Missions & Outreach

Each year our church makes a major financial commitment to programs and ministries beyond our doors. Volunteers within our church devote many hours to organizing and supporting local, regional and international efforts. Both children and adults participate, giving service and financial support. For more information on these programs and to offer your support and participation, please contact the church office or the contacts listed for each program.

Andre House

Andre House is a hospitality house ministering to the homeless and poor populations of the Phoenix area. Founded in 1984 and offering a number of services and programs, Andre House is best known for its evening meal program which serves 600-700 people each night. Volunteers from our congregation work at Andre House several times a month where they prepare and serve meals and provide clean-up. It takes many volunteers. Families are welcome and encouraged to help.

If you are interested in volunteering, please call Lila Kleinkopf, 480.893.3646.

Border Ministries

BorderLinks is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to raise awareness of border issues and serve border communities. BorderLinks offers various educational programs, seminars to help border residents become leaders who work for community involvement, a micro-credit program enabling small business development, and hands-on service projects to respond directly to community needs in the borderlands. Our congregation has provided support to Casa Misericordia, their community center and preschool.

Frontera de Cristo is a joint effort of the PC(USA) and PC(Mexico) operating in Douglas, Ariz., and Agua Prieta, Mexico with six areas of ministry: evangelism, health, family, mission education, micro-credit and community development. Just Coffee, a Fair Trade product produced by a cooperative of Mexican families and started with a loan from Frontera de Cristo, is sold by our Mission Committee.

Humane Borders and No More Deaths are coalitions of diverse faith communities and individuals working for social justice in the Borderlands, and support faith-based principles for immigration reform. Both organizations are committed to stopping the loss of life among those trying to cross the border.

For more information on these ministries and volunteer opportunities, please call Roy Gust, 480.315.1701, or Jan Loichle, 480.575.9125.

Blood Drives

Our church organizes two blood drives each year in connection with the American Red Cross. Every two or three seconds someone in our country needs a blood product. Watch the church bulletin for information about signing up to donate this life-giving substance.

Christmas Offering

The special offering at Christmas supplements the income of retired church servants and goes to support racial and ethnic schools.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization that builds simple, decent, affordable housing for those in need. Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 100,000 houses in more than 80 countries, including some 30,000 houses across the United States.

Our congregation actively supports this program with volunteers and ongoing support, helping to build a house in the Phoenix area each year. The Pinnacle congregation has sponsored a house for 10 consecutive years. If you are interested in participating, please contact Roy Gust, 480.315.1701.

Heifer Project

Every year our youth participate in the Heifer Project by gathering donations to help buy animals to provide a source of food for families in third world countries. Heifer Project International is a worldwide organization whose mission is to end hunger and poverty by "passing on the gift." Each family receiving an animal agrees to "pass on the gift" and donate the female offspring to another family so the gift of food is never-ending.

As a youth project, this program starts building an understanding of the importance of giving. If you are interested in helping with this program, sponsored by the Christian Education Committee, please contact Shelly Core, 480.585.9448 ext. 209, or Greg Barber, 480.563.3404.

Knit Wits

The Knit Wits is a group in our church that knits various items such as lap blankets and caps to provide to those in nursing homes and hospitals as well as to the homeless. Friends can help this group by becoming a knitter or by donating odds and ends of yarn. Yarn supplies may be left at the church office.

For more information on the group's meeting times, current projects and patterns, please call Dawn Sheaffer, 480.471.7502.

One Great Hour of Sharing

One Great Hour of Sharing is a nonprofit, ecumenical ministry that provides for the needy all over the world. Ten Protestant denominations participate and the funds collected support disaster relief, refugee response and long-term development work.

Our congregation participates in this special collection effort each spring.

VICaP

VICaP Faith in Action (Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers Program) is a nonprofit ministry of care to homebound and/or disabled adults in our area. VICaP, a program of Beatitudes Center DOAR, serves clients south of Bell Road and Caring Corps supports clients north of Bell Road. Support services include calling a lonely person weekly, in-home visiting, assisting a visually impaired person with paperwork, taking someone to a doctor's appointment, assisting with grocery shopping, providing minor household repairs, etc. Transportation is the greatest need.

Volunteers are trained and insured, and choose the services they wish to provide. If you can help with any of the needed activities, please contact Margaret Ebert, 480.991.2335, or the church office.

Vista del Camino

Our congregation supports Vista del Camino, a City of Scottsdale community center that provides emergency social services, counseling, financial assistance, job preparation and youth programs. Emergency social services meet the basic needs of families in crisis and emphasize client self-sufficiency. The Pinnacle congregation conducts back-to-school drives, collects Thanksgiving donations to help purchase dinners, conducts an annual adopt-a-family program at Christmas time and collects food donations on an ongoing basis.

Information about these programs is announced in the church bulletins. If you would like more information, please contact Jane Barber, 480.563.3404, or Barbara Gust, 480.315.1701.

Counseling

Pastoral Counseling is a specialized form of the church's ministry. The pastoral counselor is a minister who has special training in counseling and who functions in the context of the caring community of the church. When you see a pastoral counselor you know your values and beliefs will be seen as resources for your help.

For church members no fees will be charged but donations to the church will be accepted. For non-members a sliding fee will be charged. Call 480.585.9448, and request an appointment. Counseling hours are scheduled at your convenience.

Alcoholics Anonymous Information Line, 1.800.207.1264.

Work Projects

We support youth and adult work groups that respond to specific needs. In March 2006 a group from our church provided Hurricane Katrina relief work in the Gulf Coast under the auspices of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. In May-June 2006 a group did work at Sheldon-Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska. Information on upcoming projects is available from the church office.

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Contributions and allocations from our operating budget support missions through the Presbyterian Church structure including:

Grand Canyon Presbytery

This body, which covers the northern two-thirds of Arizona , is comprised of approximately 17,000 people in 70 congregations, about half of which are congregations needing the financial assistance of other churches to keep their doors open. About half of the Presbytery's annual budget assists Native American congregations to remain viable as well as assisting new church development.

Synod of the Southwest

The churches in the Synod, covering Arizona and New Mexico, reach out in mission to college and university students, racial ethnic communities, and enacting programs to stimulate methods of advancing God's kingdom in the Southwest.

General Assembly

The General Assembly coordinates the Presbyterian enterprise involved in all national and overseas educational and medical missions. It is the entity that seeks to accomplish what individual churches and presbyteries are unable to fulfill. It is our method of fulfilling Christ's challenge to "go and make disciples of all nations... ."