The Community Outreach Commission coordinates the ministries to help make Disciples, work for social Justice and Right to Life, get volunteers to serve the Parish, and help to insure the parishioners are kept informed about what is happening in the parish.  Its scope includes outreach to both the parish membership and the larger community, either in the neighborhood or beyond.  The ministries include:

• Neighborhood Net
• Bulverde Food Pantry
• Social Justice
• Respect Life Ministry
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul

 

Staff:	Deacon Ken Nickel, Pastoral Coordinator
Pastoral Council:	Maryetta Schmiedekamp
	Rudy Gonzalez

Neighborhood Net

The Neighborhood Net Ministry extends St. Joseph – Honey Creek hospitality, evangelization, community life, and pastoral care into the neighborhood of every parishioner.  By personally welcoming every new parishioner, inviting every Catholic family to a more active participation in our community life at both parish and neighborhood levels, and offering our presence and assistance from within each neighborhood, we will answer the call of God to live and spread His Word throughout our Texas Hill Country community.

Neighborhood Coordinators will establish a contact list of all parishioners in their area of responsibility.  These volunteer coordinators, through regular contact with the parishioners within their area, will:

• be alert to identify potential needs such as: transportation, Eucharist to the homebound, Stephen Ministry, hospitalization, anointing, and St. Vincent de Paul.
• welcome newcomers to the parish with a home visit to deliver the welcome package and encourage involvement in stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
• foster a sense of community by encouraging social functions, study groups like RENEW, and home blessings to promote hospitality and friendship.
• promote evangelization among those Catholics who are not active in their faith or not involved in stewardship of time and talent.
• be on the alert for emergency needs, hospitalization, accidents, and crisis with family members not living in the area.
• be a medium for communications to and from parishioners.

The bottom line — we want all parishioners to know we care about them and want a network to put us close to them so we can help anyone in need.

Contact:

Tom & Lynn Brod

Bulverde Food Pantry

We are a community based service organization that helps people in crisis by supplying food, clothing, and limited financial help, as well as referrals to other support agencies for improvement of the quality of life.

Contact:

Joe McNaul

Social Justice

The mission of the Social Justice Ministry is to protect, enhance, and promote the four principles of the Church's Social Doctrine: the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity in our parish, community, and beyond.  This is accomplished through prayer, education, advocacy, and community organizing related to social justice issues and/or campaigns.

Our vision is to be the living Body of Christ committed to the Gospel call “…As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34) and to be an effective resource and positive influence advocating the Church's social justice issues.

Contact:

Cynthia Guerra

Respect Life Ministry

In response to the Gospel of Life, the members of Respect Life commit themselves to prayer, education, and action in defense of life. It is our purpose to foster an awareness of the dignity and sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death. We are dedicated to observing, and promoting the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on all life issues. Some of these include: abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, stem cell research, the death penalty and helping the poor, less fortunate, sick and lonely of the world.

Contact:

Mary Mac Gittinger

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) ministry is to provide the necessities of life and spiritual comfort to the poor and economically depressed families and members of our parish and community in their time of need.

Services include:

• Food supplementation
• Emergency food relief
• Collection and distribution of clothing
• Referral to local programs providing additional support
• Mentoring: The role of mentoring is to work with families supported by SVDP to help them break out of the cycle of poverty. This includes help to the adult family member and the mentoring of children primary to assist in their educational needs. This includes language, spiritual, and life skills to mothers who come to classes on days of food pickup. The Mentor will:
  
  • Listen to their needs/concerns and offer advice (if appropriate)
  • Pray with their client family.
  • Research areas for appropriate referral of assistance.
  • Become an advocate.
  • Share life skills that may help the family make their decisions (when appropriate)

SVDP Conference President:	Don Kellner
SVDP Mentoring Program Contact:	Maryetta Schmiedekamp