| Praise Dancers St. Simon's Praise Dancers is a group of young people, ages 2-1/2 to 17 years, boys and girls, who exprese praise to God in dance. Organized in 2003, the troupe has performed at neighboring churches, senior centers, in secular venues, and often as a part of our Sunday worship. These young people are receiving recognition in the wider diocese as well as around the Cincinnati area. For More information. |
| Youth Ministry Youth ministry at St. Simon's is varied. In addition to the Praise Dancers, our young people participate in a variety of activities in the parish and diocese. Many of our youth participate in the summer camp programs at Procter Conference Center, and some aspire to leadership roles in that program. They also participate in other diocesan youth programs such as Genesis, Exodus, trips to Washington, DC, New York City, and Russia. Our Church School program is considered to be a part of the youth ministry, with Sunday morning classes for younger children, and a Bible study class for junior and senior high young people. The same treasure of young people also provides the Acolytes who assist in worship. For More information. Back to Top |
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Most groups within the congregation extend themselves into outreach activities. Daily Vacation Bible School is designed to be more outreach than a Christian education offering, although the latter is a factor. Re-established in 2003 after a 25 year absence, this annual five day offering now draws several dozen young people from around the area. All ages of St. Simon's people participate in making the program a growing success. Other outreach activities include offerings the Parish Health Ministry makes available to the wider community, quilts made for residents of nursing homes by the Sewing Club, and parish participation in the Valley Interfaith Ministries program -- an ecumenical ministry providing for the needs of poorer people in the Mill Creek Valley area. A further outreach project is the annual "Back to School Picnic" given by the Parish Health Ministry on a Saturday in August. Students from the area are invited to participate in games, entertainment, and a picnic. Prizes of backpacks are awarded and a large quantity of school supplies is distributed among the children. Attendance has grown each year, and at least one other area church has since instituted a similar program. For More information. Back to Top |
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Emerging from a diocesan wide program, the St. Simon's Parish Health Ministry has become full-grown very quickly. In addition to several health screenings each year, educational materials and programs are shared with the congregation in an effort to improve our peoples' well-being. In addition to healthy lifestyle teaching, the ministry works hard to promote good nutrition. Several members of the parish who work in health care fields assist with the program. The PHM also sponsored the annual "Back to School Picnic." For More information. Back to Top |
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Currently there are three choirs at St. Simons's. The Senior Choir supports our worship at the 10:00 Eucharist on a regular basis. The Gospel Choir leads our music one Sunday a month except in the summer. The Youth Choir presents musical offerings at least once each month, especially on the Youth Sundays. We have hopes of being able to offer a jazz mass in the not too distant future. For More information. Back to Top |
| Sewing Club Several of the women meet each Monday morning to work on various sewing projects. Their primary output is handcrafted quilts, although other projects are always in evidence. Quilts have been given to all new babies in the parish, to residents of area nursing homes, and to many of the sick and shut-in. Some masterpiece quilts are raffled each year and a Christmas bazaar is given to help financially support the program. |
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Every congregation has an Altar Guild to care for the things of the Altar and worship. St. Simon's enjoys an exceptionally fine group of people who take pride in this vital ministry. Often unseen and unsung, these women go about their work as a part of their devotion. Business meetings are held quarterly, led by the co-directors of the guild. For More information. Back to Top |
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St. Simon's Church has a very active chapter of the Episcopal Church Women. Meetings are held monthly following the 10:00 Service. The activities and ministry of the ECW are wide-ranging, but primarily support the mission and ministry of the parish in ways not always realized. Their efforts make a significant contribution to the annual budget of the parish. The most visible aspect of this ministry is the annual "Women's Day" when a speaker is brought in and the "Woman of the Year" award is given. The ECW also holds an annual retreat for members and friends at a nearby conference center in Indiana. For More information. Back to Top |
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The name of our men's group is a bow to a period in St. Simon's history when young men were a part of this ministry. Now those young men are more involved in youth activities. The purpose of the group's efforts is to serve the life and outreach of the parish. Each year the men collect turkeys and other food items for distribution as Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to needy families in the area. The men sponsor a major fund-raiser for the parish annually at a nearby community recreation center -- which has the additional blessing of much fellowship. The annual "Men's Day," held on the secular Fathers' Day, brings in an outside speaker and designates the "Man of the Year" recipient. The men also sponsor the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper each year. They also, not insignificantly, contribute much physical labor around the buildings and grounds. For More information. Back to Top |
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St. Simon's Vestry consists of nine members serving three year terms each and two wardens serving two year terms each. Additionally, a youth representative, the treasurer, and secretary may serve in ex-officio capacities if they don't happen to be regular members of the Vestry. Monthly meetings are begun with an informal celebration of the Holy Eucharist around the meeting table. The mission of the Vestry is to care for the temporal affairs of the congregation and to seek to enable all the other ministries coming out of our life together. The Vestry is assisted in its work by a finance committee, a property committee, a worship committee, and the trustees of the endowment fund. A long-range planning committee has been in place for some months and has largely completed its work and submitted its recommendations to the Vestry. For More information. Back to Top |
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This is a ministry of mentoring children of incarcerated parents. The word KONNECT means Connecting Our Neighborhoods & Nurturing Every Child Together. The goal of KONNECT is to mentor youth ages 4-18 years old who are “children of promise.” Ohio has the seventh largest prison population in the nation. More than 6,000 children in Hamilton, Butler, and Clermont counties have at least one parent incarcerated in Ohio prisons. Through positive adult mentors, KONNECT seeks to improve outcomes in these children’s lives in the areas of: Academic success, positive social interactions, positive self concepts, positive values and constructive use of time. The commitment to this program for every mentor is one hour per week for one year. For More information. Back to Top. |
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This is an After-School tutoring ministry in partnership with Lincoln Heights Elementary School. Over 20 students spend two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays of every week being tutored in the areas of reading and math. This ministry is supported by volunteers from the parish and persons who are friends of the parish. We are also grateful to the collaboration between St. Simon's and Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church who provide the needed transportation to ensure all children in the program are taken directly to their doors after the program. |