Mission Statement: To further the proclamation of
the gospel for the salvation of the humankind by encouraging gifts of time, talent
and finances to service and benevolent causes. Benevolence funds from the church
support foreign and local causes/missions selected by the Missions Committee,
as well as organized efforts of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Committee
exercises diligence in the selection and monitoring of causes, keeping the
congregation fully informed so that members may evaluate their personal
participation and support of these various causes.
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Mission & Benevolence 2011
Sherry LeBlang / liaison to Session; Sandy Mayer / coordinator; Peggy Thompson / Chair,
Mission & Benevolence Committee
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Local Missions & Benevolence
(Ann Fendig)
- Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia –Phil Boggs
- Inner City Night Shelter – Annita Parmelee
- SAFE Shelter – Judy Gandelot
- Savannah United Ministries (Emmaus House/Helping Hands) – Howard Gandelot
- The LOVE program –Bob Yeomans
- Union Mission – Bobbie Schloenbach
- Habitat Savannah – Allan Pulaski
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Denominational Causes
(Peggy Thompson)
- Angel Tree – Bobbie Schloenbach
- Presbyterian Homes of Georgia
- Christmas Joy Offering
- Mother’s Day Offering
- One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (Easter)
- Savannah Presbytery
- Stand Up For Jesus Program – Sid Carr
- Second Harvest – Betty Holck
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Foreign Missions
(Sherry LeBlang)
- Costa Rica - Cedcas
- Guatemala - Common Hope
- Guatemala - Faith in Practice
- Indonesia - Mission Aviation Fellowship
- South-Central Africa - The Outreach Foundation
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Special Events
(Sandy Mayer)
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2011 Local Missions and Benevolences: Peggy Thompson
- Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia – provides a Christ Centered Life Learning Program to selected male and female prisoners at the 1800-inmate Chatham County Detention Center. The Program has been extremely effective in reducing the recidivism rate among its graduates.
Contact: Phil Boggs
- Inner City Night Shelter – provides the homeless with food, clothing and overnight shelter.
Contact: Annita Parmalee
- Savannah United Ministries (Emmaus House/Helping Hands) – offers daily breakfast (averaging 130/day) to homeless, day workers and at-risk populations in downtown Savannah. A service of Emmaus House, Helpings Hands provides financial support to those at risk of becoming homeless due to non-payment of rent or utilities. Priority is given to those with children, the elderly and the disabled.
Contact: Howard Gandelot
- SAFE Shelter – provides confidential services to victims of domestic violence, including shelter, food, crisis intervention, children’s programs, legal advocacy, prevention education and targeted outreach. A range of referral services, including housing, social services, medical services and employment, are also offered to help victims rebuild their lives.
Contact: Judy Gandelot
- Union Mission - provides emergency and supportive services for disadvantaged men, women and children throughout the city of Savannah. In addition to reaching those impacted by HIV/AIDS or other substance abuse, people with disabilities receive access to health care, employment training, life skills training and counseling.
Contact: Bobbie Schloenbach
- The L.O.V.E. program – connects one-on-one reading and math adult tutors with elementary and middle school students enrolled in the Savannah Public School system.
Contact: Bob Yeomans
- Habitat Savannah - Habitat Savannah is the Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity. It is a non-denominational Christian housing organization. It seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. It was founded, locally in 1983 and its supporters have built 107 homes for families throughout Savannah.
Contact: Allan Pulaski
- Birthday Fund - The money contributed to this fund is used to supplement the Mission budget. Each member is sent a Birthday card and asked to donate one dollar ($1.00) in thankfulness for each year that God has given them.
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2011 Denominational Causes - Ann Fendig
- Angel Tree - extends the Christmas gift-giving spirit by offering SIPC members the opportunity to be ‘angels’ for low-income children served by several Savannah-area social service agencies. SIPC members purchase requested gift items which are then distributed anonymously to needy children.
Contact: Bobbie Schloenbach
- Presbyterian Homes of Georgia – provides quality of life services to senior adults on four campuses. The “Caring Hands Fund” extends health services for residents whose funds have been depleted. Gifts are sent to homes in Quitman, GA and Austell, GA by way of “The Santa Claus Express” in early December.
Contact: Ann Fendig
- Christmas Joy Offering - helps those less fortunate, nationally and internationally, through the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
Contact: Ann Fendig
- Mother’s Day Offering - provides charitable care for the residents on the four campuses of the Presbyterian Homes through the Caring Hands Fund.
Contact: Ann Fendig
- One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (Easter) - assist those in need to better their lives in the world through an ecumenical offering.
Contact: Ann Fendig
- Stand Up For Jesus – collects loose coins and ‘pocket change’ in blue buckets at the sanctuary doors on the first Sunday of each month. These collections go to help hunger programs and are divided as follows: two thirds to Presbytery, with one third going for world hunger and one third going for national hunger; the remaining one third to local programs. This is SIPC’s version of the world-wide 2 cents a meal offering to help feed the hungry.
Contact: Sid Carr
- Savannah Presbytery - In support of SIPC’s home Presbytery, SIPC’s contributions help with salaries and expenses and support programs including School of the Laity, Officers Training and Lay Ministers Programs. Savannah Presbytery, in turn, supports the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in its service. SIPC members actively serve on various Presbytery committees.
Contact: Ann Fendig
- Second Harvest – distributes food to the needy through monthly food collections from area churches.
Contact: Betty Holck
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2011 Foreign Missions - Sherry LeBlang
- Costa Rica(CEDCAS) - For over 30 years, Bob and Ann Jeffery have served the Lord in Costa Rica by feeding children, working on microeconomic projects, furnishing health care and treating drug and alcohol abuse under the auspices of the Latin American Mission in Los Guidos. CEDCAS states that “Our reason for being is the health of your family.” Link for information: www.cedcas.org ( in Spanish)
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
- Guatemala - The heart of Common Hope’s work in Guatemala is education and its mission is “educating children, empowering families.” It provides the necessary resources for over 2,700 children to attend school each year in 17 villages outside of Antigua and Guatemala City. Common Hope understands that education is about more than books and uniforms – a comprehensive approach is critical to help students and their families reach their full potential. For this reason it also focuses efforts on health care, housing and family development. In Guatemala, Common Hope is called “Familas de Esperanza” (Families of Hope). Link for information about sponsoring a child: www.commonhope.org
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
- Guatemala-Faith in Practice – This non-profit, ecumenical Christian organization seeks to improve the physical, spiritual and economic conditions of the poor in Guatemala through short-term integrated surgical, medical and dental mission trips and health-related educational programs. Recent SIPC participants include Tom and Cathie Inglesby, Dennis McKeever, Sr. Pastor John Wall, Bob and Carolyn Ernest and Sherry Leblang. Link for information: www.faithinpractice.org (teams 235, 237, 239, 240 and 241)
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
- Indonesia (Mission Aviation Fellowship) - MAF fosters evangelism and church support throughout Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America by connecting missionaries and local pastors with people in remote areas. Its stated mission is “Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed.” MAF supplies and transports Christian staff and supplies, provides evacuations for medical emergencies and performs other humanitarian efforts. SIPC’s missionaries, David and Natalie Holsten and their 4 children, have been living in Indonesia since 2001. David is an instructor pilot and Natalie leads weekly prayer and Bible Study groups. Link for information: www.maf.org (click on list of missionaries)
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
- South/Central Africa (The Outreach Foundation) - The Rev. Ted Wright and his wife, Sue, live in Zambia and minister to churches in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe as PC (USA)regional liaisons for southeast Africa. Link for information: www.theoutreachfoundation.org
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
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Special Events
- CRABBING (Christ Rewards Abundant Bountiful Benevolence In New Giving) – provides additional charitable dollars (beyond amounts budgeted by the Mission Committee) to vital Savannah-area causes through community-wide fundraising events held annually in the fall. In its 4th year, CRABBING has contributed $10,000 each to Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia, Emmaus House and Old City Mission and $51,082.30 to SAFE Shelter.
Contact: Jane Garrison/Sandy Mayer
- Guatemalan Coffee Sales
Contact: Sherry LeBlang
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