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Rich Bailey, Editor

Fall 2009

Past Ecsetera Newsletters in PDF format


ECSET Quarterly Meeting:
Celebrating Metropolitan Ministries’
Launching as an Independent Agency

Who:
   Everyone in the community is invited and welcome.
When:
November 19 at St. Paul’s Chattanooga, 305 W. Seventh Street
            6 pm Eucharist, 6:30 pm refreshments, 7-8 pm presentation and discussion.

For more information contact: Suzy Deierhoi, 886-2659 or contactsuzy@bellsouth.net.


Metropolitan Ministries: A Valued Partner, A Vital Community Agency

      After more than 25 years as a ministry of ECSET, Metropolitan Ministries is becoming an independent agency. ECSET is devoting its November meeting to celebrating Met Min’s mission and its growth into a respected agency with many community partners.

     “I’d like Episcopalians to know how much Metropolitan Ministries has grown, with their support, and how much we still need them,” said Executive Director Becky Whelchel. Metropolitan Ministries is not a small operation. From humble beginnings, Met Min has grown into a well respected and highly effective homelessness prevention agency, with many community partners.

           
      “Met Min now has its own board of directors that is actively engaged and in-vested in our ministry after a year of board training,” she added.

      In addition to providing emergency assistance with food, utilities, housing and other necessities, Met Min piloted a Supportive Services program, thanks to support from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, to help its clients access other support from local and federal programs. The City of Chattanooga Department of Neighborhood Services has provided funding for a secondary pilot program. Now in partnership with Interfaith Hospitality Network and the Community Kitchen, Met Min participates in a central intake process in which people needing services are given a triage assessment of all needs and connected with appropriate programs at a variety of agencies.

      When the U.S. government recently dedicated stimulus funds to preventing homelessness, Met Min received more of those funds than any other local agency. The federal stimulus program, known as Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing program is a great fit with Met Min, according to Becky. Those funds are intended for people “newly marginalized” by a recent job loss. While Met Min works with many clients with longer-term economic distress, the needs are similar.     

Metropolitan Ministries Supportive Services Access Programs
Adaptive phone devices for the disabled
Banking services
Bathing / personal care
Clothing distribution
TennCare/Medicaid screening and application
Tennessee’s CoverKids health insurance
Disability application screening
Ex-offender issues
Families First screening and application
Food stamps screening and application
Hispanic issues
Homemaker services
Legal screening and consultation
Angel Food reduced cost groceries
Meals on Wheels
Prescription assistance programs
Reduced cost phone service installation
Reduced cost monthly phone service
Respite care
Safelink free cell phone
Application for free medical equipment
Free flu shots
Free car seats

      “We have a great blending of federal, local and faith-based funding,” said Becky. “Every donor’s dollar goes farther because of these partnerships. No funding source has to think that our work is limited to what they can fund. The need is so huge that you must have a diversity of funding sources. One source can’t possibly do it all.”

      “Our operations are very lean,” she added. “We have very few paid staff. We work with some incredibly dedicated, highly specialized volunteers.” She says it can be difficult speaking one-on-one with people in serious need to document their situations and determine their eligibility for services. “We have to say ‘no’ much more than we’d like, and more than we used to,” she said. But volunteers must be compassionate as well,  dealing with clients at a very difficult time.

            “The level of sensitivity needed is very high,” she said. “Our volunteers’ commitment to their baptismal vows is what sets us apart. The volunteers won’t say that. They’re too modest. But the clients will tell you that they’re accepted and cared for here. Met Min’s core values reflect that Baptismal Covenant, and we take it quite seriously.”

What Makes Metropolitan Ministries an Episcopal Agency? 

Its History and Development
 

  • Founded by the Episcopal Commission of Southeast Tennessee.

  • ECSET called the Rev. Jim Bills as the first Metropolitan Minister. When he became Rector of Christ Church, Chattanooga, the ministry was housed there for a number of years.

  • A ministry of ECSET for over 25 years, with overhead support provided.

  • Led by Episcopal clergy for more than 25 years.
  • Its Current Personnel

  • Led by an Executive Director who is a parishioner of St. Thaddaeus’ Episcopal Church.

  • Staffed by at least 28 volunteers, 25 of whom are Episcopal.

  • Over 90% of the new Met Min board members are Episcopal.
  •  

    Its Current Funding

  • Overhead costs are funded by ECSET.

  • Nearly 70% of client service funding comes from Episcopal churches and organizations.

  • At least 70% of all individual donations are from members of the area’s Episcopal churches.

  • Signature fundraising event is staffed and attended by members of local Episcopal parishes and other Episcopal stakeholders.
  • Its Designations

  • Recognized as a Center for Jubilee Ministry in January 2006.

  • The building, the Garcia Ministry Center, is dedicated to the Rev. Lou Garcia, who served as Episcopal Metropolitan Minister from 1996 to 2007.

    Its Mission, which Reflects the Baptismal Covenant

  • “To receive with dignity and respect all who come to us by providing them the emotional, spiritual, and physical help needed. The Ministry offers them the opportunity to gain deeper faith in themselves and in hope for their own futures as independent, contributing members of the community.”

  • St. Paul’s Opens Exum Gallery

          This fall, St. Paul’s Chattanooga celebrated the opening of its Exum Gallery. An initial showing of watercolors and architectural drawings by the late Gail Shippman Hammond, a scholar of Chinese art, was followed by “Angels,” an exhibit of work by Mary Ferris Kelly that opened in October. “Angels” will continue through January 19 and can be viewed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

          Upcoming shows will include work by St. Paul’s staff and communicants, religious art from the private collection of Helen Exum and an exhibit from graduating high school seniors from the parish.

          The new gallery is actually the tip of an iceberg of artistic activity at St. Paul’s. The church’s Arts Task Force, established in 2007, is charged with expanding St. Paul’s contribution to the community in the area of arts. In addition to the gallery, the task force held a five-day arts camp for children last summer and has begun efforts to catalog and conserve art and artifacts of the church.

          For details of upcoming shows, check the Weekend section of the Chattanooga Times Free Press or add your name to St. Paul’s invitation list by contacting stpauls@stpauschatt.org.

          If you’re interested in exhibiting your art, stop by St. Paul’s and pick up an application.


    Nativity Breakfast at Community Kitchen

          On each fourth Saturday, I accompany eight of our lay ministers to the Community Kitchen. Two ministry teams alternate months serving.

          By the time we leave we have served 360 eggs, 160 sausage patties and 150 biscuits, which we purchase and prepare, in addition to the seven gallons of grits or oatmeal plus two or more large urns of coffee provided by the Community Kitchen. When we're out of the food we brought we begin serving toast from the Community Kitchen supplies.

          At our September 2009 Fourth Saturday Breakfast we served 205 homeless men and women. There were no children in the group during September, but on some Saturday mornings children are present with their parent or parents. Seeing homeless children in the Community Kitchen is emotionally challenging for all of us.

          This is a wonderful outreach ministry, but only one of the many at Nativity. Our feeding ministries are really popular with our parishioners, and we have expanded them because of their popularity.

    - The Rev. Dr. William E. McGee

     

    St. Elmo Reading Center at Thankful Memorial

          For the fourth year, ECSET churches provided needy children with school supplies by supporting the ministry of the St. Elmo Reading Center, housed at Thankful Memorial. Backpacks filled with required school supplies and books to read at home were distributed to over 200 children at the Church of the First Born Summer MVP Program, the South Chattanooga Recreation Center, St. Andrew’s Center and even as far way as Appalachia.

          After existing only as a center in the church for several years, the Reading Center began going out to schools and churches to serve more children.  Volunteers now go with books to read to children at Cedar Hill Head Start, Calvin Donaldson School, after school programs at the Church of the First Born and the Chattanooga Recreation Center, Maurice Kirby Day Care Center and the Reading Center at Thankful. These locations are provided with an ongoing supply of books and volunteers who love the children and are inspiring them to enjoy reading.

          The ministry is spreading due to the generous contributions of the community and the gift of time from the volunteers. To volunteer or to help in any way, contact Linda Cooper, 304-0079 or Lindacoop@comcast.net.

    - Jill Fisher, Deacon


    Ministries at St. Thaddaeus’

          The Ministry Support Team at St. Thaddaeus’ recently hosted a cookout at the Hosanna House. The team plus a parish representative to Hosanna House from St. Thaddaeus’ met at the campus bearing hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixins’ necessary to have a spectacular get together.

          In other developments, St. Thaddaeus’ is working to begin a chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. This nationwide Episcopal men’s group is dedicated to community service and spreading the gospel by focusing on the development of boys and young men. Meetings focus on a study of the week’s upcoming gospel, prayer, reflection and discussion of possible projects.

          Each chapter aims to go into the community performing service projects and thereby spreading God’s love. Meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at St. Thaddaeus’. For more information contact Dee Taylor, 270-779-4616 or dee_taylor@bcbst.com.


    ECSET Clergy Changes

          The Rev. Leyla Kamalick, a transitional deacon from the Diocese of Western New York, was ordained a priest in September at Christ Church, South Pittsburg. 
          After serving for several years as Asst. Rector at Grace Episcopal, the Rev. Lou Parsons began as Rector of St. Francis in October.
          The Rev. David Bateman, former interim Rector at Thankful, is now interim Rector at a church in Pennsylvania.


    Support the Episcopal Metropolitan Ministry's Human Needs Fund

    This vital resource helps people in our area who need assistance with food, utilities, prescriptions and other critical necessities. Dona-tions are tax-deductible and go directly to those in need. All administrative expenses are funded through ECSET's budget. Please send your donation to:

    Episcopal Metropolitan Ministry
    1112 McCallie Ave.
    Chattanooga, TN 37404 

    To make your contribution in memory of or in honor of someone special, please indicate on a separate sheet of paper (1) the person's name, (2) "In Memory of" or "In Honor of," and (3) the name and address of anyone you would like us to notify regarding your gift.


    The Episcopal Commission of Southeast Tennessee, P.O. Box 37, Signal Mountain, TN  37377
    fisher4403@gmail.com