Micah 6:8 “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Church of the Nativity seeks to live into our Baptismal Covenant of respecting the dignity of all and striving for justice and peace. Through support of outside agencies as well as our own ministries, we strive to model The Episcopal Church’s work of racial reconciliation, healing and justice, guided by the church’s principles of Becoming Beloved Community.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please Email Becky Showalter or Email Beth Crow.
Below is a list of some of the ways Nativity lives out our Baptismal Covenant.
- Episcopal Habitat Build
- Nativity Raleigh-Apex NAACP Scholarship Fund
- Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
- Nativity Peace Library
- Farm to Church CSA
- ONE Wake
Episcopal Habitat Build
Church of the Nativity joins other area Episcopal churches in co-funding and constructing a Habitat for Humanity House for hard-working families in need of affordable housing in Wake County. Nativity has been a strong supporter of this program for many years.
The mission of Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is to put God’s love into action by partnering with families who live or work in Wake County to build and purchase safe, affordable homes. For more information from Habitat Wake regarding the Episcopal Build program, go to the Habitat for Wake website.
For information on Nativity’s participation in Habitat for Humanity, Email Dave McKinnon.
Nativity Raleigh-Apex NAACP Scholarship Fund
As part of Nativity’s mission to work towards building Beloved Community, in partnership with the Raleigh-Apex NAACP, we have established the Nativity Raleigh-Apex NAACP Scholarship Fund. Nativity sends its contributions to the Raleigh-Apex NAACP, which then discerns and selects students from historically marginalized communities who will receive a $1000 scholarship. Nativity has been able to provide eight scholarships each year since the fund started in 2020.
Donations can be made on the Church of the Nativity: Donate page; be sure to go to the Select the Fund drop-down menu and select Nativity Raleigh-Apex NAACP Scholarship Fund. If you prefer to send a check to the church, please write “Scholarship Fund” in the memo line. The Nativity / Raleigh-Apex NAACP Scholarship is also a part of Nativity’s Day of Giving.
Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
The Episcopal Farmworker Ministry is a joint project of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina that began in 1982 and is based in Dunn, NC. EFWM works with agricultural workers (farmworkers, meat processing plant workers, and workers from nurseries, packing houses and poultry, swine, or livestock farms) and immigrant families in Eastern rural NC. The ministry coordinates direct services, leadership programs, community education programs, and advocacy in support of the community. The majority of people served live or work in Duplin, Harnett, Johnston, Lenoir, and Sampson counties. Church of the Nativity has a longstanding commitment of support to EFWM through direct interaction and through donations of money, clothes, and food. For more information, visit the ministry website linked above or Email Pete Crow.
Nativity Peace Library
In the spring of 2022, the Nativity Peace Library was established by the Social Justice Team to provide a collection of children’s books that share Nativity’s core values of welcome and inclusion and that celebrate diversity among God’s people. Children can enjoy the books while relaxing in bean bags at the back of the church or they can check them out to take home. Several book reviews, along with activities, can be found at the Nativity Peace Library Book Review page.
We are in conversation with other Episcopal parishes about how we might share this ministry in order to reach more children.
If you would like to get involved by maintaining our current collection of books, writing book reviews, or even brainstorming ideas on the Peace Library, please contact Beth Crow.
Farm to Church CSA
Nativity partners with a growing number of Raleigh congregations in a program to support local Black farmers. The program, called Farm to Church Community Supported Agriculture or CSA, was launched by the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA). CSAs have become a popular way for consumers (CSA members) to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer and to build a caring relationship with that farmer. The members buy a share of a farmer’s production up-front that helps the farm’s cash flow and allows the farmer to plan their crop production in a way that limits food waste and farm expenses. The members benefit by receiving weekly fresh and nutritious farm products. To learn more, please Email Carl Sigel.
ONE Wake
Nativity joined the ONE Wake organization in 2023. ONE Wake is a Wake County-based, non-partisan, multi-ethnic, multi-issue group of religious congregations, associations, and other non-profits with 40+ member organizations and an aggregate membership totaling in excess of 50,000 households. It is part of the larger Industrial Areas Foundation that exists across the country.
In Wake County, ONE Wake seeks to use the power of organized people and organized resources to work together to identify common problems in our communities, to find and create workable solutions, and to implement systemic changes to achieve the common good. ONE Wake is putting that power to work by advocating for specific actions related to issues like affordable housing, the availability of public transportation, the development of an alternative response teams for those in mental crises, a permanent white flag homeless shelter, and so much more! Nativity is proud to be a part of this movement. Email Becky Showalter for more information.