Mission & Justice

Sub-Committee Details

Self-Development of People – receive training, research SDOP programs and provide support to programs (locally and nationally) that meet SDOP guidelines/criteria – development assistance regarding hunger-related development and empowerment of poor people and communities.

Global/National Missions Work Group – includes multiple mission work nationally and internationally. This Work Group works closely with the Community Disaster Response Team in setting up mission teams within the USA to respond to disaster situations.  They currently set up international mission trips every other year to provide opportunities for smaller churches to participate together. This group also provides scholarship funding for national and international trips within our membership.

Advocacy & Justice for New Immigrants – this line item provides funding and support to the Latino Work Group for advocacy work for new immigrants, working closely with the Coordinator for Latino Ministries. Involvement from individuals and churches is crucial.

Hunger Action Work Group – resource for direct food relief involving agencies and coordination with other hunger programs within our Presbytery – 5 cents a meal; One Great Hour of Sharing; Gleaning; Fair Trade Coffee and other hunger projects. This committee also includes education and interpretation for the church community and public about hunger and its underlying causes and interpreting the church’s hunger-related mission. In 2008, the HAWG began a new program entitled Hearts for Hunger - as an outreach for hunger programs that POC churches may be involved with outside the bounds of the Presbytery - including domestic and international projects. HAWG also works with churches to apply for funding from GA related to hunger related issues.

Justice Work Group – this committee addresses all justice and social issues – including assisting individuals, congregations, and the community to move toward more responsible and just personal and corporate lifestyles and also working toward influencing pubic policy by advocating for policy changes in political and economical systems. This group will provide written materials on a variety of justice issues for distribution to Presbytery; provide a link on the presbytery website, directing interested people to resources related to justice issues; develop relationships with other justice organizations in the community and the denomination.

Community Disaster Response Team - this group works on local, economic and national disaster response.  Currently this committee is restructuring to provide ministries in the areas of collection of goods and transportation to provide relief as needed; pastoral care training for our clergy and lay leadership in times of crisis; and communication between our membership and this committee to effectively respond to disasters as they happen locally and nationally. This group works very closely with other presbyteries, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and churches in disaster areas. The committee is working on several levels to plan immediate and long term response in disaster situations as they may occur. This committee also works with ecumenical groups in our seven counties to provide faith based help to already stressed and overworked agencies.

One in Christ - this committee works primarily with race relations within our Presbytery of Charlotte – identifying areas where we can provide educational opportunities and improvement of race relations in our churches and in our communities. This committee utilizes various ministry ideas to involve our Presbytery, such as "All Presbytery Reads" and "Voffee, Conversation, and Jazz" events, as a way to develop a forum between all cultures that will increase awareness and sensitivity to common interests and challenges, and to participate in activities that enhance our knowldge and capabilities so that we can better educate churches and organizations in our Presbytery. The group is currently sponsoring the writing of a six-session curriculum to be available in the Fall of 2009.

Stewardship of Creation Mission Team - committee will provide information regarding environmental issues and will host speakers and events. This group is available to individuals, groups, and churches wanting to "go green."

FAST (Faith and Schools Together) - will work to liaison volunteers primarily to work with students, parents, and families within our school systems (beginning with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) to provide family advocacy and support parent involvement within our schools. They will encourage congregations to form teams to develop relationships and provide volunteers to the schools, and they will develop a training program as well as a FAST Friends mentor program for churches to use as a guideline for an adult-student program.  The group is currently very involved with the CMS Parent University program. We also encourage our other counties to create FAST Teams.

Prison Ministry Work Group - this committee works with the prison system to encourage participation within individuals and groups within our churches and communities to promote awareness and support families of those imprisoned.

Alzheimer's Care Group - this group meets to address challenges for those with Alzheimer and dementia-related disease and those that care for them - family, friends, community and/or fellow church members and staff. An event will be hosted in 2009 to provide respite time for caregivers.