Missions and Ministry

The mission statement of St. Matthias' church states:

The community of St. Matthias’ Episcopal Church follows

Jesus Christ, loves and serves in His name, and encourages

others to join us in this journey.

We see our dedication to this mission best served locally and globally. Within our parish family, we strive to identify and satisfy the common needs of our members. We continue this mission through our outreach programs both in and outside our local community.

An early outreach project was to assist in establishing a mission church in Clayton, Georgia. The first service was held in the Clayton Community Center on June 1, 1958, with a Lay Reader from St. Matthias’, John Dillon, conducting morning prayer. We continued to provided lay leadership until June 1961.

Feeding the hungry has always been a priority for our parish. Initially St. Matthias’ joined with the Presbyterian Church to found the Toccoa Soup Kitchen, then in 2000, the Rite 13 class took this a step further by starting the St. Matthias’ Food Pantry. This ministry has grown steadily over the years. Now with the help of 29 volunteers from within the parish, the Food Pantry is open 4 days a week. Donations from church members cover over 70% of the food pantry's costs and in 2008, the pantry fed over 2,000 individuals.

We support community volunteer organizations and have members who are strongly involved in organizations such as Open Arms Clinic, Shirley's Homeless Shelters, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, the Circle of Hope and the Salvation Army Angel Tree.

After the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, a companion relationship was formed with St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Orleans. A group called ‘Nail by Nail’ was formed in 2006, and has made two mission trips to New Orleans to aid in that regions healing and recovery.

Our church is always open to groups and continues to serve as a meeting place for Alcoholics Anonymous and an Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group. The doors to our chapel are never locked and anyone desiring a place for quiet meditation or to walk our labyrinth is welcome.

The majority of parishioners responding to our survey see our parish as warm and caring and when asked why they became members of St. Matthias’ many say they were impressed by the involvement they saw demonstrated by our members in the local community. Parishioners support these ministries with their time and talents.

| | Share