Shallowford Presbyterian Church Missions

Oct 17, 2010

Heritage hall
 What is Mission?
Mission is what Christians do when they go into the world and reach out to
others with the love of Christ.
Mission can be seen in acts of compassion for those who are suffering:
Food for the hungry.
Housing for the homeless.
Support for those in crisis.
Comfort for those in need.
Doing what is right and fair for everyone involved.

In short … mission is about doing something in the world.

Mission is also about sharing the good news of God’s love as seen in Jesus
Christ, finding ways to let God’s grace flow through us into the lives of others by
what we say and what we do.

If worship and fellowship are about filling us up, mission is about sharing what
we have been given with others.
 SPC Missions

Co-chairs:
Dave Billet (local) and Nick Villaume (WWM)

Local mission focuses on what we do in around our local

community and the Greater Atlanta area.

Worldwide mission focuses on everything outside of Atlanta.

Both are important ways of showing God’s love to our world.
 
Local Missions (FY10 $31,000)
Local
Benevolences
1%

Food Pantry
Northlake-Tucker 23%
Co-Op
(NETWORKS)
35%
Interfaith
Outreach Home
6%
Benevolence Habitat for
Market Humanity
2% 32%
Night Shelter
1%
Worldwide Ministries (FY10 $32,250)
PCUSA Missionary
Support
6%
Frontera de Cristo
9%
Just Coffee Burkino Faso
5% 31%

Carmel Community
Ministries
28%

Synod of Living
Waters
9%
Francoise
Heifer Project 6%
5%
 Burkina Faso / ASUDEC
Purpose: to support infrastructure and programs in BF
directed at education and agriculture.
POC: John Bogle
Recent activities
• In 2008, SPC funding and private donations helped complete a
hotel-like boarding house started by and dedicated to the memory
of Flo Snyder. The house will provide income to this impoverished
Sahara Desert community.
• Last November, SPC sent a team of 5 missionaries to visit BF: John,
Leta and Andrew Bogle and Darl and Cherie Snyder. They visited
the facilities in several locations and learned about the programs
and issues facing our partners.
 Burkina Faso Facts
• Sub-Saharan country in West Africa
• Official language is French, numerous native languages
• 14 million people, literacy rate has risen from 12% in 1990 to
25% in 2008 which UN says is world’s lowest
• One of the poorest country in the world, ranked 207 of 228
countries in GDP per capita (2004), 72% live on < $2/day
• President of Burkina Faso is richest man in Africa, corrupt
government
• Limited natural resources, little or no industry
• Large disparity between rich and poor, no middle class
• 90% of Burkinabe live on subsistence farming
• Short rainy season, 3 to 6 months
• Malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, diarrhea
• Limited access to clean water
• 60% Islam, 25% Animists, 15% Christian
African Sustainable Development Council
(ASUDEC)
• 5 primary areas of focus:
– teaching sustainable agricultural methods
– distributing chickens and goats and promoting successful
livestock practices
– promoting education, particularly for girls by building
schools and teaching practical academics
– providing micro-loans for women to start businesses such
as soap making, restaurants, and food processing
– tree planting
African Sustainable Development Council (ASUDEC)
in the West African nation of Burkina Faso
 Carmel Community Ministries
Purpose: to support a school in the slums in Delhi, India
POC: Dick Smith
Recent activities:
• SPC funded a computer lab (5 computers equipped with
internet and web cams)
• We have begun voice and video chats with Rev. Koshy and live
interviews with the SCHPPL children
• Crayons for Carmel - SPC Sunday school classes sent a large
shipment of school supplies to the children at Easter with
notes of love and encouragement. Hindu language lessons at
SPC to better facilitate communications
Pictures from
Carmel
 DRUID HILLS NIGHT SHELTER
Purpose: Now in its 27th year, this facility located on the
campus of Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, provides supper,
breakfast, counseling, and a place to spend the night for 30
homeless working men
POC: Barton McMillan
Activities:
• SPC volunteers prepare and serve dinners each Wednesday
evening (and some Friday nights) for approximately 30 men.
• The volunteers absorb the cost of the food.
• The shelter will soon be serving meals year round.
 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Purpose: For over 20 years, SPC has helped build decent and
affordable homes in the Atlanta area
POC: Bridges Smith
Recent activities:
• This year we worked with DeKalb Habitat to complete a home
in Lithonia. The response from SPC members volunteering
their time, money, and skills was overwhelming.
 FOOD PANTRY
Purpose: For over 25 years, SPC has provided emergency food
to local area individuals and families
POC:
Recent activities:
• The number of people obtaining this assistance increases
every year.
• Donations from church members and monies allocated in the
annual budget help stock the Food Pantry.
• Outside groups using our church facilities have been asked to
donate food.
• SPC circles regularly contribute food items.
 NETWORKS COOPERATIVE
CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
Purpose: to provide financial aid to our neighbors in need in the
Northlake, Embry, and Tucker communities.
POC: Hal Thompson
Recent activities:
• Over the past 4 years there has been steady growth in the
number of clients seen, assisted or referred to other agencies.
Our contributions and support help our community prosper.
 Fontera de Cristo
Purpose: Frontera de Cristo is one of the six Presbyterian Border
Ministries of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the
Presbyterian Church U.S.A. centered in Agua Prieta, Sonora MX
and Douglas, Arizona.
POC: Nick Villaume
Recent activities:
• in April 2010, Sandy Martin and Hannah Weir attended a
Presbyterian conference in Phoenix on cross borders issues and
visited FdC as part of a pre conference trip.
• SPC helps support CREEDA, the Migrant Resource Center and
pays for part of the salary of Mark Adams, the US Coordinator for
FdC.
 Just Coffee
Purpose: The purchase of coffee helps provide a living wage to
coffee growers and roasters in Mexico.
POC: Hannah Weir
Recent activities:
• 40 families in Salvador Urbina and Agua Prieta are members
of the Fair Trade coffee cooperative.
• Coffee sales continue to grow and the cooperative has
recently expanded to include coffee farmers in other parts of
Mexico and in Haiti.
• A new and larger coffee bean roasting facility opened in April
in Agua Prieta.
New Just Coffee plant in progress
Café Justo coffee waiting for roasting
 Living Waters for the World
Purpose: this mission serves as a resource to churches of all
denominations, civic organizations and others in mission,
enabling them to share clean water with their partners in
need.
POC: Nick Villaume
Activities:
• In 2009, a 2nd water system was installed in Union Roja,
Chiapas MX. Trip in Fall of 2010 to check on the installation.
• The first system (installed in 2006) provides 60 to 110 bottles
of clean water per day. The price of water is about 20% of
what large vendors offer and is free to schools, churches and
those who cannot afford to purchase water.
 INTERFAITH OUTREACH HOME (IOH)
Purpose: helps families with children recover from an episode
of homelessness and return to self-sufficiency. 
POC: Connie Atkins
Activities:
• Since opening its doors in 1992, IOH has provided over 250
families with shelter and counseling until they can graduate
to independent rental housing or save enough money to
become first time home buyers.
• SPC Circles have donated various supplies to the families
living there including camp supplies for the IOH summer
camp programs.
 IOH
• Families with children are the fastest growing segment of
Atlanta's homeless population; such families are at grave risk
of splitting apart. 
• IOH keeps families intact, safe, and stable. 
• Families work with our case manager to develop a customized
recovery plan and set achievable goals. 
• The IOH program includes counseling and training in life skills,
budgeting, and parenting. 
• Children benefit from tutoring, after-school, and summer
camp.
 ECHO (Educational Concerns for
Hunger Organization)
Purpose: ECHO is a non-profit, inter-denominational
Christian organization located on a demonstration farm
in North Fort Myers, FL. ECHO help those working
internationally in the area of agriculture to help poor
farmers be more effective, especially in the area of
agriculture.
POC: Jim Lang
Activities: Proposed trip in 2011 to visit their facilities in
FL.
 Heifer International
Purpose: Heifer provides education and opportunities to families
around the world to acquire and care for animals that will
feed them and help them become economically self-reliant.
Farmers learn sustainable, environmentally sound agricultural
techniques.
POC: Jim Lang
8 Criteria for New Missions
 BENEVOLENCE MARKET
At the annual Benevolence Market, we invite representatives
from charitable, social and non-profit groups to display their
mission works to our congregation.

We have the opportunity to support these causes by

purchasing alternative Christmas gifts in the name of family or
friends. Specially designed gift cards let the recipients know
that a contribution to the organization was made in their
honor.

Date - November 14th

 Stewardship

Your annual pledge

helps support these
and other missions
at SPC

Thank You !!!

 Funds for mission work

The Western Church is now

spending more money on
short term mission trips
than it does on funding
long term missionaries.
 Presbyterian Mission Philosophy
From the PCUSA web site:
For more than 200 years, Presbyterians have
been responding to the call of Jesus Christ,
taking the gospel into all the world and
bearing witness to Christ's saving love to the
ends of the earth. Today, the Holy Spirit is still
on the move, calling us to share in what God is
doing in the world.
 Goal of short term mission
• Our PROJECT is not our goal!
LWW is only a way to
accomplish our goal.

• Our GOAL is to connect

 OUR Mission Philosophy

Our desire to ‘do something’, and to ‘get it

done’ comes from our short term (very
‘western’) perspective rather than any long
term vision of what our mission should be.
 Our mission committee looks for
projects allowing us to connect
“
What did Jesus do? (Take note of these projects!):
• Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and
villages, teaching and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease
among the people
• Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel
preached to them.
• Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations
SPC SPC mission connections
SPC Mission training includes learning about
Acceptance = Respect
“We have just enough religion to make us
hate, but not enough to make us love one
another.” J. Swift

Romans 15:7
Accept one another then just as Christ
accepted you, in order to bring Praise to God.