Resources
Community Resources
St. John’s, because of its location as a downtown church, is often asked where a person can get various needs met, such as getting medication or finding housing. Below is a list of the organizations in the Charleston community that St. John’s recommends, along with a brief description of the service(s) each provides and a link to their website. Unless otherwise noted, organizations listed below are not affiliated with St. John’s.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Support for those who struggle with alcohol abuse, meets weekly at St. John's. https://www.aa.org
Al-Anon
Support for family members of those who struggle with alcohol and substance abuse, meets weekly at St. John's. http://al-anon.org/
CARE (Coordinated Addiction Response Effort, through the City of Charleston)
Helps with overdose response and follow ups; mental health crisis response, treatment, and follow-ups; outreach to unsheltered and vulnerable individuals; connection to appropriate services/treatment; SUD (Substance Use Disorder) treatment options; family reunification; housing services; Narcan training/distribution; Birth Certificate, Social Security card, and ID retrievals; emergency insurance; transportation to services; emergency housing; and transportation out of the city for those who need assistance. https://www.charlestonwv.gov/node/1504
Covenant House
Offers housing assistance, food pantry, emergency assistance. https://wvcovenanthouse.org
Fairness WV
Lobbies for LGBTQ+ rights and provides information. https://fairnesswv.org
Kanawha Valley Collective
Does intakes for housing and other issues, as well as housing the clothing closet and lockers where homeless can store their packs, through an office in St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. https://www.kanawhavalleycollective.org/
Kanawha Valley Senior Services
Provides programs and services to seniors in the Kanawha Valley. https://kvss.org
Manna Meal
Serves breakfast and lunch daily without any charge at the former Garnett High building. mannameal.org
Mountain Mission
Assists individuals and families with unexpected emergency needs. https://mountainmission.com
REACH
Rape Crisis Center works to alleviate the suffering of those who have been victimized and eliminate sexual violence and stalking. https://www.fris.org
Religious Coalition for Community Renewal
Offers affordable housing solutions for West Virginians. https://www.rccr.org
Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center
Provides safe, temporary shelter and skills development for those who lack housing. https://www.roarksullivan.com
Sojourner’s Shelter for Homeless Women and Families
(Operated by the YWCA) provides emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless single women, women with children, men with custody of their children and intact families. https://www.ywcacharleston.org/sojourners
Women's Health Center of WV
Offers gynecological wellness care, birth control and family planning. https://www.womenshealthwv.org
WV Breast Health Initiative
Assists uninsured and underinsured patients with breast health. https://www.wvbhi.org
WV Free
Advocates for reproductive health rights. https://www.wvfree.org
WV Health Right
Provides free comprehensive medical care. https://wvhealthright.org
WV Sober Living
Provides clinical and social services to those affected with substance abuse. https://westvirginiasoberliving.com
YWCA
Provides critical support for child development, racial equality and those experiencing domestic violence. https://www.ywcacharleston.org
Episcopal Resources
St. John’s Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, which is a member of The Episcopal Church (TEC), and the Anglican communion. In addition to the links below, there are many sources of information about the TEC on the internet.
General Information
The Episcopal Church
www.episcopalchurch.org
The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ, in 108 dioceses and three mission areas in 22 nations or territories. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The website contains explanations of our beliefs, resources, and links to areas of interest.
The Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia
www.wvdiocese.org
A diocese of the Episcopal Church (TEC), it encompasses all 55 counties of West Virginia. Currently the diocese has 66 congregations led by the Rt. Rev. Matthew Davis Cowden who was consecrated as bishop diocesan in October, 2022.
The Rt. Rev. Matthew Davis Cowden
Matthew Davis Cowden - Wikipedia
The VIII Bishop of West Virginia.
News Sources
Episcopal News Service
www.episcopalnewsservice.org
The official news service of the Episcopal Church.
Anglican News Service
https://www.anglicannews.org
The official news source of the Anglican Communion
The Episcopal Journal & Café
https://episcopaljournal.org/author/episcopal-cafe
The Episcopal Journal & Café is a national publication, generally expanding upon the news found at the Episcopal News Service. They are devoted to informing and inspiring Episcopalians and those who want to know more about the Episcopal Church.
The Office of Public Affairs
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/public-affairs
The Public Affairs Office provides statistics, biographies, photos, background information, and other resources to media representatives reporting on the mission and ministries of The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Relief & Development
https://www.episcopalrelief.org/
Episcopal Relief & Development is an international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church. It was established in 1940 as the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. Episcopal Relief and Development works in approximately 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, and the Middle East. They build partnerships with local Episcopal and Anglican dioceses and related organizations based on need, capacity and available resources.
Worship
Biblical Words Pronunciation Guide
https://www.netministries.org/resources/resource-pronunciation-guide
This is a resource provided by Net Ministries that some of our Sunday readers have found helpful in the past as they try to pronounce some of the trickier names and words in the bible.
The Book of Common Prayer
The Online Book of Common Prayer (bcponline.org)
This publication contains the liturgy used within the Episcopal church, including the services of Holy Eucharist and Morning Prayer, as well as services and prayers for other occasions.
The Lectionary Page
https://www.lectionarypage.net
Utilizing the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of scripture texts following the liturgical year. This page includes links to the seasonal lectionary, daily office readings and Lesser Feasts and Fasts, the calendar of Saints in the Episcopal Church.
The Daily Office from Mission St. Clare
https://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html
This is a comprehensive online experience of the Daily Office designed for busy people who would not otherwise have time or resources to pray the Daily Office. A ministry of the Mission St. Clare, it includes liturgies for Morning and Evening Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Compline, and devotions for individuals and families, all from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
The 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church
The Hymnal 1982: according to the use of the Episcopal Church | Hymnary.org
Wonder Love and Praise, 1997
https://hymnary.org/hymnal/WLP1997
Wonder, Love and Praise is a supplemental to the 1982 Hymnal
Formation
Church Publishing Incorporated
https://www.churchpublishing.org
Church Publishing is the publisher and on-line bookstore of official worship materials, books, church supplies, music, and digital ministry resources for the Episcopal Church.