St Stephen's Outreach

The 2007 Mission Action Plan of St. Stephen's Church proposed the formation of an Outreach Committee;to be established to look at special outreach activities for us to get involved in. The objective of the St Stephen's Outreach Group is;To be a visible and caring member of the wider community; St Stephen's has always been involved in outreach through various groups within the Church, eg GFS, Youth Group, Ladies Guild, Playgroup, Care group, Social Committee and more recently our Centennial celebrations. Contact: Fr David 9729 2092, if you are interested in any of the activities below.

Our Outreach activities include:

Bayswater West Primary Schools;s BIG BREAKFASTS These are served to each grade in turn on the first Friday of the month. The breakfast provides an opportunity for children to enjoy a nutritious meal in a friendly environment, providing a good start to the day. Socialising with their friends, teachers and volunteers. Children and volunteers alike enjoy the benefits. Co-ordinator: Alison Thompson

Blessing of the Animals Bayswater West Primary School students are invited to bring their pets to St Stephen's Church to be blessed at the service of St Francis of Assisi. This activity was well received.

Ad Hoc Outreach activities include: St Stephen's Outreach group participated in a Street Play event, to launch the Mothers Living Well Bayswater plan;, organised by the Knox Community Health Service and Knox City Council. The event aimed to increase community connectedness and a sense of belonging. Other participants included Bluehills Maternal and Health Centre, Bayswater West Primary School and the Bayswater Bowls Club.

Kid's Hope Aus
One hour. One child. One church. One school.

Kid's Hope Aus, currently under the World Vision banner is a program that provides one-on-one mentoring for vulnerable primary school children through a long term partnership between a church and a local primary school. Each mentor is a caring adult who provides one hour a week of mentoring with one child exclusively for a minimum commitment of one year.

In this case, St Stephen's Anglican Church is partnered with Bayswater South Primary School. The program has operated for one year and we are now commencing our second year in 2010.

Mentors are long-standing members of the Church community, who volunteer to give one hour a week of their time to mentor a child and provide educational, emotional and social support for that child.

The Church also provides a prayer partners for each mentor and child.

There are two coordinators for the program are. Jean Bellis and Ainslie Ellis who recruit and train the mentors, provide on-going support for mentors and are the liaison point with the school. They also identify prayer partners for each mentor and child.

For more information about the Kid's Hope Aus Program Australia wide see http://www.worldvision.com.au/getinvolved/kha/

For more information about Kid's Hope Aus at St. Stephen's please contact Father David by telephone or email.

Care Group

The Care Group is responsible for,

1) Regular collection of groceries donated by the congregation, and distribution of same, to local agencies for relief food parcels.

2) Collation and distribution of Christmas Hampers to needy families within the Bayswater area.

3) Organizing a twice yearly “Community Lunch” for any disadvantaged persons or families who live within the Knox area.

4) Liaising with local welfare agencies.

5) Providing emergency meals to congregation members or others within the community when requested.

The Care Group meets on the first Friday of the Month at 1pm.

Our Care Group conducts two Community Lunches throughout the year. 

St Stephen's, Pastoral Care

The Pastoral Care team consists of the vicar and two members of the congregation.

The main objective is to provide regular home visits to members of our congregation, paying particular attention to our elderly and house-bound members.

The team also visits members who are unwell both at home and in hospital.The Care Group is responsible for,