Altar Guild
The Altar Guild prepares for worship at each liturgical celebration by coordinating the linens, vessels, and other implements used at the altar. Membership is open to any member of the congregation. Members are divided into four teams, and each team serves one week of every month. Teams prepare the linens and vessels used for all liturgical services at the altar, coordinate banners and hangings for each liturgical season, display flower arrangements, and provide continuing care for vestments and linens. Volunteers from the entire congregation join the Altar Guild in deeper cleaning and decorating on two workdays each year, one at Advent and one before Easter. Contact Sue Burke or Pat Jonikaitis if you would like to get involved.
The Altar Guild prepares for worship at each liturgical celebration by coordinating the linens, vessels, and other implements used at the altar. Membership is open to any member of the congregation. Members are divided into four teams, and each team serves one week of every month. Teams prepare the linens and vessels used for all liturgical services at the altar, coordinate banners and hangings for each liturgical season, display flower arrangements, and provide continuing care for vestments and linens. Volunteers from the entire congregation join the Altar Guild in deeper cleaning and decorating on two workdays each year, one at Advent and one before Easter. Contact Sue Burke or Pat Jonikaitis if you would like to get involved.
Card Ministry
Through our card ministry, we send personalized monthly get well cards, sympathy cards, anniversary, birthday and “thinking of you” cards to provide comfort to those in our church community who are experiencing illness, injury, or loss, as well as to members who are homebound. Contact Ann Gaston or Joanna Wagner to get involved, or to request a card for an individual or family.
Through our card ministry, we send personalized monthly get well cards, sympathy cards, anniversary, birthday and “thinking of you” cards to provide comfort to those in our church community who are experiencing illness, injury, or loss, as well as to members who are homebound. Contact Ann Gaston or Joanna Wagner to get involved, or to request a card for an individual or family.
Children and Youth
Transfiguration’s Children & Youth Ministry Committee (CYMC) oversees our church school program, communion instruction, confirmation program, and Sunday morning nursery, as well as planning special activities and service projects—not only for our young people but for our whole congregation. Our annual events include the church picnic in late spring, the back-to-church-school luncheon at the end of the summer, the Halloween party (with help from our Parish Life committee), the Advent service project, the Lenten outreach project, the church school Christmas program, and Christmas coffee hour. The committee meets roughly every other month and always welcomes new members. For more information, contact Debbie Trapp.
Transfiguration’s Children & Youth Ministry Committee (CYMC) oversees our church school program, communion instruction, confirmation program, and Sunday morning nursery, as well as planning special activities and service projects—not only for our young people but for our whole congregation. Our annual events include the church picnic in late spring, the back-to-church-school luncheon at the end of the summer, the Halloween party (with help from our Parish Life committee), the Advent service project, the Lenten outreach project, the church school Christmas program, and Christmas coffee hour. The committee meets roughly every other month and always welcomes new members. For more information, contact Debbie Trapp.
Choir
We have a small but mighty choir who offer their musical gifts on Sunday mornings from Fall through Spring. They lead us in congregational hymns from our traditional Episcopal hymnody, as well as the occasional more contemporary piece. They also regularly perform beautiful choral anthems, and they provide a particularly robust program of Christmas music at our Christmas Eve Service. If you are interested in joining the choir, please speak with Jeff Otto or Beverly Opelka.
We have a small but mighty choir who offer their musical gifts on Sunday mornings from Fall through Spring. They lead us in congregational hymns from our traditional Episcopal hymnody, as well as the occasional more contemporary piece. They also regularly perform beautiful choral anthems, and they provide a particularly robust program of Christmas music at our Christmas Eve Service. If you are interested in joining the choir, please speak with Jeff Otto or Beverly Opelka.
Daughters of the King
The Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK) is a lay order for women of the Episcopal Church and women in churches with the historic Episcopate, founded in 1885 by Margaret J. Franklin at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Sepulcher in New York City.
Daughters follow a Rule of Life, which commits them to a ministry of prayer, study, service, and evangelism. We welcome new members to join us, and everyone is welcome to ask us for prayers. Although we offer each other fellowship and encouragement, DOK is not a club.; rather, it empowers women to reaffirm their baptismal vows and explore their spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the spread of Christ’s kingdom. Lifting up our community of faith in prayer helps us to know and love each other. Our St. Monica’s chapter meets at least once a year for a group service project, but it is an independent group that encourages members to get involved in whatever ministries speak to them. We stay in touch through regular email conversations and updates to our prayer list. The Diocesan, Regional, and National branches of DOK offer opportunities for quiet days, retreats, and a triennial convention. Contact Joan Karrison for more information.
The Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK) is a lay order for women of the Episcopal Church and women in churches with the historic Episcopate, founded in 1885 by Margaret J. Franklin at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Sepulcher in New York City.
Daughters follow a Rule of Life, which commits them to a ministry of prayer, study, service, and evangelism. We welcome new members to join us, and everyone is welcome to ask us for prayers. Although we offer each other fellowship and encouragement, DOK is not a club.; rather, it empowers women to reaffirm their baptismal vows and explore their spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the spread of Christ’s kingdom. Lifting up our community of faith in prayer helps us to know and love each other. Our St. Monica’s chapter meets at least once a year for a group service project, but it is an independent group that encourages members to get involved in whatever ministries speak to them. We stay in touch through regular email conversations and updates to our prayer list. The Diocesan, Regional, and National branches of DOK offer opportunities for quiet days, retreats, and a triennial convention. Contact Joan Karrison for more information.
Day Care Board
The Palos Park Episcopal Day Care and Learning Center (PPED) is a preschool and day care facility. Housed at the Church of the Transfiguration, this business and ministry is wholly owned and operated by Transfiguration. Our Day Care is an important ministry and outreach to surrounding communities, providing quality childcare to our students and employment opportunities to our staff. We also provide scholarships to qualifying families and accept state aid for eligible students. Transfiguration’s relationship with PPED is beneficial for the day-to-day operations of the church and the good of the entire community. The congregation elects a Board comprised of church members to three-year terms at the Annual Parish Meeting. The Board meets four to six time a year. For additional information, please feel free to contact our Board President, Sue Ann Beardsley.
The Palos Park Episcopal Day Care and Learning Center (PPED) is a preschool and day care facility. Housed at the Church of the Transfiguration, this business and ministry is wholly owned and operated by Transfiguration. Our Day Care is an important ministry and outreach to surrounding communities, providing quality childcare to our students and employment opportunities to our staff. We also provide scholarships to qualifying families and accept state aid for eligible students. Transfiguration’s relationship with PPED is beneficial for the day-to-day operations of the church and the good of the entire community. The congregation elects a Board comprised of church members to three-year terms at the Annual Parish Meeting. The Board meets four to six time a year. For additional information, please feel free to contact our Board President, Sue Ann Beardsley.
Green Team
The Green Team helps the vestry discharge their duty to care for our grounds. One of the Green Team's primary functions is to advice the vestry about issues with the grounds, propose planting strategies, and suggest beautification projects. In addition to performing an advisory role, members of the Green Team sometimes choose to offer some of their own time to help with weeding and planting. For more information, contact Nils Sundin.
The Green Team helps the vestry discharge their duty to care for our grounds. One of the Green Team's primary functions is to advice the vestry about issues with the grounds, propose planting strategies, and suggest beautification projects. In addition to performing an advisory role, members of the Green Team sometimes choose to offer some of their own time to help with weeding and planting. For more information, contact Nils Sundin.
Lay Liturgical Guild
Church services require more than Clergy to perform a smooth running experience. There are numerous positions for lay persons to fill, such as Acolyte, Lector, Eucharistic Minister or Usher. The minimal necessary training is available for anyone wishing to participate in this important stewardship offering of your time and talent. Please contact Len Hiznay to volunteer.
Church services require more than Clergy to perform a smooth running experience. There are numerous positions for lay persons to fill, such as Acolyte, Lector, Eucharistic Minister or Usher. The minimal necessary training is available for anyone wishing to participate in this important stewardship offering of your time and talent. Please contact Len Hiznay to volunteer.
Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden committee maintains Transfiguration’s Memorial Garden, a reflection space where the cremated remains of members and loved ones can be interred. Committee members plant annuals each spring to augment the perennial plants and trees, replace perennial plants as necessary, and place memorial/commemorative bricks in the garden path. Roger Carlsen of Ephram Forge in Frankfort, IL designed and executed the cross at the center of the garden, based on the cross above our altar. The cross was installed in May 2004. The committee holds very few formal meetings and does not require a large time commitment from its members. Instead, almost all of its work is hands-on in the garden. We plant in the spring and weed the garden during the summer months with the help of the Green Team. Contact Helen Fitch or the church office to get involved with the committee, or for information about interment in the garden or the purchase of memorial/commemorative bricks.
The Memorial Garden committee maintains Transfiguration’s Memorial Garden, a reflection space where the cremated remains of members and loved ones can be interred. Committee members plant annuals each spring to augment the perennial plants and trees, replace perennial plants as necessary, and place memorial/commemorative bricks in the garden path. Roger Carlsen of Ephram Forge in Frankfort, IL designed and executed the cross at the center of the garden, based on the cross above our altar. The cross was installed in May 2004. The committee holds very few formal meetings and does not require a large time commitment from its members. Instead, almost all of its work is hands-on in the garden. We plant in the spring and weed the garden during the summer months with the help of the Green Team. Contact Helen Fitch or the church office to get involved with the committee, or for information about interment in the garden or the purchase of memorial/commemorative bricks.
Outreach
Many different ministries fall under the larger umbrella of our Outreach Committee, some of which even have their own subcommittees. We are a parish that likes to serve. We support multiple feeding ministries, from collecting donations for local food pantries to packing bagged lunches for Bed's Plus. We do a couple special initiatives at Christmas time every year, our Alternative Christmas Market, which gives people the opportunity to support various organizations in lieu of giving traditional Christmas gifts, and our ReVive Christmas baskets, which help provide gifts and food for families in need at the holidays. We have a great meal delivery program for people who are sick or recovering from surgery. We do periodic military outreach projects, usually at least twice a year. We have a fantastic Prayer Blanket ministry that provides special handmade blankets as a source of comfort to people in times of trial. Lastly, we have a couple Eucharistic Visitors who, with support from the Rector, make regular visits to homebound parishioners.
Many different ministries fall under the larger umbrella of our Outreach Committee, some of which even have their own subcommittees. We are a parish that likes to serve. We support multiple feeding ministries, from collecting donations for local food pantries to packing bagged lunches for Bed's Plus. We do a couple special initiatives at Christmas time every year, our Alternative Christmas Market, which gives people the opportunity to support various organizations in lieu of giving traditional Christmas gifts, and our ReVive Christmas baskets, which help provide gifts and food for families in need at the holidays. We have a great meal delivery program for people who are sick or recovering from surgery. We do periodic military outreach projects, usually at least twice a year. We have a fantastic Prayer Blanket ministry that provides special handmade blankets as a source of comfort to people in times of trial. Lastly, we have a couple Eucharistic Visitors who, with support from the Rector, make regular visits to homebound parishioners.
Parish Life
The Parish Life Committee develops and organizes social events and promotes fellowship. We try to involve the whole congregation in fun activities and events throughout the year. Our Parish Life offerings are varied and include, Bunco, Bingo, Small Group Dinners, Over 21 nights, our Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange, and more. The committee strives to plan a variety of events to appeal to members of all interests and all ages. Parish Life welcomes new members and new ideas.
Sunday morning coffee hour is another important opportunity for the whole church to gather for fellowship with new faces and old friends. The church provides coffee and supplies, and volunteers can sign up to provide simple food, snacks, and juice on a Sunday of their choice. On special Sundays, holidays, and church events (such as baptisms), the church provides a sheet cake and festive decor.
Please contact Bea Hiznay or any Parish Life member for more information.
The Parish Life Committee develops and organizes social events and promotes fellowship. We try to involve the whole congregation in fun activities and events throughout the year. Our Parish Life offerings are varied and include, Bunco, Bingo, Small Group Dinners, Over 21 nights, our Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange, and more. The committee strives to plan a variety of events to appeal to members of all interests and all ages. Parish Life welcomes new members and new ideas.
Sunday morning coffee hour is another important opportunity for the whole church to gather for fellowship with new faces and old friends. The church provides coffee and supplies, and volunteers can sign up to provide simple food, snacks, and juice on a Sunday of their choice. On special Sundays, holidays, and church events (such as baptisms), the church provides a sheet cake and festive decor.
Please contact Bea Hiznay or any Parish Life member for more information.