Mission and Outreach
As a congregation called to serve others in Christ, we believe:
- The love of God revealed in Jesus Christ calls us to a new way of life…so outreach ministries are transformative learning experiences. (Col 3:17, Luke 12: 33-34)
- Christ calls us to serve neighbors near and far…so we offer outreach opportunities as close as our backyard and as far as Honduras. (Luke 10: 25-37)
- The Holy Spirit invites us into new relationships in a nurturing community…so our outreach experiences help us connect our faith with everyday life.
“For as you have done to the least of these who are my brothers and sisters, you have done unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Our Mission and Outreach programs include:
Clifton Sanctuary Ministries: Begun in 1979, Clifton Sanctuary Ministries is the first and oldest faith-based emergency shelter for homeless men in Atlanta. Clifton’s leadership envisions “a world where homelessness is not helplessness, and disability is not inability.” Their mission is to “show compassion to the men we serve…and expect accountability from them. Through faith in God…and by working as a team…we strive everyday to transform lives and change our world for the better.” On the first Friday of every month, PHPC members provide dinner to the 30 men who reside at Clifton. And the Middle and High School Youth Groups serve breakfast a couple of times during the year. The church also regularly collects toiletries and clothing donations for Clifton residents.
Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op: The Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op, which was formed in 1992 by 10 area churches including PHPC and is located 5 miles from the church, provides aid for people in the community with urgent physical, economic, social and spiritual needs. PHPC members often volunteer their time by collecting food donations on the third Sunday of each month and volunteering at the Co-Op’s food pantry.
Rainbow Village: Rainbow Village is a nonprofit organization located near downtown Duluth. Their vision is to be a “national model of an educational and holistic approach to breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence.” And their mission is to transform ” the lives of homeless families with children by providing a stable community and services that instills initiative, self-development and accountability for future generations. Church members volunteer to help with meals that are provided to families during the week, participate in the Big Recess program and serve as a tutor in the After School program. To learn about these volunteer opportunities and more, please visit http://rainbowvillage.org/volunteer/.
Laundry Love: Through our Laundry Love program, we offer free laundry services every month at the laundromat at 2880 Simpson Circle in Norcross, GA. Laundry has to get done, but can be really difficult to manage on a limited income. The Pleasant Hill Presbyterian congregation donates quarters and laundry detergent, and Laundry Love team members volunteer to help staff the machines. Just as importantly, we listen to people’s stories, build relationships, and create community. For more information, please check out our page.
We are part of the Little (Free) Pantry Movement–a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to address immediate and local need. Whether a need for food or a need to give, the Little Free Pantry facilitates neighbors helping neighbors, building community. Our Pantry is stocked with some canned food, toiletry items and diapers. Signs on the doors and inside the box invite people in the community, particularly those who cope daily with food insecurity and hunger, to “Take What You Need, Give What You Can.”
Check out these links to learn more about Little Free Pantries and the affect they are having in people’s lives and neighborhoods:
http://www.littlefreepantry.org
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/health/iyw-blessing-box-update-trnd/index.html
Refugee Ministry: Since 2011, Pleasant Hill has sponsored 33 refugees through World Relief Atlanta. Prior to a family’s arrival in Georgia, the congregation collects home furnishings and sets everything up in a local apartment complex. Church members help connect families to one another and get settled into their new life in the United States. Volunteers also take time on weekends to do some reading and tutoring for the children in each family.
International Mission Trips: We are involved in international mission work and provides numerous opportunities to help our brothers and sisters around the globe. Teams of adults travel to countries like Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, and Haiti to serve the local community in several projects. Church members said of this ministry, “Before I went on the first trip I wondered if I would want to make the trip again. Upon returning I wondered why I had waited so long to go.” Through the benevolence offerings of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, we also support the global missions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and financially contribute to organizations such as CEDEPCA, Heifer International, Honduras Outreach International, Heifer International, Ten Thousand Villages, World Vision and World Relief.
Domestic Mission Trips: Since Pleasant Hill’s early beginnings, the church has sent adult and family mission teams to Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to assist in tornado and hurricane recovery efforts or simply to address systemic poverty. Mission teams partner with Habitat For Humanity to work on projects in the rural communities in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Pleasant Hill also supports the ministry of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance—the mission arm of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
