Organizations

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) works with partner churches and organizations in more than 90 countries and our missionaries serve in nearly 70 countries. A percentage of the church budget is directed to PC(USA) for mission work.

In addition, we support three Denominational Offerings:

Peacemaking Offering - Received the first Sunday of October. 25% of the offering is retained for local peacemaking efforts.

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering - Received during the Lenten-Easter Season. 36% supports Presbyterian Hunger Program. 32% each is given to support Self-Development of People projects and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Christmas Joy Offering - Received the Sunday before Christmas. 50% goes to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs that provide support to retired and active church workers and their spouses and families. The other 50% goes to Presbyterian-related racial ethnic education.

Local Church Mission

St. Mark’s has a heart for mission and is very active at the local level as well.

Our Presbyterian Women’s organization raises funds and makes an annual pledge to support PC (USA) mission. In addition it designates specific projects to receive end-of-year monetary gifts. The 2008 recipients are Harbor Interfaith Services, H.E.L.P an advocacy program for seniors, SHAWL House for women recovering from addictions, Sage House – a day program for the frail elderly, Rainbow Services – a shelter for battered women, His Nesting Place – a positive alternative to abortion and shelter for unwed pregnant women, Mary Magdalene Program – rehabilitation for prostitutes, Beacon Light Mission – homeless shelter for Men with plans to build a women’s shelter, Gary Payton, regional mission liaison for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, and Presbyterian Disaster Relief.

The congregation walks in the annual Crop Walk to raise funds for Church World Service to aid in hunger and disaster relief programs here and around the world. We offer Networkers mother’s day cards with the proceeds providing mosquito nets to pregnant women in Africa and Malaysia to prevent the spread of malaria. We offer Heifer Project, Intl., cards during the Christmas season with the proceeds going to purchase farm animals and training to needy families around the world. The congregation has participated in Habitat for Humanity Builds in the local area. Each Christmas the congregation fills boxes for needy families served by one of the local programs. Since 2002 the congregation has been assisting Walteria Methodist Church serve meals to the working poor and homeless the second Saturday of the Month. Youth collect $1 donations at the church door on Souper Bowl Sunday and distribute the funds to a local hunger program or homeless shelter.

In 2006 the church established a relationship with the Door of Faith Orphanage in La Mision, Mexico. Since then there have been frequent trips to take supplies and volunteer time. Also the Board of Deacons sponsors two of the orphans each year.

Pocket Change for Mission is an ongoing project. There is a large water bottle in the church narthex where folks drop spare change each week. The Outreach committee chooses a recipient for each quarter of the year. The chosen project is lifted up in church announcements and often includes a program with guest speaker and lunch following worship on one of the Sundays during the quarter. Some of the recipients have been Darfurian refugee program, Teen Challenge, Smile Train, Door of Faith Orphanage, Habitat for Humanity, and Meals on Wheels.