Habitat for Humanity
One of the highlights on the congregation's annual calendar is the construction of a Habitat for Humanity house. So far we've built houses for eleven families in Kansas and Missouri. Several hundred members donate their skills (some use this experience to learn which end of the hammer to hold) and a day or two in the fall to provide shelter for a deserving family. Here's what some of our volunteers have said of the experience: "This was the best vacation I've had in a long time." "I thought I'd be useless, but there was lots of help, good advice, and encouragement. I'm quite proud of today's accomplishments." "This was fun!" "My favorite part was working along side of the homeowner. She was a very nice person and someone who's going to take good care of the new home she and I built."
|
Feeding the Hungry
 Because Jesus asks us to do so, the congregation is involved in providing meals to the hungry three times a month. On the first weekend our Page Turners Book Group takes a hot meal to Project Uplift, a Missouri-based agency serving approximately 80 homeless individuals, many of whom are significantly challenged because of mental illness. Our Men of Grace group prepares and delivers sack lunches for about 180 residents through the Westport Sack Lunch Program. On the third weekend the congregation prepares and serves a hot lunch to about 350 men, women and children at the Wilhelmina Gill Community Center in Kansas City, KS. We would love having your help with these ministries.
|
Hospitality House
Census figures indicate that there are over three hundred homeless persons in Johnson County. In an attempt to provide safety and security to some of these families, the church has opened "Hospitality House", a home like shelter associated with the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Our guests participate in job training programs, financial planning courses and other educational classes during the day and return to the church each evening for a good, hot meal, some time for relaxing, and a safe night of sleep. Over fifty volunteers support each week of this service.
|
Denominational Ministries
Denominational Ministries Presbyterians around the world connect with one another to spread the good news of God's care for all people. Together we engage in ministry in rural Kansas and urban Chicago, in war savaged Sudan and among the victims of violence in Iraq, in summer camps for kids and ministry among migrants in the Southwest. There are sixty-seven colleges or universities directly related to the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. as well as nine secondary schools, plus hundreds of campus ministry serviced in every state in the union. We support mission work in seventy nations through hospitals, schools, evangelism, agricultural assistance, etc. and are involved in many ecumenical efforts such as the National and World Council of Churches, supporting their efforts to bring peace, justice and faith to bear in a fear filled world. A percentage of every dollar contributed to Grace Covenant goes to support these efforts.
|
Mission Trips
God has created a big world and filled it with great diversity. In an effort to understand and appreciate that world the church is involved in at least two annual mission trips, one primarily for high school students and the other an inter-generational trip. In the summer our youth board a bus and travel to an Indian Reservation, a large inner city, or a rural area where they spend a week engaged in the ministry of Jesus. It is a transformational time in the lives of our youth, for often this is their first time to see poverty and injustice and racism up close. Additionally it is their first opportunity to make a positive difference. Our inter-generational trip is normally an international trip to Mexico where youth and adults spend a week learning about life in another country while helping improve the living conditions there. There are also periodic opportunities for members to participate in denominational trips to Guatemala.
|
Recycling
God has called us to be good steward (caretakers) of the world in which we live. With that in mind, the congregation uses recycled products and energy efficient equipment as much as possible. We also encourage members to participate in our paper and aluminum can recycling programs by bringing items to the church's receptables. We think of these as a different, but important form of "the offering"!
|
Offerings
Communion Offerings. In the early church it was customary to receive two offerings whenever the Sacrament of Holy Communion was observed. One of the offerings was the regular offering taken to support the ongoing ministries of the church and the second devoted to caring for the needy in the community and congregation. Grace Covenant continues this ancient custom by receiving a special communion offering on the first Sunday each month. Recipients of these offerings vary and include local food banks, shelters for the homeless, medical clinics for the indigent, school supplies and Christmas gifts for needy children.
|
CROP Walk
On the second Sunday in October Christians from across the city gather together to raise money for local and international hunger relief efforts. The CROP Walk is sponsored by Church World Service, an agency that supports local food banks and relief agencies as well as working to end hunger in far away places like Africa and Asia. CWS is also involved in water purification projects all over the world. Walkers raise money through sponsors and then come together for an afternoon walk. Grace Covenant has a long history of supporting this effort. Maybe you would like to walk with us.
|