Welcome to St. Michael's Episcopal Church

OUTREACH

St. Michael’s takes it commitment to Outreach very seriously. Through our commitments of time, money, prayer and labor we seek to extend the Good News of Jesus Christ beyond the boundaries of our own neighborhood and out into our community, city, state, nation, and ultimately the world.

On a local level, our parish is involved with the Christian Service Center, the Gathering, Fresh Start, and many other programs to help those in need in our community and parish.

Our parish was also instrumental in the creation of the Christian Service Center in Orlando, and continues to have monthly involvement in its staffing.

As part of our outreach to the community, St. Michael’s offers its facilities to groups that need a place to meet. We host many Alcoholics Anonymous groups, numerous weekly girl and boy scout meetings and various community and school organizations which make use of our facilities.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
YOUTH MINISTRY

Episcopal Young Christians (EYC)

We believe in developing a stronger relationship with God & in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope to encourage this through teaching, prayer, fellowship, worship, and service.

Youth Group is open to all those in grades 6-12. Sunday School takes place between services at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays.

We take an annual trip to Ridgecrest, NC for YouthQuake, a national youth convention.

We also are involved with many Diocesan events and retreats like New Beginnings, BC/AD, & Fusion.

A trip or mission project takes place in the summer, along with other summer youth activities.

We host an annual College Dinner the day after Christmas for all students home for the holidays.

For more information about any of these youth fellowship opportunities, please call the Church office at 407 843-8448

Studies covering a wide range of biblical topics are offered throughout the year. This small group format allows for a family type atmosphere, offering “mutual encouragement to persons who wish to enhance their Christian learning experience.” Typical length of a series is 7 to 13 weeks. Participants do not need to be members of St. Michael’s.

THE GATHERING

Did you know that The Meals on Wheels Program for Orange County started at St. Michael’s in 1972? "The Gathering" as it is now known, has evolved since then and it delivers a hot meal every Tuesday to the Coalition for the Homeless, in downtown Orlando. The Gathering is a unique ministry organized to feed the homeless people in the Orlando area and is sponsored jointly by the Church of the Resurrection in Longwood. Since 1990 approximately over 200,000 meals have been fed to the homeless men, women, and children through this great outreach, but it takes a lot of resources.

"Joining Hands With Love to Serve the Hungry"

We would love to have your help anytime during Monday mornings, Tuesday mornings, or Tuesday afternoons! If you can peel a potato or pick up a serving spoon, you’re qualified. No special skills are required. One or two hours a week would be sufficient. Please call the church office (407-843-8448) or Tom Olsen (407-294-8866) for more information.

Your help is also needed to help load the van or serve the food at the Coalition (a great experience for your children). We load the van with food from 6:00 to 6:30 PM. Serving the food at the Coalition for the Homeless lasts from 6:30 PM to 8:15 PM.

FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship at St. Michael’s provides opportunity for us to grow through our friendships and service to God, both within our Parish life and our larger Christian community. Fellowship for all ages is available in our many rewarding and fun activities - many of which center around our shared meals: Parish Dinner on the Grounds, Church School cookouts and parties, Lenten covered dish dinners and the Annual Pentecost Pig Roast.

Fellowship is also found within the many smaller group activities at St. Michael’s. We welcome your participation and hope you and your family will join us in sharing God’s love.

OUTREACH IN HONDURAS

THE ALPHA COURSE

Alpha is a ten-week opportunity to explore the validity and relevance of the Christian faith for our lives today. It is a practical introduction to the basics of Christianity with loads of opportunity for debate and discussion. The style of Alpha is informal, friendly and non-pressured.

Alpha is enjoyed and appreciated as much by those who have never set foot in a church as it is by those who once attended and by the regular churchgoer. No matter what their background, whether investigating Christianity for the first time or revisiting their faith, participants get a lot out of an Alpha Course.

Each week people meet together for a meal, a talk on topics such as "Who is Jesus?", "Why Did Jesus Die?", "How Can I be Sure of My Faith?", and "Does God Still Heal Today?" , followed by small group interaction. There is a day or weekend retreat midway through the course, which focuses on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

There are over 5000 Alpha courses running in the US and about 1,000,000 people in America and Canada have already participated.

ALPHA RETREAT PHOTOS

The Last Alpha Retreat weekend was once again held in Daytona Beach and we had the pleasure of a weekend of fellowship with other Alpha members from St. Luke's. It was truly moving and memorable to hear amazing grace played at sunrise!