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Ministries at St. Mary's

St. Mary's is a church built on volunteer ministries, with parishioners actively involved in nearly every aspect of church life. Our ministries are organized into committees, each supported by dedicated members and Vestry liaisons. Every member is encouraged to participate in a ministry that reflects their gifts and passion. Would you like to get involved? We'd love to help you find a ministry that's meaningful to you!

Parish Ministries

  • Christian Formation—Providing faith education and spritual growth opportunities for all ages.
  • Finance—Supporting the Vestry in overseeing and managing church finances.
  • Outreach—Leading efforts to serve and support the wider community through various ministries.
  • Parish Life—Organizing social events and fellowship opportunities that bring our community together.
  • Property & Grounds—Maintaining and beautifying our church facilities and grounds.

Outreach Ministries

At St. Mary's, we are committed to Reaching Out in love to serve our neighbors—both locally and globally. Below are some of the ways our Outreach Ministry is making a difference.

Blessing Box

A mini food pantry that provides food for anyone who might need it anonymously 24 hours a day. Members of the community may add to it when they can, and the Outreach Members fill it three times per week from a stocked pantry in the church. Leave what you can. Take what you need. Above all be blessed.

Parish Coordinator: Lauren Darnell

St. Mary statue.

Community Outreach

Community Outreach is an evening of fabulous food and fellowship enjoyed by parishioners and our neighbors! Flyers are posted in our church neighborhood inviting people to dinner at Saint Mary's, the Outreach Ministry prepares the main course, and parishioners bring a dessert. Getting to know those living in our community and providing a meal to those who may be less fortunate is the mission of Community Outreach. Please join us!

Parish Coordinator: Lauren Darnell

Education = Hope

A non–profit organization that we partner with to provide Hope to nearly 400 students in the South of Haiti each year. We help support two ministry sites: Les Cayes where 100–150 students receive tuition assistance sponsorship and Cavaillon where 250 students attend Ecole St. Esprit, an Episcopal school.

Parish Coordinator: Joyce Pipkin

St. Mary statue.

House of Peace (HOP)

A Christian non-profit transitional home for up to 18 men in Lexington dedicated to assist its residents toward a sober, stable and transformed life. We collect paper goods and other household items once a year for the HOP on our Red Wagon Sunday. Some of the residents volunteer to help us serve on Saint Mary's day at Lunch on Lawn.

Parish Coordinator: Joyce Pipkin

St. Mary statue.

Kairos Prison Ministry

A weekend retreat with the mission to share the message of Jesus Christ and develop a Christian community inside the prisons. It impacts the hearts and lives of the incarcerated, encouraging them to become loving and productive citizens of their communities. Saint Mary's hosts the volunteer staff twice each year providing the facility for preparation activities to conduct the Kairos weekend.

Parish Coordinator: Marion Spruill

St. Mary statue.

Lunch on the Lawn (LOL)

Twice a year Saint Mary's volunteers serve a meal to the homeless and others in need at Hope Plaza on Main and Elmwood Streets in downtown Columbia. In addition, donated shoes, clothing, toiletries and other items are distributed to the 100+ appreciative patrons of this event. Everyone is welcome to serve!

Parish Coordinator: Sarah Edwards

St. Mary statue.

Mission Lexington

A social services agency serving residents of Lexington County. Originally named Lexington Interfaith Community Services (LICS), it was begun by a coalition of local churches and provides food, clothing, and some financial services for our neighbors in need. It also operates a thrift store to generate funds for services. It is located at 216 Harmon St. in Lexington. There are many opportunities to volunteer–call (803) 785–6900 for information.

Parish Coordinator: Birch Cannon

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)

A faith–based non–profit organization providing pilots, mechanics, teachers, and technology workers who partner with hundreds of missionary organizations, global non–profits and local church leaders to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people in isolated places around the world.

Parish Coordinator: Joyce Pipkin

St. Mary statue.

Red Wagon

This is an opportunity for all parishioners to easily contribute to and feel part of every Outreach ministry throughout the year. All are invited to bring items requested by one of our sponsoring ministries on Red Wagon Sunday. The items are then blessed by the priest during the Offertory and then delivered to the ministry. In this way, we promote personal involvement, church unity, and community support.

Parish Coordinator: Outreach

St. Mary statue.

Serving Neighborhood Schools (SNS)

St. Mary's partners with two neighborhood schools: Leaphart Elementary and Seven Oaks Elementary. Each school has approximately 500 students, with about 100 teachers and staff. We support them by contributing school supply items, books, and teacher appreciation treats. We also work with the school guidance counselors and social workers to provide Christmas gifts for selected students through our Angel Tree project. Each activity requires many volunteers to be successful.

Parish Coordinator: Diana Cannon

St. Mary statue.

Sharing God's Love (SGL)

SGL is a local cooperative ministry established in 1984 that works with the community's families and individuals facing emergencies related to their basic living needs. SGL operates as an extension of the churches in the Irmo, St. Andrews and Ballentine areas and is committed to the call of Jesus Christ to serve the poor and needy.

Parish Coordinator: June Mackie

Snack Pack

We assemble and deliver bags of healthy snack foods to children at Leaphart Elementary School. Every Friday during the school year snack packs are distributed to children who would have little or nothing to eat on weekends.

Parish Coordinator: Tracy Matthews

St. Mary statue.

Trunk or Treat

Saint Mary's hosts a Trunk or Treat event each October to provide a neighborhood Halloween celebration. Costumed Parish volunteers decorate their vehicles, hand out treats, and serve hotdogs or pizza to very thankful neighborhood families. We receive hundreds of smiles, thanks, and blessings from excited, happy children from our community.

Parish Coordinator: Amanda Mulalley

St. Mary statue.

Weekend of Hope

Weekend of Hope is a spiritual retreat sponsored by His Hands Ministries, Inc., a local non–profit organization, offered twice a year for up to 15 individuals experiencing homelessness. Participants are interviewed/selected with recommendations from individuals who minister to and serve the homeless on a regular basis. Each year we provide scholarships for two participants to attend the retreat. Staff members for the retreat include volunteers from Saint Mary's and other area churches as well as previous participants.

Parish Coordinator: Joyce Pipkin

St. Mary statue.

Emergency Relief / Reserve Fund

Saint Mary's love and generosity reaches beyond our local communities to distant areas suffering from crises and disasters. During the recent past, Outreach has given financial support for Emergency Aid to the victims of

  • floods in Kentucky
  • Hurricanes in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Western North Carolina (Hurricane Helene)
  • War in Ukraine
  • Earthquakes in Turkey
  • Tornadoes in Mississippi
  • Wildfires in Hawaii and California

For more information about Outreach Ministries, contact Lauren Darnell, Outreach Chair, or any of our Outreach Ministry Parish Coordinators.

Scouting America

St. Mary's sponsors a Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack. Scouts do a Youth Sunday, where they conduct most of the Sunday service. They also collect contributions for Sharing God's Love on Souper Bowl Sunday.

Parish Coordinator: Gwen Longino

St. Mary statue.