Getting Involved at St. Dunstan’s
Parish Ministries 2025
Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Below is a list of the many ministries offered at St. Dunstan's. Please scroll down to see the details for each.
- Altar Guild
- Anvil Society
- Blood Drives
- Book Group
- Buildings and Grounds
- Children’s Ministry
- Choirs
- Columbarium Committee
- Creation Care
- Daffodil Bulb Sale
- Endowment Committee
- Flower Guild
- Liturgy Group
- Livestream Ministry
- Men’s Group
- Outreach
- Refugee Ministry
- Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington
- Seniors Ministry
- Soul Sisters
- Stewardship
- Tending Our Soil
Altar Guild
Description: The Altar Guild is responsible for preparing the Church for Sunday service and any other services which may arise such as weddings, Baptisms, and funerals.
Duties consist of caring for the silver and brass, linens and candles, and changing Altar hangings.
Involvement Opportunities: The Altar Guild is currently a three-person operation. In the past, there have been four or more, and the group would welcome:
- Regular participants
- Occasional helpers, and
- Emergency helpers
We don’t meet regularly, but we do communicate regularly about what needs to be done and who will do it. Please reach out with questions. All are welcome!
Anvil Society
Description: The Anvil Society recognizes those members of our parish family who have made a documented planned gift to the St. Dunstan’s Endowment Fund.
Members of the Anvil Society know that they have looked beyond this life and made provision for the continuing financial support of their Christian community. They have left a legacy as enduring and as productive as the anvil.
Involvement Opportunities: Members of the Vestry and the Endowment Committee can provide additional information.
Blood Drives
Description: St. Dunstan's regularly hosts American Red Cross blood drives. The need for blood donations is ongoing, and we encourage both parishioners and others in the community to donate. Besides providing the facility, St Dunstan's makes the event known in the community with flyers, listserv posting, and other community resources. Involvement Opportunities: Volunteers help promote blood drives and register donors, as well as provide hospitality on the day of the drive. Feel free to contact me to get involved.
Book Group
Description: The Book Group welcomes everyone who enjoys reading and discussing in an open and relaxed setting. The group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 2:00 p.m., either on Zoom or in person. Members suggest both fiction and non-fiction titles, and the final selections are determined informally by mutual agreement. Involvement Opportunities: The group is open to anyone, and members are encouraged to bring friends.
Buildings and Grounds
Description: Buildings and Grounds, which falls under the purview of the Junior Warden, includes everything involved with maintaining/upgrading the Church, including the Rectory and overall property. The Junior Warden negotiates contracts with vendors (e.g., lawn care/maintenance), and works closely with the Vestry (submitting projects/budgets to get approvals) and communicates with the congregation. Below is information pertaining to how we process projects from start to finish.
● Develop a tracking sheet which includes lists of needs/improvements (including prioritization).
● Communicating/partnering with Vestry members
● When applicable, apply for grants from all resources, including the Diocese
● Contact multiple vendors to get quotes for the work required
○ present to vestry members for approval, including budget/cost of project
○ meet with vendors throughout the project 4
○ confirm work has been completed correctly, including walk throughs
○ Final approval, then payment to vendor
● Some of the most recent completed projects include:
○ lighting project that replaced all light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs
○ installation of computers/software/camera allowing for Facebook and Zoom transmissions for those who cannot attend Sunday services in person
○ installation of windows within solid wood doors allowing for a safer work environment
○ installation of water fountain
○ installation of ladder for egress in classroom
● Some projects currently in progress include:
○ Exterior and interior repairs of the rectory
○ Lighting of the stained glass wall
Involvement Opportunities: This role can be assisted by anyone willing to give their time when the JW is unavailable. These include meeting with vendors, communicating with the JW anyone/company they feel may assist with a project.
Children’s Ministry
Description: St. Dunstan’s offers children’s programming every Sunday during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Our Sunday programming is known as Children’s Chapel, and it is a time for children to get introduced to scripture as well as reflect and ask questions. It is also a time of great fun for the children, as they get to make artwork, play outside, and bond with each other. St. Dunstan’s also offers other activities and events for children, often tied together with St. Dunstan’s music ministry, such as weekly children’s choir 5 practices after the 10:30 worship on Sundays, seasonal weekend choir camps, Christmas caroling at Brighton Gardens, and our annual Christmas pageant. Apart from these, children can also participate in our annual Halloween party, Easter Egg Hunt, movie nights, and outreach activities (Backpack Drive, Costume Drive). St. Dunstan’s Children’s Ministry also hosts Vacation Bible School every summer for children in preschool to Grade 5.
Involvement Opportunities: All families and children are welcome to join Children’s Chapel on Sundays as well as all the other events and programs we provide. Volunteers to help with all that we offer are much appreciated and welcomed as well.
Choirs
Description: The Joyful Noise is Growing! Here at St. Dunstan’s, we are growing the Music Ministry in every way that we can. Every Sunday as Cantor, I lead the congregation in hymn singing and also in singing the service music. We are accompanied by our organist and pianist, and we often have guest musicians join us, especially for Easter and Christmas. Guest musicians include both professional instrumentalists and singers. We currently have both an Adult and a Children’s Choir, and we look forward to expanding our musical opportunities in the future.
The Music Ministry has also extended support to other events in the parish, such as the Halloween Party, the Jazz Series, and carol singing at Brighton Gardens, Vacation Bible School. We will be hosting a series of concerts this fall, as well as an Opera Company.
Involvement Opportunities: The Choir’s are open to anyone and members are encouraged to bring friends. Please feel free to contact me.
Columbarium Committee
Description: The Columbarium Committee provides guidance to parishioners and former parishioners on the purchase of burial niches in the Columbarium, the process and policies regarding the sales and ownership of a niche, and the procedures and expectations for interment services. In addition, the Columbarium Committee works with the Parish Administrator to see that the completed, notarized indenture agreement is completed and on file with the church, that the purchase payment has been received, and helps arrange for the memorial inscription with the Parish Administrator, the niche owner, and the memorial vendor. In addition, the Columbarium Committee provides important institutional memory on these processes and procedures, and the status of the niches, given changes in the church personnel.
The Columbarium Committee does not have regularly scheduled meetings. The activity level for this committee is fairly low, as the Committee is only called to action in the case of a requested sale of a niche, an interment service, or the request to relinquish ownership of a niche back to the church. These events occur ~ 1 per year.
Involvement Opportunities: The group is currently seeking additional Columbarium Committee members
Creation Care
Description: Creation Care includes seasonal Church celebrations, such as Rogation Day, the Feast of the Transfiguration/First Fruits, and St. Francis Day, as well as direct ministry to the environment through educational and handson activities that involve the surrounding community.
After the Lambeth Conference established the worldwide (Anglican) Communion Forest in July 2022 to help combat environmental degradation, Deacon Mary initiated “Saplings for Sacraments” at four Baptisms. We gave newly-baptized Christians or their sponsors native-tree saplings to plant and care for as they journey in faith. St. Dunstan’s then cosponsored the “On Planting Trees to Celebrate Special Occasions” resolution, which passed at the 2023 diocesan convention in January. Saplings for Sacraments is now one of five recognized tree-planting programs of the Communion Forest.
Last November, Sarah Morse, Director of the nearby Little Falls Watershed Alliance, and Deacon Mary submitted a grant (still pending) to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for a stormwater site assessment and management design of St. Dunstan’s grounds. If LFWA receives the grant, the Alliance and St. Dunstan’s will conduct four community education programs and form a committee of church members to help fund, direct, implement, and guarantee sustainability of what will be a multi-phase regenerative landscaping project. Members will also work with the grounds committee to green church maintenance practices, inside and outside, and pursue sources of clean electricity. (We explored solar panels in 2022; unfortunately, they are not an option.)
Earth Month (April) and Season of Creation (September 1–St. Francis Day) will continue to offer opportunities for ministry to God’s Creation.
Involvement Opportunities: Looking for people to join and help form an active environmental ministry at the Church.
Daffodil Bulb Sale
Description: In 2022, St. Dunstan’s held its first daffodil bulb sale fundraiser, which raised $2,400. We hope the event becomes an annual initiative, and with the preparation and support, we think there is the potential for selling a lot more bulbs.
Involvement Opportunities: The 2022 event was largely a solo project led by Marsha Barnes. She ordered 2,500 bulbs, 100 bags, and bought some ribbon. Parish administrator printed cards and planting instructions. In 2023, we welcome anyone who wants to help.
Specifically, we could use people to help with:
● Pre-sales and marketing efforts
● Bagging bulbs
● Delivery of ordered bulbs
● Working at the church to sell
Endowment Committee
Description: St. Dunstan’s Endowment Fund was established over 20 years ago to accept special gifts and bequests to St. Dunstan’s. In the last 10 years, the fund has grown from around $20,000 to over $300,000, through generous gifts and appreciation. Income from the Fund assets may be distributed each year at the direction of the Vestry to support the Church’s ministries as well as church operations, if needed. The Endowment Fund Committee works with the Anvil Society to encourage and assist parishioners in 9 making bequests, trusts, IRS and insurance designations, special gifts and other planned giving in support of St. Dunstan’s. We welcome inquiries about how to make planned gifts to the parish at any time.
Involvement Opportunities: There is currently a seat open on the Endowment Committee. The group interacts (generally virtually) at least quarterly to review the investments and investment performance of the Endowment.
