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry.
Here’s what you do:
Get kids involved with:
Add some prayer!
Suggested non-perishable items:
Sizes are what the pantry typically stocks, which makes it easy for them to store. They will accept any in-date and unopened food items!
4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry is an Episcopal food bank within our deanery. 4Saints’ now has a home at the Community Life Center at Meadowbrook-Poly United Methodist Church.The area has many low-income families, and hunger is an issue there. St. Martin’s joins St. Luke’s, St. Alban’s, Arlington and St. Stephen’s, Hurst in our support of this food ministry.