Ministries and Programs
St. Joseph’s welcomes your service, where you feel led to join in making church together.
Ushers, readers, singers, hand-chimers, and altar ministers (both young and old!) deploy their gifts and talents for the glory of God on Sunday mornings. Behind the scenes, our Altar Guild is prepares church and altar for Sundays, and cares for linens and silver. If prayer is your gift, we have an active prayer chain.
Annual ministries include: A four-week Advent adult education series; Ash Wednesday liturgies at 10:30 am and 6:30 pm, plus "Ashes to Go" in front of the curch from noon to 2:00 pm; A five-week Lenten study and soup supper, shared with one or two area ELCA congregations; ; a comprehensive Maundy Thursday liturgy including a re-enactment of the Last Supper; Stations of the Cross on Good Friday; Blessing of the Animals on the first Saturday of October; an All Souls' service; and a shared Thanksgiving Eve service with our Lutheran friends.
We minister outside the St. Joseph's Church space, supporting Second Harvest Bank, Food Finders, Christmas gift programs for needy families with children, back-to-school supply drives, and camperships to help children get to AstroCamp in the mountains at Idyllwild.
We met our a long-term commitment to provide an “ark” full of farm animals to undeveloped areas through the Heifer International program in 2018; we regularly contribute to Doctors Without Borders; and we are poised to respond to emergent crises such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
As part of our ongoing devotion to addressing food insecurity, we have planted a memorial orchard, the fruit of which is destined for local food banks. Further, St. Joseph's is home to the Sixth Day Pet Food Pantry, which addresses food insecurity for area pets. Dog and cat food is distributed monthly to several community agencies, and from the church office, as well, by prior arrangement.
Do you have outreach ideas that aren’t listed here? Send an e-mail. We would love to hear from you.
Pandemic-inspired activites have included drive-through food-drives, and parking-lot gatherings for food and fellowship. We will soon re-start movie night and potluck dinner. Our book & supper group meets approximately monthly. Call the office for the current book title and schedule. Special annual activities we intend to resume include an Epiphany Party, a Lavender Tea, usually held in June; a shared picnic with Calvary Chapel La Palma; and a Guitar Orchestra Concert with Fund Raiser.