Episcopal Church Women

Annual Holiday Cookie Walk and Bazaar

On the first Saturday of each December, the ECW of St. Mark’s hosts its Annual Holiday Cookie Walk and Bazaar. What started as a small bake sale and craft festival has grown into an annual event well supported by the local community. Monies raised from the all-day event are used to support the Episcopal Church Women’s ministries throughout the next year.

Available for purchase are multiple dozens of holiday cookies that are sold by the pound, mix and match if the buyer chooses. Also, for sale are ham biscuits, breads, dinner rolls, cakes, sweet rolls, snacks, gingerbread houses, soups, jams and jellies. We offer preorders on frozen quiches and casseroles which make excellent meals for couples or individuals. We have available many Christmas crafts for decorating your home, outfitting your kitchen, or for your family and friends to wear. These handmade items make great Christmas presents, hostess or teacher gifts, and special treats for pets and wildlife. We do a raffle with exciting prizes –quilts, blankets, Chrismon trees, and gift baskets brimming with Christmas goodies.

A trip to the Holiday Cookie Walk and Bazaar is a fun adventure. You are sure to leave loaded down with treats for everyone on your list –there may even be something for you! Can’t wait to see you at St. Mark’s!

Lap Blanket and Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Lap Blanket and Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. Mark’s is fueled by the creative crafters among our parish. Throughout the year, many hands are busy knitting and crocheting blankets and shawls that will be given to those in need of God’s love and comfort during a challenging time. While our hands enjoy creating our projects, the true reward is knowing our faith in God will reach others through our creativity!

Periodically, the ladies take inventory of their work, and will request clergy to bless their woven works. Once blessed, these lap blankets and prayer shawls are stored in the Parish Hall and are available for anyone to access and pass on to a friend, family member, special loved one, or residents of long-term care facilities. We welcome all who are interested in contributing to and/or utilizing our outreach mission!

Teddy Bear Project

Our Teddy Bear Project at St. Mark’s is an annual project in which all church members can participate. Throughout the year, we collect new or gently used teddy bears for the residents at Fairmount Crossing Rehabilitation Center and, in past years, Johnson Senior Home, in Amherst. These teddy bears are each given a handmade scarf (knitted or crocheted) and presented with a “God loves you” name tag before all are delivered and distributed by members of the church. The distribution of the bears takes place at Christmastime.

The Louise Cash Scholarship

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) at St. Mark’s provide a one-time, $1000.00 college scholarship to an Amherst County High School senior. The scholarship is named for a lifelong member who was a teacher in the Amherst County Public Schools. The award is based on 50% academic achievement and 50% financial need. The student must also be in good standing with the school and community. The scholarship may be used at a four-year college or vocational school.

Boys Home of Virginia

Boys Home of Virginia, located in Covington, VA, is a private, residential school that operates independently of the public-school system. Boys Home admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. St. Mark’s has for years been a partner in support of Boys Home. We support their Christmas sponsorship program, and we have donated to help restore the grounds after a flood. We try to meet their other needs as they arise and help to fulfill their summer wish list.

The United Thank Offering

The United Thank Offering (UTO) of the Episcopal Church is a personal spiritual discipline of thanksgiving that supports God’s mission throughout the world. Each year, St. Mark’s participates in a spring and fall ingathering of tangible offerings to change lives in very real ways. The mission of the UTO is to “expand the circle of thankful people”. To achieve this mission, daily prayers, offerings, and awareness of the abundance of God’s blessings are encouraged.