Councils

Because life at the Cathedral is filled with boundless opportunities, it’s easy to get involved. Like every group, you simply need to know the lay of the land and the way our organization is structured. Breaking what we do into segments — in this case councils — it’s much easier to get a handle on all that is going on.

We have twelve councils that oversee all the work that we do and they provide the leadership. Each council has a chair, a vestry representative and a staff liaison, along with approximately a dozen other members. All of the councils have lots of volunteer and participation opportunities.

To find out more about the councils, please contact the staff liaison listed below:

Adult Formation Council

The Adult Formation Council oversees programs designed to enable people from all sorts of backgrounds to live more deeply into their faith. Whether it is an adult class dealing with the current national economic situation, a retreat on the topic of forgiveness, or a community movie-viewing event after which theological reflection is done, the council works tirelessly to offer a wide range of classes and programs. It is the hope of the Adult Formation Council that in all that is offered, something will strike your interest and open you to the wonders of an active faith. Contact: Jimmy Grace, 713-590-3309, jgrace@christchurchcathedral.org.

Children’s Ministry Council

The Children’s Ministry Council is responsible for the spiritual care of the youngest of our members — infants through fifth graders. It includes the Sunday School program and many family-oriented special events and has a much broader concern for all the ways in which young children and families are supported. Contact: Lisa Puccio, 713-590-3323, lisap@christchurchcathedral.org.

Youth Ministries Council

The Youth Ministries Council encourages spiritual growth by sharing the love of Christ in community. This mission is accomplished through education, mission outreach and collaborative endeavors with other youth groups. Contact: Jeremy Bradley, 713-217-1349, jbradley@christchurchcathedral.org.

Community Life Council

The Community Life Council seeks to develop the sense of family among the members of the Cathedral. Its mission is to create and strengthen spiritual and social relationships through a variety of community-building activities such as Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Foyers (supper groups) and the Annual Parish Retreat. Contact: Melissa White, 713-590-3302, mwhite@christchurchcathedral.org.

Justice & Peace Council

The Justice & Peace Council is the newest addition to the Cathedral’s council system. Its mission is to challenge the Cathedral community to live into its baptismal covenant “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” Contact: Jim McGill, 713-590-3328, jimm@christchurchcathedral.org.

Liturgy Council

The Liturgy Council is a council of advice and support to the Dean and Canon Precentor on matters affecting our common worship life, especially as it centers around the altar on Sunday mornings. The council also seeks to educate itself and others on liturgical matters, and it sponsors special liturgical events such as the Blessing of the Animals. The following groups are organized under the Liturgy Council: Acolytes, The Altar Guild, Ushers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Singers and Musicians. Contact: Ed Stein, 713-590-3307, edstein@christchurchcathedral.org.

Membership & Evangelism Council

The Membership & Evangelism Council (M&E) is responsible for welcoming visitors and newcomers to Christ Church Cathedral as well as spreading the news of the Cathedral. This council’s members are for many people their first experience of the parishioners of the Cathedral. The M&E Council organizes activities such as the Greeters Program/Welcome Table, Newcomers Welcome Dinners and Episcopal Night at the Ballpark. Contact: Melissa White, 713-590-3302, mwhite@christchurchcathedral.org.

Mission Outreach Council

The Mission Outreach Council is responsible for the ministry of Christ Church Cathedral to those beyond our membership, especially the poor. The work of the council falls into two general categories: outreach programs and mission trips. The outreach programs include such things as Christmas at the Cathedral. For more than eleven years its mission trips have been focused on housing and children’s ministry in Honduras. It has broadened its focus with a medical mission to the village where it has long served. Contact: Jim McGill, 713-590-3328, jimm@christchurchcathedral.org.

Pastoral Care Council

The Pastoral Care Council’s mission is to organize and provide compassionate and confidential emotional and spiritual support to the broader community of Christ Church Cathedral as we strive to experience and share the peace of God within. The council supports its ministry through organized groups such as Lay Pastoral Visitors, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Daughters of the King and Flower Ministry. Contact: Glenice Robinson-Como, 713-590-3319, gcomo@christchurchcathedral.org.

Religion & the Arts Council

The Religion & the Arts Council is responsible for exploring and developing ways to deepen our spiritual lives through the use of the arts. There are three things that are a part of every civilization that has been discovered, from cave dwellers to aboriginal Australians. Those three things are art, music and worship, and they bring something essential to touching the human spirit. This council helps others connect with the arts, which are often a window into the soul and a way to enter the mystery of God.
Contact: Ed Stein, 713-590-3307, edstein@christchurchcathedral.org.

Stewardship Council

The Stewardship Council oversees and guides the development of the resources necessary for the Cathedral to be responsive to the challenges and opportunities that God sets before us. This includes our annual Every Member Canvass (EMC) pledge drive, ongoing and year-round giving, planned giving through the Bishop Richardson Society and future capital campaigns.
Contact: David Simpson, 713-590-3308, dsimpson@christchurchcathedral.org.

Cathedral 20s & 30s

The Cathedral 20s & 30s ministry provides opportunities through programs and resources for young adults to explore ways to integrate their faith in their lives and through their life transitions. The group develops young adult leadership and ministry through resources and training programs to empower young adults and to strengthen their commitment to the Church. They advocate for fair and adequate representation by young adults throughout the life of Christ Church Cathedral, including all boards, councils and committees of the church. Further, they fully embrace young adults in our church and in our communities, addressing their needs and issues through a spirit of Christian fellowship, renewing and supporting the growth of the body of Christ.
Contact: Jeremy Bradley, 713-217-1349, jbradley@christchurchcathedral.org or Jimmy Grace, 713-590-3309, jgrace@christchurchcathedral.org.