Little church, big heart

Submitted by Dennis Stachelski

During times like these when most of the news we hear is depressing or just plain bad, it’s nice to know that there is still good being done out there. In the heart of Costa Mesa, under the shadow of many larger church communities, is a little parish with a huge capacity for good and giving.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Costa Mesa is a relatively small congregation and could easily be overlooked within the big picture of southern California or, for that matter, Orange County. This small group’s capacity for giving of itself goes well beyond its physical size. As an example this week let’s take a look at one of its ministries that sprang up from a perceived need within its neighborhood.

For over a year now, on the second Friday of each month an event called Friday with Friends takes place in the church’s parish hall. Friday with Friends is an invitation to dinner and fellowship extended to the residents of St. John’s Manor, the low-income senior housing adjacent to the church. Meals are planned with the thought in mind of providing these guests with a meal that they may not prepare for themselves, as well as something reflecting the season. For example, the November dinner was Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings; during the summer, the dinners are bbq’s. At the start the group was small; they ate and then quickly went back home. Now the group has grown to sometimes over half the Manor residents; they stay late talking and having a great time among themselves and with church members. All this special effort is appreciated by the Manor residents, as is apparent in the conversations over dinner and when the express how much they look forward to this event every month. Their appreciation even extended to donations they took up among themselves that allowed the church to purchase a new refrigerator for the church kitchen.

This is just a small example of St. John’s congregation’s ability to see a need and address it in its own unique style. There are many other grassroots programs and ministries that go far beyond the physical walls of the church campus. These programs and ministries touch the community by helping to address its needs. All this comes from the generosity and giving spirit of the small parish with the big heart in the heart of Orange County.