Outreach Ministries of St. Giles

We take seriously Jesus' call for us to clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, and feed the hungry. The form our response takes is as varied as the saints who make up our church community. Each of the ministries listed below (and the list is always changing) invites you to contribute. Call the church office for more information, talk to me, or the elders on our Witness & Mission Committee: Keith Chandler, Jim Hastings, or Mark Taylor. With gratitude to God for your prayerful support, Pastor Matt (, 244-4887).

ABUNDANCE CHRISTMAS GIVING - Nancy Ellis/Lori Beaumont
Abundance giving is a means to honor a loved one through a donation to support various community and global missions. Missions sponsored in the past include the Heifer Project, bibles for Katrina victims, Christmas cards for military chaplains overseas, United Ministries, Camp Spearhead and the Tumaini Orphanage in Kenya.

A CHILD'S HAVEN
Presbyterian Women's Group Diaper Drive.

ART & MUSIC CAMP - Caroline Welsh/Charlene Means
A creative outreach to the children in our community to discover the love of "Christ through arts, crafts, and music."

THE BLOOD CONNECTION - Gene McLeod
The St. Giles Blood Drive is a Life Saving Mission. Three months out of each year, St Giles coordinates a blood drive for donors to give blood for those who have lost blood due to surgery or injury. There is no substitute for blood. Each member donating blood is giving back to our community and helping to save a life.

BOY SCOUTS & CUB SCOUTS - Jeanne DuShane
"To promote the development of young men in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities." We support our local scouts through the use of our campus, support on Scout Sunday, and the goals of our church youth involved.

CENTSABILITY - Pam Bruce
"Centsability" is an opportunity to give money to a charity dealing with food (Triune Mercy Center, United Ministries, Meals on Wheels, etc.). The "cents" or bills are collected in animal banks made by our youth. These banks are located on tables at our church meals for loose change donations.

CONGREGATIONAL GENEROSITY/STEWARDSHIP - Anita McLeod
Being a good steward means being generous with our time, talent, and treasure. Everything we have is given to us by God, and as disciples we are called to be good managers of all these gifts. A Christian steward serves God out of love and gratitude, realizing that each of us has been given a sacred trust. Being a good steward means being generous. It means committing your life to Christ everyday.

CROP WALK
We've participated for 3 years, help us try for a tradition.

DISASTER RELIEF -
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. PDA is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Its core budget including staff and administrative costs is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing, and its program work is additionally funded through designated gifts.

DISASTER TEAM LODGING - Jim Hastings/Keith Chandler/Gerald Huskamp
Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita decimated the Gulf Coast in 2005, teams of Presbyterian disaster responders began making the LONG trip down I -85 to I-65 and finally I-10 along the Mississippi coast. For many groups, this was more driving than could be accomplished in a day. St. Giles has housed numerous teams from Virginia as they have traveled back and forth to the Gulf to share Christ's love. This quiet ministry has made a huge difference for other Christians traveling.

FOOTHILLS PRESBYTERY HISPANIC MINISTRY - Pam Bruce
The Cultural Context Team assesses the characteristics, needs, and opportunities of the upstate so that the congregations of Foothills Presbytery can reach the Hispanic people of our area with the gospel.

GIRL SCOUTS & BROWNIES - Jean Shew
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Meagan and Betsy Shew represent third generation Girl Scouts in the Shew family. Both of their grandparents were Scout leaders, as is Jean today. St. Giles supports both Brownies and Girl Scouts by providing a place if needed, support on Scout Sunday, and specifically for the girls of our church. All girls in the community are invited to get involved in Scouting.

GREENVILLE AREA INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK - Tim Ellis/Curtis & Debbie Rogers/Susan Cain/Gerald Huskamp
Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network's (GAIHN) mission is to assist congregations by sharing hospitality with homeless families, and to help those families achieve self sufficiency and self-fulfillment. St. Giles hosts the GAIHN participants about four times per year for a week-long stay at St. Giles. We call this IHN. We have also just begun supporting GAIHN's transi-tional housing program through a partnership with Overbrook Baptist. GAIHN currently has 15 transitional houses throughout Greenville with a goal of 20 by the end of 2008. There are endless opportunities to volunteer with GAIHN beyond our normal I H N week.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - Giovanni Luccia
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. This mission seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world. Locally, Habitat for Humanity works with churches like St. Giles to build houses together in partnership with families in need.

HOLLIS ACADEMY ANGEL TREE - Debbie Barron
Each Advent season our church family adopts more than 60 children and their siblings who attend Hollis Academy in Greenville. Their families face great financial needs through the year and the school's social worker selects special angels with whom we share the joy of Christmas giving. The program is a mission project for our Presbyterian Women of the Church, but the opportunity to provide gifts that meet special needs, and bring smiles to kids, is shared with the entire congregation.

IN DWELLINGS - Curtis Rogers
In Dwellings was established several years ago by a group of concerned Christians who felt that every child of God deserves a safe and loving home. Our Foothills Presbytery has endorsed this mission and helped getting land donated in the Powdersville area. Our mission is to help provide community-based residences for adults with special needs where they can strive to achieve their greatest potential while participating actively in community life.

MATTOON SOUP KITCHEN - Mark Taylor
On the first Sunday of each month, the congregation of Mattoon Presbyterian Church opens its doors to homeless and hungry in the surrounding downtown area. Guests are welcomed in Christ's name and served a hot meal by caring Christians. Four times a year, the St. Giles senior high Sunday school class joins the 30 or so Mattoon members for worship, fellowship, and service to others. Without a question, a time to meet our neighbor (Luke 10:29).

MEALS ON WHEELS - Jane Cline
Meals on Wheels delivers meals to clients who are unable to prepare food themselves. Meals are delivered Monday-Friday with the Friday deliverer taking food for the weekend. Many hungry families are fed by these disciples of Christ.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN MISSIONS - Joanna Chandler
The Presbyterian Women (PW) mission pledge is an annual pledge that is over and above tithes and other support to the church. Contributions to the Mission Pledge fund the work of PW at all levels and the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA). St. Giles PW's gifts support the Least Coin, the Birthday Offering, and the Thank Offering. The Birthday Offering is a special offering collected in the spring of each year to celebrate the blessings in the lives of women. The offering funds up to five specific projects that are not included in ongoing General Assembly mission support. The Thank Offering funds projects that meet the needs of people who are aging, disabled, homeless, or displaced, as well as children, youth and women, through educational, health, peace, and justice programs. 40-percent of this offering is used to support hospitals and community health programs. The remaining 60-percent is used for new creative ideas for mission. In addition, St. Giles' PW coordinates a church-wide project for Hollis Elementary School through the Christmas Angel Tree project.

STAMPS FOR MISSIONS - Laurie Snyder
Through the simple collection of used postage stamps, we are able to contribute to a mission project to send bibles, hymnals, and curriculum to underprivileged people in poverty areas throughout the world.

ST. GILES COFFEE HOUSE - Tim Ellis/Cynthia Schillizzi
Coffee House is a chance to "Get in tune with God." You get in tune by inviting a visitor to St. Giles. The Coffee House is a very low key way to get someone on campus. You too can get in tune through very casual fellowship with the 40+ people at each coffee house who are enjoying great live music while chatting or playing Scrabble, chess, other games, and doing crafts. Come join us for a relaxing, free evening. (Donations accepted.)

ST. GILES PRESCHOOL - Judy Patterson/Laurie Snyder
The St. Giles Presbyterian Church Preschool offers morning classes for children between the ages of one and four. Our curriculum includes the "read it once, read it twice, and read it once again" literacy program. A part-time summer program is offered, too.

STEPHEN MINISTRY - Jim Hastings/Nancy Ellis
Stephen Ministry is an outreach program adopted by thousands of church congregations to bring Christ's healing love on a one-to-one basis to people suffering from illness, grief, or family struggles. Laypeople are trained as Christian caregivers in the art of listening, sensing others feelings, compassionate faith, telephone care, and praying with those to find help in the bible, all in strict confidentiality.

THORNWELL HOME FOR CHILDREN - Mike Payne/Betty Hinkle/Carolyn and Ron Kennett
As a ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Thornwell is a joyful Christian community offering hope and wholeness to children and families. To the children of Thornwell, love has never been abundant, so many of the children of Thornwell are angry because love has been denied. Our mission is to bring love and happiness to these children.

TRIUNE MERCY CENTER - Brian Barron/Tom Henderson
Triune Mercy Center is a non-denominational mission church where a diverse population worships, shares, and serves together---rich or poor, black or white---those who live in comfortable homes and those who are homeless and hungry. St. Giles supports the Triune Mercy Center because we believe in the importance of caring for and lifting up of the homeless and hurting people who live right here in Greenville. It's desperately important to them, and it's an opportunity for us to share Christ's love by serving these folks in need.

TUMAINI ORPHANAGE KENYA - Debbie Annin
Begun by her minister-father, the Tumaini Orphanage is home to nearly 200 children and youth whose parents are dead from AIDS or are otherwise unable to care for them. Safety, education, hope, and love are watchwords of this vital ministry.

UNITED MINISTRIES - Judy Patterson
United Ministries is a direct service agency intently focused on poverty, homelessness, and their root causes. Their programs and services help create environments in which people can improve their lives. Our ministry helps provide food, goods, and money to help United Ministries serve those in need.

YOUTH MISSION TRIPS - Kathy Miller/Jacqueline Martin
St. Giles youth have traveled to San Antonio, Tampa, and James Island. Part of our current five-year trip cycle for Senior High Youth are ministries located in Mobile (Government Street Presbyterian Church Urban Mission Camp), Atlanta (The Mission Camp at the Calvin Center), Washington DC (The Urban Immersion of the Church of the Pilgrim), and the B�decan Presbyterian Church at the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Our Middle School Youth have recently traveled to Thornwell Home (Hands On Mission), the Greater Atlanta Foodbank, and Charlotte (the C.R.O.S.S. ministry sponsored by Myers Park Presbyterian Church). Chaperones, prayers, and funding are necessary to keep these mission experiences going.