It gives me great pleasure to announce that St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is committed to developing a second Table within the Open Table Mission. We are having such a transformative experience with the Sister that we are serving at our first Table – and it is now time to begin the process of developing a second Table, hopefully launching it in October or November of this year.
As you may recall, Open Table trains 10-12 volunteers through the Open Table Model to form communities – called Tables – that use their vocational and life experiences as tools to serve someone who is experiencing some kind of impoverishment in their lives. Volunteers commit for approximately a year to serve in community and build relationships with that person and with each other. Perhaps the person to be served will be a young person aging out of the Foster care system, or someone who is homeless. Maybe the person to be served is working their way out of a problem area – perhaps someone on Probation or someone surviving a background of physical and/or emotional violence.
Whatever the need, together with the Brother or Sister being served, the Table develops and implements a Life Plan that empowers that person to transform their life and grow into their God given potential. As they move toward their goals, the volunteers are there to support them by way of their own life experiences and their network of contacts that will help the Brother or Sister on their personal journey to transformation.
It is our hope that the members who will volunteer for the second Table will not only be members of St. Philip’s, but also will come from other churches within the faith community of Uvalde, reflecting the makeup of our first Table – which is also a reflection of the mission of Open Table.
So let’s come together in love and good will, and do the important work of building relationships with a person (or family) who is ready to move toward the goals that will sustain them in the life they were meant to lead.
We are offering two Information Meetings about the Open Table Mission in Uvalde and how you can become an Open Table Volunteer. Please bring a couple of your friends or family to learn about this special volunteer opportunity.
Hear personally about Open Table from Judge Camile DuBose, Father Michael Marsh, and some of the members from Table #1 who will share their Open Table experiences with you. A Question/Answer session will follow.
INFORMATION MEETINGS will be held
- Sunday, August 27th at 4:30, and
- Sunday, September 10th at 4:30
If you have wanted to make a real difference in the lives of others, this is your opportunity. Come and learn how you can help transform the life of another and also experience your own transformation by way of that relationship. You can truly make a difference by participating in the caring relationships and camaraderie that happen around the Open Table. Come and learn how you can become a part of this vital movement.
I will look forward to seeing you there.
Barbara Edwards, Open Table Mission Leader
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church