St. Mark's Episcopal Church

“Good Morning! I’m so glad you’re here!” Every person that enters Friday Morning Ministries is greeted with a warm hand shake and those words.

The day starts early for the volunteers as breakfast is cooked and served. Coffee is first, so the volunteers and those they will serve can all have a cup from the urn. Eggs, sausage, whatever the kitchen can cook to have enough for the 100-150 people that will en ter Payne Hall’s doors. Juice and fruit is on the buffet, where there are always plenty of bananas. Then at 8:00, by twos and threes the guests arrive. Men, women, families with children, some here for the first time, some old friends the volunteers know by name. Each is greeted and enters the hall to a place of warmth and music. Live classical music is played by George Wall while the guests enjoy their breakfast. Bach with your bacon and eggs, only at St. Mark’s! Bach leads to hymns and hymns to a service of Morning Prayer.

A homily on the days readings delivered by Paul Howell reflects the congregation he seeks to reach. Some hang on every word, some stare out the window, but they all hear. They are all listening to the Word of God from someone who cares. Someone who is glad they are there.

As the guests leave, the volunteers make sure they don’t leave empty handed. Leftovers packaged for their lunch later, a couple of bananas; the group that arrived, timid and tired, leaves smiling and talkative. No one leaves hungry. They’ve been fed food from a loving hand and the Word of God from a loving heart. For now, Christ’s command to “feed my sheep” has been done.

Every Friday morning the St. Mark’s Pantry provides bags of groceries to individuals and families in our community. Approximately 2500 – 3000 pounds of food is ordered from the Food Bank of Southeast Texas, picked up, packed and distributed each week by dedicated volunteers. Grants and donations of cash and food allowed The Pantry to give away more than 200 bags of food a month. The need grows and so does the pantry.

Founded in 1968 by St. Mark’s and others in the local religious community to meet the unmet emergency needs of the local poor residents of the Beaumont community. When no one could help they were told they had to go to “some other place”…thus the name.

Some Other Place is an ecumenical mission in urban ministry. A place where people of all faiths come together to provide services of all types to people who find themselves in emergency situations.

St. Mark’s volunteers cook and serve a meal to between 200 to 250 people every Thursday at Some Other Place. Cooks begin preparing the food at 8:00 am. Those who serve arrive at 11:00 am. The food service begins at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m.. Most of the people who eat at Some Other Place depend on this food for their main – if not only – meal of the day.

Ubi Caritas is a healing ministry of the Episcopal Church, is a faith based health ministry providing access to medical care for low income resident of Beaumont along with a wide variety of health education programs for diabetics, new mothers, pediatric dentistry, and children’s services. The original medical clinic is now operated in partnership with Legacy Community Health Services and provides medical care for low income families. The organization was started by Episcopal Churches in Southeast Tx. For additional information contact Clark Moore, Executive Director @ 409-832-1924 x 103 or visit our website at http://www.ubicaritas.org/

This organization was created to engage students in fellowship and service activities, encourage their daily prayer, provide general support for students in the University setting, encourage Christian formation, strengthen the Episcopal community on campus and help students explore their relationship with God. St. Mark’s supports this organization’s efforts by promoting its activities and fundraising activities.