In an effort to keep the congregation better informed about the its work, the Mission and Local Outreach
Committee has decided to share periodic informational updates. In addition to increasing awareness about what it is doing in the community, nationally, and globally on the congregation’s behalf, these communications will also encourage participation in hands-on mission opportunities. Here is a summary of activity from April to August.
Local Mission
On Saturday April 29th nine CMPC volunteers joined efforts under the auspices of Rebuilding Together Howard County (RTHC) to improve a property in Elkridge. They undertook a variety of indoor and outdoor projects involving carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and landscaping. CMPC was a financial
sponsor of RTHC again this year. On July 19th, members of CPMC also participated in a fundraising dinner for RTHC at Lib’s Grill in Maple Lawn.
On the fourth Monday of every month, CMPC volunteers continue to provide and serve hot dinners at
Grassroots Route One Day Center in Jessup for the homeless in our community. The number of persons using the Center continues to grow, as does the need for food. This is an ongoing mission that welcomes new volunteers. Suzy Crabb has agreed to be the new point person for this mission. (Susan.crabb@verizon.net)
On August 24, seven members of CMPC participated in a work day at Home of Our Own Howard that provides furniture and household items at no cost to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to
permanent housing in Howard County. There are ongoing opportunities for hands-on mission work for those interested in lending a hand. No particular skills are required and hours are flexible.
https://www.onourownhc.org/ BJ Walworth is the contact person for this mission. (bjwalworth@hotmail.com)
The committee made donations to support the Howard County Food Bank which is run by the Community Action Council of Howard County https://cac-hc.org/ and Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS) https://www.laureladvocacy.org/ The mission of both programs are consistent with the committee’s focus on addressing homelessness in our community.
National Mission
The committee made a donation to support the mission of Dustin and Holly Garner at OneEleven Ministries in Kansas City where they are preparing interns to sing and pray the Bible and share God’s goodness through evangelistic outreaches.
The committee also made a donation to support Pine Springs Christian Summer Camp in Pennsylvania where a growing number of children from our church attend each year.
In response to the devastating wild fires in Maui (Hawaii) on August 8th, the committee agreed to match contributions from the congregation which will be sent to the Presbyterian Disaster Agency to support relief efforts with local partners on the ground.
Global Mission
The committee also made a donation to support the work of the Presbyterian Education Board (Pakistan). PEB runs 25 elementary and high schools for over 5,000 students. The schools were founded in the
mid-1800s by Presbyterian missionaries and were the first to include girls.
Of course, this would not be possible without the generous support of our congregation for which we are very grateful and appreciative.