Is your parish looking for a new way to engage the community in discussion about faith and a hearty meal? St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Heathsville, Va. takes this unique approach to outreach in its community, pairing conversation and a meal over topics that raise awareness of Christianity in other parts of the world and how other faiths intersect.

When Rector Elijah White of The Church of Our Saviour – Oatlands met Mother Superior Clare in Fiji, the parish’s Third-World Scholarship Fund for educating young Anglicans in impoverished countries came to life. Mother Clare suggested 12-year old Anita for the program, who became the first child from St. Christopher’s Home for the orphaned to graduate from high school. Fulfilling Mother Clare’s assessment, she earned a coveted admission to the University of the South Pacific, the only one in the Islands, where The Church of Our Saviour paid for four years of education and she graduated well in her class. Anita then became the only Christian teacher in a Hindu Indian high school, where she bears quiet but unashamed witness to her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In January 2009, St. Stephen’s Anglican Church launched its “Sharing Our Faith” seminar, which was intended as a low-key effort to provide our members with the tools they would need to spread the gospel to friends, family, and associates. At the end of that seminar, we promised everyone that we would develop a more pro-active community outreach program for all who felt led in that direction. In our two seasons, we have called on 323 homes and have been blessed with 152 visits. Read More.