Serving our community

Serving in our community

We look for ways in which we can work together to embody Christ's love for our neighbours. This means helping one another to serve the places and people that we already encounter in our ordinary, everyday lives. It also means choosing a few selected avenues to work together in serving our neighbourhood.

Holding Cross Ministry

Launched in 2025 as part of our 75-year celebrations.

Our Holding Cross Outreach Initiative is a two-fold ministry born from a desire to extend God’s love in a tangible way and to provide financial support to a couple in our extended community. Through this initiative, we share the blessing of the Holding Cross while helping a local family in need sustain themselves through the work of their hands.

What is a Holding Cross?

A Holding Cross is a uniquely crafted wooden cross designed to fit comfortably in the palm of one’s hand. Unlike traditional crosses, the Holding Cross features smooth, rounded edges and an ergonomic design, making it practical and soothing to hold. It is particularly beneficial for individuals with limited hand mobility, such as those with arthritis or other physical challenges.

Why is it Useful and Practical?

The Holding Cross serves as a tool for comfort and reflection. Its design makes it easy to hold, especially for people in hospitals, hospices, or nursing homes. Whether used during personal prayer or shared with others in need, the Holding Cross is a source of reassurance and spiritual connection.

How Can a Holding Cross Be Used?

Prayer and Reflection: Holding the cross during prayer can deepen one’s spiritual focus and connection.
Gift of Comfort: Offering a Holding Cross to someone who is grieving, ill, or in distress provides a meaningful reminder of God’s presence.
Everyday Reminder: Carry it in a pocket or bag for a discreet reminder of faith or place it on a desk or nightstand for inspiration throughout the day.
Family Heirloom: It can become a cherished keepsake, symbolizing one’s faith journey and providing comfort to loved ones.

How Does This Ministry Bless Others?

The Holding Cross ministry offers blessings in two significant ways:

To the Recipients: Each cross serves as a physical reminder of God’s unwavering love and presence. Whether gifted to a friend, child, or stranger, it brings comfort and peace.
To the Couple Behind the Ministry: The Holding Crosses are lovingly crafted by a couple in our extended community. Despite physical challenges, they use their woodworking skills to create these crosses. All proceeds from the sale of the Holding Crosses directly support their basic needs, such as food and electricity.

Supporting Our Ministry

By purchasing a Holding Cross, you not only acquire a meaningful symbol of faith but also contribute to the well-being of this couple. Each cross is available at the church for R15, with all funds going directly to support them.

Where to Find the Holding Crosses

Our Holding Crosses are available for purchase at the parish. They are perfect for personal use, as gifts for loved ones, or as a means to share God’s love with those in need.

Join us in spreading comfort, faith, and love through the Holding Cross Outreach Initiative—a ministry that blesses both the giver and the receiver.

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Nahoon Community Outreach

Nahoon Community Outreach (NCO), was established in 2019 as a collaboration among some of the churches in the greater Nahoon area, working together to support and uplift the poor and unemployed coming into our neighbourhoods in a loving and sustainable manner. NCO was established under the statement, "To feed the hungry work-seekers, and encourage them to cultivate a work ethic and to provide them with jobs skills, and introduce them to Jesus in a real way."

St Michael's has an active and leadership role in the ecumenical NCO, which is a working to support and uplift the poor and unemployed through a phased pathway, requiring the faithful commitment of participants, NCO works to support them along the way towards personal growth and responsible citizenship.

The current Nahoon Community Outreach churches include

Nahoon Methodist Church
St Albans Anglican Church
St Michael's Anglican Church
Stirling Baptist Church

Nahoon Community Outreach beliefs

Community - To restore hope by forming relationships where we can demonstrate the agape of Jesus Christ. It may be a bit worn, but we exist to give a hand-up, not just a hand-out.
Work Skills - Through a series of worker readiness workshops and CV building programmes, we aim to assist community members in acquiring and retaining jobs.
Meals & Support - To meet the immediate needs of its community through weekly soup kitchens and meal packs while getting to know members and spreading the Gospel of Jesus.

NCO Activities

Feeding the hungry

As a member of NCO, we believe that one cannot meaningfully share the Gospel with people who are hungry. The NCO runs two soup kitchens each week on a Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 wherein soup that has been made and donated by members of the churches is warmed up and handed out to those in need along with some bread. The soup meets the immediate need for a warm meal in an empty belly.

Upskilling the community

NCO runs weekly worker readiness workshops where representatives from local businesses tell the work seekers the characteristics of the people they would consider hiring. Regular attendees of these workshops then move on to a Job Club, where they are encouraged to network and search for jobs actively. They learn to tailor their CV's for specific posts and are provided facilities to email their applications. The Job Club also aims to encourage and help entrepreneurial-minded participants start their own small businesses.

Support NCO

If you would like to support NCO and what we're doing you can support us in the following ways...

Making soup and donating it to NCO in 2 litre ice-cream containers to St Michael's or any of the other NCO churches. Soup donations can be dropped off at the church during office hours (Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:30pm or after a Sunday service). The various churches in NCO all have a number of freezers so all soup donations can be kept safely frozen.
Donating loaves of bread to St Michael's or any of the other NCO churches. Bread donations can also be dropped off at the church during office hours (Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:30pm or after a Sunday service). Our deep freezers can also be used to safely freeze loaves of bread to keep them fresh.
Volunteering to help serve at the soup kitchens on a Tuesday or Thursday from 12:00-13:00 or volunteering to pack dry meals on a Thursday morning from 10:00-11:30.
Donating financially to NCO either directly to NCO using the banking details below or through donations to St Michael's using "NCO" as a reference.

Contact details

For more information about NCO or on how to get involved in this exciting venture contact:

067 730 7405
email - nahooncommunityoutreach@gmail.com

Banking Details

Account Name: NCO/LIA Trust Account

Bank - First National Bank

Account No: 62842296726

Branch No: 250655

Reference: #NCO

NB: NCO is a fully registered NGO meaning that Tax Certificates can be issued to any donations made directly to NCO using the banking details above. If you or your business require a Tax Certificate please contact NCO using the phone number or email address above.

Charity Shop

The Charity Shop is a programme that collects or receives donations of preloved BUT gently worn clothes for low-cost resale to people in our wider community.

We now have permanent shop set up and we are open on a Wednesday for sales

All of the proceeds are donated to children-orientated outreach.

Food Pantry

It has come to our attention that during in these challenging economic times, many individuals and families in our community are facing food insecurity. St. Michael's Church is NOW having a food pantry to provide essential support to those in need. We kindly request you continue your generous donations of non-perishable foods to help us make a difference in their lives.

What Can You Donate? We are seeking donations of non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, and other long-lasting food items. These non-perishable items will allow us to create wellrounded food packages that can sustain individuals and families in need.
Why Your Donation Matters. Your contribution can have a profound impact on the lives of those currently struggling to make ends meet. By donating non-perishable foods, you are providing nourishment and hope to families who are facing difficult times. Together, we can make sure that nobody in our community goes to bed hungry. Donation can be dropped off at the church during office hours and before-or-after services in the box labelled and provided in the church foyer.

Join us in lending a helping hand to those in need. Your donation of non-perishable foods will make a tremendous difference in their lives. Together, we can ensure that everyone has access to basic necessities, even during these trying times.

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