Nancy T Barnes, Missions & Outreach Chair at St. Stephens, recently sent the following report:

Here at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of Durham we have an informal ECW-type structure where women of common interests come together to share, care, and do service.

We make a contribution to the greater ECW each year to keep connected to this fine organization and participate in the United Thank Offering. Some of the groups are the Knitting Circle that, besides working on individual projects, knits prayer shawls to be blessed and given to shut-ins or parishioners in the hospital or in other need.

We have a Kitchen Ministry that gets together from time to time to spruce up the church kitchen which is used by many groups and see what additions to our serviceware are necessary. St. Stephen's formed a seniors group called Young At Heart in the fall of 2008 to meet on a regular basis with programs and trips of interest and service projects like the Durham Department of Social Services Share Your Christmas.

There is also a Book Group that meets monthly to share their thoughts on a selected book with spiritual content. None of the groups are limited to women, but seem to be composed of mostly woman. Thank you for letting us share some of the activities at St. Stephen's of Durham.