Our Missions At St. Peter's Church
 

You can click on the mission name below to learn more about it.

Missions – and you!

            “I am only one, but I am still someone.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  Just because I cannot do everything does not give me the right to do nothing.”

                                                                           Amish maxim

An opportunity for all to share the joy of giving of themselves!

Mission – giving and doing for others – is at the heart of the life of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ. Many of our members are directly involved in and deeply committed to a variety of service ministries and organizations that reach out to people in need within our communities, across the nation, and around the world.

St. Peter’s Church is a leader among the churches of the United Church of Christ in our mission support. Either through the greater church or directly, with our monetary gifts or with our own hard work, we contribute significantly to many missions. The largest portion of our total giving to St. Peter’s Church goes to missions – the work that is so important to us.  We contribute to five missions in the local area, now coordinated as St. Peter’s UCC Greater Phoenixville Area Local Mission Outreach.” We also support two missions in Pennsylvania and two overseas, one in Micronesia and one in South Africa. Another mission we support, Heifer Project, is both national and international in its scope.

Most of our mission work is accomplished through our Mission Teams. Each Mission Team is made up of a number of our members who take responsibility for deciding how best to meet the needs of their particular mission, organize volunteer opportunities, plan activities to involve other members, and raise funds. We also have service groups within the church that regularly reach out to others, such as the Women’s Sewing Circle and Wayne’s Ministry.

The purpose of this pamphlet is to introduce our various Mission Teams, the other mission-oriented groups and individuals in our church, and our various mission offerings that are regularly received throughout the year. We strongly encourage you, as members of St. Peter’s UCC, to commit your support to one of these vital mission teams.

GREATER PHOENIXVILLE AREA LOCAL MISSION OUTREACH

How it really works – a true story!

A young, single parent seeks help at one of the homeless shelters we support.  This person is granted temporary housing until our Single Parenting Association or the Community Coalition can find more permanent housing for the family and employment for the parents.  A St. Peter’s member offers a training and employment opportunity at his company.  Daily support by volunteers are needed to support the family’s needs. Wayne’s Ministry helps to furnish their home or apartment.  The Habitat for Humanity Mission Team offers many “sweat equity” hours to help the family eventually move into a new dwelling.  This kind of compassionate caring is what our local mission teams’ efforts hope have provided in the past and, with God’s help and yours, will do so in the future.  

• St. Mary's Franciscan Shelter– Fred and Charlotte Wookey, Chairpersons – 610--469--9167

 St. Mary’s Shelter in Phoenixville has been providing emergency shelter for homeless women and children for more than fifteen years and in that time has served more than 375 families.

 Supported by many area Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations, the Shelter is currently staffed by three Sisters of St. Francis and two part-time lay people. Many volunteers from the local churches provide assistance to the Shelter by serving meals, providing office and clerical support, and completing a variety of maintenance and housekeeping chores.

 Two of our members have provided extraordinary help to rehabilitate the building.  One member took on the challenge of re-plastering the entire exterior of the building, while another St. Peter “saint” rehabbed several bathrooms and other interior spaces!

 St. Mary’s Shelter has been a mission of our St. Peter’s Church for many years. Members of our church have served on the Shelter’s Board of Directors and as volunteers. Each year, during Advent, we receive contributions for the work of the Shelter.

·        Single Parenting Assistance (SPA) – Lauren Eustis, 619-935-6883 &
  Denise Harlow, 610-948-0219, temporary chairpersons.
 

Our Single Parenting Mission Team supports single parents facing challenging times due to illness or the loss of the family breadwinner. The encouragement, support, and volunteer services that are offered directly to these families are provided in addition to the support other area agencies also offer. The goal of SPA is to help bridge any gaps in service so the remaining parent may continue to move to self-sufficiency and not be dependent on welfare assistance.

 In addition to its support for individual single-parent families, SPA also supports the YMCA childcare service program and Mom’s House, another local agency serving the needs of young single mothers. Recently, SPA has become involved in the work of the Letitia Fifer House, a free medical clinic sponsored by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Phoenixville.

The major fundraiser for SPA has been their Silent Auction which has been held every other year in the late fall on a Sunday morning after church. The Silent Auction has always been an enjoyable social time for all of us as well as an excellent source of support for SPA’s important work.

 ·        Community Coalition – Bob and Carole Frederick, 610-935-2144, Chairpersons

 The Community Coalition is an association of grass-root, non-profit organizations in the greater Phoenixville area whose mission is to facilitate effective fundraising through cooperation and collaboration by its members. Formed in 1991, the Coalition serves as a model of innovative financial cooperation.  

Coalition member organizations include the following: 

  Ø   Association for the Colonial Theatre promotes cultural and civic life through the presentation of film, live theater, music, dance, and special events planned in conjunction with local schools and the public library.

 Ø      Citizen Advocacy of Chester County initiates one-to-one relationships between people in the community who have disabilities and their neighbors, leading to protection, advocacy, and lifetime commitment.

 Ø      Open Hearth promotes and establishes a network of resources to create long-term affordable housing for the community.

 Ø      Orion Communities  is working to more fully integrate  those community members who have disabilities or are undervalued by the community as a result of homelessness,
poverty, or self destructive life choices.

 Ø      Phoenixville Area Positive Alternatives was founded in the spirit of the Million Man March.  Its mission is to enhance the lives of children and youth through programs and functions that have a positive impact on their self-esteem and life-skills development.

 Ø      Sheltering Arms operates a family center and provides care focused on quality care for diverse families. 

In addition to the Fredericks and Moira Mumma, other members of St. Peter’s Church are involved in the work of the Coalition as volunteers in relationships with individuals and as drivers. Our support for the Coalition in the past enabled them to produce a fundraising video that has expanded their efforts to gain support for their important work.

 ·        The Good Samaritan Shelter – Dave & Vicki Cagliola, 610-933-0336, Chairpersons

 The Good Samaritan Shelter provides emergency shelter to homeless men in the greater Phoenixville area. Pastor William Washington is Executive Director.

 Opened in June 2002, the Shelter, currently located at 133 High Street in Phoenixville, houses up to five men for up to sixty days. During their stay, the men are provided with case management and other services to help them secure steady employment and permanent housing. Generally, the Shelter is full and maintains a waiting list. A larger facility at 330 Dayton Street has recently been purchased and with Borough approval will enable the Shelter to expand its services to homeless men. St. Peter’s Church provides financial and volunteer support to the Good Samaritan Shelter.

•             Habitat for Humanity – Fred & Maureen Wookey, III, chairpersons, 610-385-7203   

            In the 1990’s, St. Peter’s was deeply involved in refurbishing homes in downtown Phoenixville through the auspices of habit for Humanity of Chester county. This organization provides “basic, well-built, affordable, owner-occupied housing for God’s people in need – in a way that builds hope, dignity and independence, develops partnership, encourages community, involves Christians and others of goodwill and cooperates with other organizations so that God’s love is shared and celebrated..”  This mission team plans to resume its work in the spring of 2006.  It is looking for volunteers to do physical work on-site and for financial support for the team’s efforts.  The team plans to send groups of volunteers out once a month to work on local projects.

STATEWIDE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS

·        Bethany Children’s Home – Harriet Alexander, Chairperson, 610-948-4290

Bethany Home in Womelsdorf, PA has been serving the needs of young people for well over a century. Founded as a home for children orphaned during the Civil War, the home is now a modern treatment facility for children and adolescents in need.

At any time at the Home, more than 100 young people are receiving therapeutic residential and outpatient services. The Home is a ministry of the United Church of Christ and is supported by many of the congregations in our area.

Each fall, one of the choral groups from the Home visits St. Peter’s Church and shares its gifts with us. On occasion, a representative of the Home visits and reports on the latest developments and the good work being done for young people there. Each summer in August, members of our church visit the Home when they have their annual open house.

It is our tradition that offerings received at our Hanging of the Greens and our Christmas Eve services are directed to Bethany Home. Recently, our members also supported the Home’s capital campaign, “Brighter Futures For Kids,” with gifts that totaled more than $25,000.

 ·        Lancaster Theological Seminary – Bob Breiling, Chairman – 610-933-7066

 Our United Church of Christ has a long and cherished tradition of highly educated clergy in service to the church. Those who wish to serve as pastors normally undertake three years of study beyond the Bachelor’s degree at graduate professional schools of theology.

After earning the Master of Divinity degree, a student is eligible to apply for ordination in the church.

We at St. Peter’s Church help maintain this important tradition with our support for Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster. A recognized theological school of the United Church of Christ, Lancaster and it’s predecessor institutions have been preparing men and women for ordained and other ministries in the church for more than 200 years.

Today, students from across the United Church of Christ as well as other denominations are enrolled in programs offered by the Seminary. Currently, the student body is about evenly divided between women and men. The average student age is 40.

Our gifts to the Seminary provide needed financial assistance to students. It is not unusual today for Seminary graduates to have accumulated more than $25,000 in educational debt. The support we provide helps to ease this burden especially for those entering the ministry who will be earning typically low salaries.

Each year, our church commits $4,800 to the Seminary. Our personal gifts are added to this and make a significant difference in the lives of some of those who will one day serve as pastors.

·        Heifer Project International – Dan, Cynthia & Emily Gorge 610-935-7556
Heifer Fair raises $10,000 !
The Heifer Fair held May 4 2007 raised $10,000 for Heifer Project International, fighting to stop world hunger. Each $5,000 gift is deemed an "Ark" because it ensures animals and training for an entire community! This is the seventh consecutive year that the congregation has raised two arks! And eleven years in a row with at least one ark.
Congratulations the congregation for your generosity. If you still want to donate to Heifer it is not to late, please make sure your check has Heifer on the memo line so it can be properly credited. Thank you for you wonderful support of Heifer Project International and all the mission teams at St Peter's.

 One of the most successful missions of St. Peter’s Church has been Heifer Project International (HPI). Founded after World War II, HPI has provided the kind of support for families in need around the world that enabled them build new and better lives. The philosophy behind HPI is simple: if you give a person a fish, that person will eat for a day; if you teach a person how to fish, the person will eat for a lifetime.

 Currently, HPI provides live animals from chickens to water buffalo – whatever is most appropriate to individual family needs and to their particular culture and climate – and the training needed to care for the animals. Each recipient then gives the

first offspring from their animal to another family. That family in turn makes the same commitment. In this way, the giving continues and entire communities ultimately are transformed.

 Each year at St. Peter’s Church, on the third Sunday in May, we celebrate HPI with our Living Gift Fair, one of the great events at church that is enjoyed by all. Often, a representative from HPI is present with us in church that day – sometimes one who has been a recipient of animals through Heifer – who tells how lives and communities have been changed by our support. Everyone – young and old – is invited to become involved in our Heifer Fair by purchasing an animal or a portion of an animal. Our goal is to fill one Ark or to contribute $5,000. In recent years, our St. Peter’s Church has contributed more than $50,000 to the work of HPI.

·        Ohwa Christian School and Theological College –  Anna Mae Moore, Chairperson – 610-827-7645

 The Ohwa Christian School and Theological College is a mission of our United Church of Christ in Pohnpei, Micronesia in the south Pacific. We were introduced to Ohwa by our former Pastor Paul and Barbara Hetrich. They regularly visit Ohwa and keep us informed of the work of the schools and of their needs.

 Undisturbed until 250 years ago when they became a stopping point for American whaling ships needing fresh water and provisions, the islands of what is now Micronesia were soon visited by missionaries of our denomination who began a teaching ministry. Today, that teaching ministry continues under the direction of native leadership and with our support.

The Ohwa Christian High School is now providing quality education for 60 young people. The Theological College, now in its fifth year of service, is providing training for 10 students who will graduate to become pastors in the UCC in Micronesia. Each year, Ohwa is our summer mission focus. Our annual goal is to raise $3,000 that will provide two students with one year of education.

·        Morning Star Mission – Sean  & Linda Miller, Chairpersons – 610-792-3039

Morning Star Children’s Centre in Welkom, South Africa, is a Christian daycare facility for underprivileged children infected with HIV/AIDS.  It is a mission committed to restoring hope to the women and children of this region and making a meaningful change to as many families as possible.  Their mission is to provide an interdisciplinary daily program of optimal care for HIV/AIDS children and create income-generating projects for their caregivers and related persons.

·        Room To Read  – Jane and Bob Breisch, Chairpersons – 610-415-9783

 click here for more details and photos

MISSION:  The statistics on illiteracy are staggering. UNESCO estimates that worldwide there are 770 million illiterate people, two-thirds of which are women and girls. More than 115 million children aren't enrolled in primary school. Over 250 million more will never have the opportunity to attend secondary school.   

Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to build schools, libraries and other educational infrastructure.  They seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations.  Through the opportunities that only education can provide, Room to Read strives to flight illiteracy and break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.

Room to Read doesn't swoop down on a community and shower it with its Western-funded largesse. Room to Read requires strong local participation for its projects. Villages must cover a portion of a project's expense, often by donating labor, land or materials. In the group's view, the local commitment is critical to a project's success and sustainability. The majority of the nonprofit's staff members and volunteers live in countries where its projects are located.  Indeed, they hire local staff who are personally vested in their nation’s educational progress and empower them to make key programmatic decisions within their country.  They are already familiar with the language, conditions, customs and governments and understand the specific needs of the educational system and work to ensure Room to Read crafts new solutions to existing problems.

BRIEF HISTORY:  John Wood, Founder and CEO, launched Room to Read after a trek through Nepal.  He visited several local schools and was amazed by the warmth and enthusiasm of the teachers and students.  He was saddened, however, by the shocking lack of resources.  Driven to help, John left his senior executive position with Microsoft and built a global team to work with rural villages to build sustainable solutions to their educational challenges. 

Currently, Room to Read has launched projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia.

RESULTS TO DATE:  Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has touched the lives of over 3.1 million children throughout the developing world. How?  They’ve constructed 765 schools, established over 7,000 libraries, published 327 new local language children's book titles with print runs of over 2.9 million books, donated over 2.8 million English language children’s books, established 179 computer and language labs and funded 6,817 long-term girls’ scholarships, which pay for tuition, school supplies and uniforms. 

In summary, John Wood states it best:  “Without access to education, people don't have a reasonable chance of rising out of poverty.  Yes, people need immunizations; they need access to clean water," he says. "But there's a failure to realize that we're asking people to fight with one arm tied around their back if we don't address education." 

More information is available on Room to Read’s web site:  http://www.roomtoread.org/  Or better yet, read Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood.  It might change yours!

MISSION ORIENTED GROUPS/INDIVIDUALS  WITHIN  OUR CHURCH

·        Wayne’s Ministry – Wayne Freese – 610-827-7581

 Wayne Freese is a resource person for several area social service agencies that often need furniture, appliances, and other household items for those in emergency situations. Through the years, the members of St. Peter’s Church have provided a range of items such as washing machines, beds, toasters and dishware to many individuals and families. Wayne also collects good used clothing for The Open Door in Royersford for distribution to people in the immediate area.  When Wayne makes an announcement, our people respond.

 Wayne works closely with a ministry to Hispanic migrant workers in southern Chester County. We provide a variety of items including children’s and adult’s clothing, household items, appliances, and used computers to this ministry. Items for this ministry are collected in the lower level of the church building.

 Watch for announcements for Wayne’s Ministry in church and in the church newsletter.

 ·        Women’s Sewing Circle – Tekie Wise, 610-933-6671, & Dottie Raichle, 610-827-9222

 Although the Women’s Sewing Circle is not a mission team, it constantly reaches out to others by supporting several missions using the monies raised by their annual Roast Beef and Ham Supper:  Bethany Home, Phoenixville Area Children’s Learning Center, Genesis Crisis Pregnancy Center, Friends’ Association, Pocopson Home, Eagleville Hospital, Chester County Intermediate Unit, Silver Springs Martin Luther King School, Reach to Recovery, and the Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS).

  PACS is a social service agency that supports the needs of individuals and families in the greater Phoenixville area.  As supporters of PACS, we at St. Peter’s are able to refer those in need who turn to us for support to PACS, where they are interviewed and a service plan designed to help them is developed.

 Our primary support for PACS is our annual nonperishable food collection in January and February.  Also, when the PACS cupboard is dangerously low, we will take up an emergency collection to help them as they continue to help others.

·        The Phoenixville Area Interfaith Council-

 The former Greater Phoenixville Council of Churches is now incorporating as the Phoenixville Area Interfaith Council (PAIC).

The mission of PAIC is to be a conduit for faith communities: to do justice, build unity, seek understanding, and promote harmony among all peoples.  This organization serves as a clearinghouse for all the varied activities of the member churches.

The Council also enables the churches to act together to serve the good of the community. The Social Concerns Committee, an active part of the Council, sponsors the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast. A member of the community is honored each year at the Breakfast for outstanding service. Phoenixville Homes, an affiliate of the Council, rehabs existing homes and other sites and offers housing at cost to low- and moderate-income buyers and renters.

·        CROP-  Diane Dunn, CROP Walk Organizer, 610-827-2207

We at St. Peter’s Church support CROP – the development arm of Church World Service, the inter-church service agency that addresses emergency needs after natural disasters and other crises and sponsors development projects throughout the world.

Our annual CROP Walk in October is our major fundraiser for this important mission. Our members seek monetary pledges and gifts to support their walk. Currently, 25 percent of our support for CROP stays in the greater Phoenixville area to aid agencies – including PACS – that provide emergency aid for those in need.

OUR MISSION OFFERINGS

 As part of the United Church of Christ, we participate in all-church and special offerings that support many needs and projects within and beyond the church.

 ·        Neighbors in Need (NIN)

 Every October throughout the UCC, the Neighbors In Need (NIN) offering is taken. The entire amount of this offering from all of our churches remains within the United States and supports programs and missions here. A significant portion of our NIN giving supports the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM) that serves UCC programs and missions with the Native American community.

 ·        One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS)

 Every March in the UCC and many other denominations, the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering is taken. This offering is used primarily to meet emergency needs throughout the world after natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Some portion of our giving to OGHS remains in the United States. After recent flooding in the southeast, we were there providing support to those in need thanks to our OGHS gifts. After the attack on the World Trade Center, we were there helping, too, thanks to our giving. Whenever and wherever there is a disaster, the church is there thanks to our gifts.

 ·        Blanket Sunday and Tools of Hope

 Our gifts to the annual Blanket Sunday offering in January also provide immediate practical assistance to persons around the world following natural disasters. Through Church World Service, even the gift of a simple blanket can make a difference.

 ·        Our Church’s Wider Mission

 St. Peter’s Church supports the work and mission of our United Church of Christ locally through the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference and across the nation and around the world through the national church. A portion of our regular giving to the church is designated for Our Church’s Wider Mission and connects us with other UCC members and churches and with those we serve.

Revised July 22, 2008