Local Service Opportunities

Friends, there are many of our congregations and ministry sites that could use some helping hands.  Below are some opportunities for you and your congregation to help make a difference in the lives of others… and you don’t have to leave the country to do it!  Many of these locations could work as a day trip or as a multi-day adventure.

If your congregation or men/women/youth group is looking for a local mission opportunity, please consider one of these, and then to contact the person indicated to make arrangements.

And, thank you for giving to the Lord!

~ Rebecca

OPPORTUNITY #1

Woodstock Presbyterian Church
Woodstock Presbyterian Church has been existence for almost one hundred years as a part of the Woodstock, Georgia, community.  In 1996, construction was completed on the present sanctuary located on Arnold Mill Road on property that had been purchased by the Cherokee Presbytery.

Like many churches, Woodstock Presbyterian has seen a decline in membership over the past several years.  The members remaining tend to be generally older.  While the church has been able to remain solvent, significant budgetary cuts have been required to insure financial viability.  Some of these cuts have included closing the Woodstock Presbyterian Church Preschool at the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

While these circumstances may sound dire, the remaining members are very loyal to this church and believe God continues to call us to mission in the world and this community.

As previously noted, the building itself is approximately 14 years old and sits on approximately five acres of land.  The outside construction is painted stucco over siding.  The building has had roof issues in the past based upon faulty installation when the church was built.  This issue will be addressed by the church at such time as funds are available.

The inside of the building consists of the sanctuary, a full kitchen, three offices, six classrooms, and a men’s and women’s restroom.  The classrooms were formerly used by the preschool but are now used sparingly, generally for Sunday School class or as a nursery during church.

The following is a list of current needs of the church:

1)     A number of the windows in the church are rotting out and need to be replaced.

2)     Several of the doors on the back side of the church, where there is less light, have begun rotting in places and would need to be completely replaced.

3)     Due to time and pressure washing, in several places the stucco which was applied to the outside of the building has worn off leaving bare patches of wood.  These areas would need to have the stucco reapplied and be repainted.

4)     A number of roof vents need to be replaced

5)     In one area of the narthex of the church, the ceiling has water damage that would need to be repaired.  It is believed that this damage was caused by a clogged drain pipe which has now been repaired.

6)     The trim on the outside of the church is peeling and needs to be repainted.

Contact:

Rev. Jake Marshall, Moderator of Session

770-926-0074

Email:  ourchurch@woodstockpres.com

OPPORTUNITY #2

Cherokee Retreat Center

The Cherokee Retreat Center is an important part of the ministry of our Presbytery and has been at work for over 50 years filling the summers and retreat hours of children, youth and adults on the beautiful banks of Lake Allatoona.

Because of the age of our facility, location and physical needs for improvement, your offer to be of service is one that we would gladly be willing to accept if your time so allows.  Our current needs include:

• Replacement of tile flooring in several locations
• Weatherproofing of exterior stairwell
• Completion of a signage program
• Building of storage cabinets in two cabins
• Building of picnic tables (we need all we can get!)
• Repair of existing dock damaged during flooding
• Interior painting of two cottages
• Replacement of three exterior water fountains
• Upgrade of tether ball units
• And so much more!

Contact:

Kelly Howington

Director, Cherokee Retreat Center

Cell: 678-267-2837

Email:  director@cherokeeretreatcenter.com

OPPORTUNITY #3

Summerville Presbyterian Church

Summerville Presbyterian Church is a small membership church with a historic building.  The roof situation is particularly challenging for this congregation.  They would welcome a work team to come and help with the roof itself and/or to repair interior damage caused by leaks.

Contact:  Rev. Paul Bayerl
706-857-4039
Email:  spc1848@windstream.net

OPPORTUNITY #4

Presbyterian Student Center at Georgia Southwestern:  March 5-14, 2010
We are writing to you on behalf of the Presbyterian Student Center at Georgia Southwestern in Americus.   At the end of January, our presbytery generously allocated funding which will allow us to complete a much-needed renovation of our kitchen and living room!    We cannot accurately express to you how grateful and excited we are!   The renovation is set to take place March 5-14, 2010, which is the week of GSW’s Spring Break. It will be a tight and fast-paced week of renovation, but we are confident we can accomplish all of our goals.

The funding from the presbytery will cover most of our materials, but we will need serious help with the labor, which will include the following:

         painting

         demolition

         installing the new flooring

         moving furniture and materials

We also intend to recover 14 cushions on our current sofas and need a seamstress (or group of seamstresses), who could cover them for us.

We would thoroughly appreciate any help you could send us!   Retired groups, youth groups, (any group!) will be welcomed with tremendous warmth and fed regularly!  If some folks would like to stay overnight, we can work to provide comfortable accommodations as well.

This project will be a wonderful way for individuals of every age to participate in the on-going   mission of our presbytery-supported campus ministry.   Most of the work is not hard nor intensive, but there is plenty of it and will be organized well!

We are in the process of creating a calendar that details every daily task which needs to be accomplished for the renovation to finish on time.   Again, it will be a tight schedule, but we are confident with plenty of help we can get everything done!

If you are interested in more information or want to schedule volunteers, please feel free to call Sarah Belcher, our Campus Ministry Intern.  She can be reached at (229) 591-8348 or tuesdayschild88@hotmail.com.

Thank you so much for your commitment to our presbytery’s campus ministry in Americus!   We look forward to forging new bonds of commitment with many of you as we work to create a fresh and hospitable space that welcomes the stranger, feeds the hungry, and shares the Good News of Jesus’ love.

In hope and joy,
Sarah Belcher                      Rev. Deb Bibler

PSC Intern                            GSW Campus Minister