All Angels Church - Longboat Key, Sarasota

Organizations and Ministries

All Angels is an active and vibrant church. We provide many opportunities for involvement and participation through a variety of organizations and committees. Below you can find an alphabetical listing of ways that you can become involved.

Altar Guild
The work of our Altar Guild is vital to the beauty of our worship services. The guild sets up our altar for all services, maintains linens and vestments, and purchases and arranges altar flowers. They also maintain kits for shut-in Communions.

Art Gallery
Located next to the Narthex, the All Angels Art Gallery provides a pleasing entry to the church and a passageway to the Parish hall. The Gallery features works by area artists on a rotating basis. The church earns a small commission, dedicated to outreach, on every work that is sold.

Audit Committee
Once a year 15 - 20 volunteers conduct an internal audit. This is an important check of our financial records, inventory, and administrative procedures.

Cancer Support Group: See Wellness Group

Education Committee
The Education Committee works with the Rector to identify and provide Christian education opportunities. The Committee assists in the planning, publicity, and other support needs. All Angels offers programs that currently include:

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Fall/Advent program
Epiphany series
Lenten Lectures
Women's Bible Study
Men's Bible Study
Spiritual Retreats

Endowment Committee: See Legacy Committee

Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
All Angels Episcopal Church Women are known, both in the Church and the wider community, for their strong dedication to outreach. They meet monthly, October through May, for lunch and fellowship followed by an informative program or guest speaker. Our ECW plays an important part in our outreach. They hold two major fundraisers. A luncheon at Bird Key Yacht Club featuring a fashion show followed by a card party is held each January. An Opportunity Sale which takes place on the last Saturday in February attracts hundreds of shoppers from a wide area. Outreach funds distributed by the ECW benefit many local, national, and international organizations and charities (see Outreach).

Fellowship: See Social Committee

Finance Committee
The primary duty of the Finance Committee is the development and monitoring of an annual budget. The Committee also recommends financial policies and procedures to the Vestry.

Lay Ministry in Worship
Involvement of the laity is an integral part of every worship service at All Angels. Parishioners participate as greeters, ushers, lectors, chalice bearers, and servers. A specially trained and licensed group of Lay Eucharistic Ministers take communion to shut-ins. Vergers have been appointed to assist the Rector in the training and scheduling of lay participants.

Legacy Committee
The Committee manages a growing fund of over $300,000 to ensure the continued and future financial stability of the church. Some of the funds are designed to provide annual income for specific programs, such as music, while others, like the facilities fund, are held in reserve for unanticipated emergencies. The committee sponsors educational programs on the ways and the advantages of giving to the fund, and holds an annual St. Patrick's Party.

Library
A well stocked and professionally organized library is located in the Parish Hall. The ever-growing collection is maintained by volunteers.

Long Range Planning
Appointed by and accountable to the Vestry, the Long Range Planning Committee reviews, assesses, and reports on both parish and community needs in light of ever-changing demographics.

Men's Bible Study
The Men's Bible Study is an active, mission oriented, group that meets weekly on Tuesdays from October through May at 10 AM for a time of guided reflection, discussion, and Christian fellowship.

Men's Fellowship Group: See Sandpipers

Music Program

Our music program, led by Dale Huey, who joined the staff in April 2006, plays a vital part in our worship services. We enjoy the stunning renditions on our Rodgers 940 organ and a new Clavinova . We are proud of our musicians' contributions made to the community through several well received concerts open to the public.

Our dedicated choir composed of parish volunteers, augmented by professional singers, meets weekly on Thursday from October through May. They sing at all 10 AM Sunday services as well as on major feasts.

The two-octave handbell choir rehearses weekly and performs several times a year.

Newsletter
Our parish newsletter, The Sandpiper, is published approximately six times per year. Volunteers are actively involved in the composition of articles and assist with the copying and mailing phase of production.

Office Volunteers
This group of volunteers are called upon regularly to fold Sunday bulletins, prepare newsletter and special mailings, and give other office assistance as needed.

Outreach
Outreach has always been of prime importance to the people of All Angels. Funds for outreach are generated in particular through two events sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women, the annual budget, and special appeals. We support numerous projects locally, within the diocese, the nation, and beyond. Recent recipients include:

All Faiths Food Bank
Manatee College Chaplaincy
Sister Nora Brick (migrant farm workers ministry)
Resurrection House
Dominican Republic Development Group
Agape Flights
Sara Howell Fund
United Thank Offering
Church Periodical Club
The Pines of Sarasota
Living Waters
The Wellness Community
Kamp for Kids Scholarships
Tidewell Hospice
Senior Center (Meals on Wheels and Medical/Dental Assistance)
Coastal Behavior Health
Episcopal Relief and Development
In addition, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised in recent years to aid the victims of natural disasters such as the devastating hurricanes which swept Florida and the Gulf Coast.

Property Committee
The Committee oversees all aspects of our church's facilities and grounds, including our computer systems, insurance, contracts, and inventory record. The Committee and other volunteers are active maintaining our physical plant and beautiful grounds.

Sandpipers
The members of our men’s fellowship club, The Sandpipers, are ready and eager workers when and wherever needed. They willingly respond to calls for help for everything from the ECW Opportunity Sale to special event set ups in the parish hall. They meet monthly on the third Tuesday of the month (November through April) for a social time followed by lunch and a program of guest speakers.

Social Committee
The Social Committee's main purpose is to provide fellowship opportunities for parishioners and friends. Activities include:

The Dining Club - Those who participate in this monthly activity enjoy meeting and getting to know each other in a relaxed and social setting. The groups, consisting of 6-8 members, are regularly reconfigured. Currently approximately 70 parishioners take part in this activity.
Pot-luck Dinners celebrate special feasts and holidays, for example, Epiphany, Mardi Gras, Maundy Thursday (simple supper), July 4th
Theatre and other cultural outings
Chinese New Year and English "High Tea"
"Welcome Back" and "Farewell" events honoring our seasonal members
Annual Meeting luncheon

Stewardship
All Angels places the highest value upon Christian stewardship, and to that end the whole Vestry serves as our stewardship committee. We believe that stewardship goes beyond our commitment of time, talent, and treasure to encompass all facets of our life. Our support has been generously given over the years, not only to build, maintain and expand the church, but also to give to those in need beyond our doors. Time is given freely in all organizations that make us a whole living church. All Angels by the Sea has a wealth of talent, and as a cause arises, we find the answer in the natural endowments of our parishioners. Thus we strive to live out our personal stewardship through our constantly expanding ministries within and beyond the parish.

Welcome Committee
All Angels is known as a warm and friendly home. Welcoming visitors and newcomers is an essential part of our parish life. Our Greeters strive to make our visitors feel included from the time they arrive at the church entrance to the warm welcome extended by the Rector at the close of the service. A weekly Coffee Hour following the service provides an opportunity to get to know more about us. A Welcome Table located in the church entrance displays recent newsletters, brochures, and other informative material.

Wellness Group
The Wellness Group is a highly respected community cancer support program which meets in the parish hall every Monday at 2 PM. The program is not directly sponsored by the parish, but was initiated by parishioners and includes members of the parish among its regular participants. The Group continues to be a major recipient of our outreach funds.

Worship: See Lay Ministry

Women's Fellowship: See Episcopal Church Women

Women's Bible Study
The Women's Bible Study Group meets for a 6 week session "in season" for a time of sharing, discussion and guided reflection.