Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Fall 2012 Issue | Page 23

Photo: Billy Poarch

Several churches in the Richmond area partner with ACTS, or Area Congregations
Together in Service, a nonprofit that brings together churches of various
denominations to help hard-working people with short-term emergency assistance.
Here, case manager Peggy Tucker consults with a client.

Partnerships continued from page 20

In Richmond, St. John’s partnered
with the nearby Asbury United
Methodist Church to teach low income
members of the community how
to stretch their grocery dollars and
prepare low cost, nutritious meals.
Asbury provided the kitchen where
Chef Scott Hedrick, a member of St.
John’s, taught the class, and they also
had connections with people in the
area who would benefit from taking it.

Now, to help the congregations

get to know each other better, the
churches will be hosting Wednesday
night suppers for parishioners and the
community during the next few months,
alternating between the two churches.
Hedrick said some of his students
may help prepare the meals, and he
hopes the suppers will give people
an opportunity to eat healthier in the
middle of the week when many people
are too tired to fix a nutritious meal.

Also in Richmond, Grace & Holy
Trinity, St James’s and St. Paul’s

Triennial continued from page 6

their own interests for God’s intent. At Triennial Opening
Day, she blessed and gave each Episcopal Church Women a
pewter cross, reminding us to use our God given gifts. The
keynote speaker for Triennial, Lindsay Hardin Freeman, author,
editor and Episcopal priest spoke about some of “God’s
chosen women” who served Jesus boldly and faithfully. She
emphasized that the ECW helps others “catch the faith” by
sharing God’s word through mission and ministry. Bishop
Michael Currie preached about the need for “crazy Christians,”
explaining that we need to be “crazy” enough to repay evil
with a blessing, love our enemies, love one another and start a
war, not of violence, but one against poverty and hunger.

Our delegation attended numerous workshops,
gleaning fresh ideas to help nourish the spiritual needs of
the women in our diocese. Triennial discussion about the
future of ECW led to the approval of a resolution to appoint
a committee to research and review the present function
and structure of the ECW National Board, and the mission

joined forces six years ago with
Second Presbyterian and First Baptist
churches to found Area Congregations
Together in Service (ACTS), a nonprofit
organization that helps hardworking people who need short-term
emergency assistance with mortgage,
car, utilities and other payments get
back on their feet.

Today, nearly 40 congregations
from a variety of denominations in the
Greater Richmond area participate in
ACTS. Annual dues, grants and gifts are
used to help people who are referred
by the group’s members.

In addition, members from about
50 multi-denominational congregations
located in Fairfax County, Arlington
County, Prince William County and the
city of Alexandria organize around
issues and seek solutions to help
make effective differences in their
communities through VOICE, Virginians
Organized for Interfaith Community
Engagement, a broad based power
organization. For example, Bowerfind
said members of St. Luke’s have worked
with other VOICE members to obtain
commitment from local government
to fund a full-time dentist at a regional
health clinic, and they met with elected
officials and corporations to secure
counseling and relief for area residents
who have suffered from foreclosures
and the mortgage crisis. t

and purpose of the ECW and make recommendations. Our
diocese is a frontrunner in the restructuring of the diocesan
ECW and Executive Board.

The highlight of our week was the Eucharist Service/
United Thank Offering Ingathering. More than 7,000
gathered for worship, making acute the presence of the
Holy Spirit with us. Thousands of paths converged to one
journey with