State College Presbyterian Church

Summer Worship Schedule
(through Sept. 6)
Sundays
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:20am
Coffee Hour: 11:00am

Regular Program Year Worship Schedule
(beginning Sept. 13)
Sundays
Worship: 9:00 & 11:15am
Sunday School: 10:00am
Coffee Hour: 10:15am

Wednesdays
Taize Service: 5:00pm

Special Worship
Sunday Bulletin

Report from Your Mission Associate -- Kim Hunziker

Meeting with Local Mission Partners

As the Mission Associate for State College Presbyterian Church, it seems important to make personal contact with and develop a working knowledge of the local services and agencies that our congregation supports through the Mission portion of our operating budget.  As the months go by, I will file periodic reports on what I am learning about each of them. 42% of local, backyard mission spending supports preschool education, housing and fuel assistance for families living very close to the edge of poverty here in Centre County.  The Park Forest Day Nursery was started long before Head Start came to the State College area by a handful of churches that saw the need and importance of early childhood education for ALL children. Those churches (including SCPC) recognized that one of the ways to end the cycle of poverty was to provide a quality preschool education, two meals a day, and parenting support for for families facing chronic financial hardship.

Housing Transitions, Inc. is an extensive program that provides immediate, short term housing for anyone who becomes homeless, and an extensive service of aid and educational programs to prevent the loss of one's home.  Housing Transitions is on the verge of launching a building campaign that will fund an addition to their overflowing shelter, Centre House, located near the corner of Pugh St. and Nittany Ave., for folks who need assisted living.

The historic roots of Interfaith Mission also extend all the way back to SCPC.  It offers fuel and utility assistance for families in need, money management counseling and services, emergency financial aid, and a wonderful furniture recycling program.

We have SCPC members active on all of these agencies' boards as well as within their programs.

For more information, contact Kim Hunziker (238-2422).

Mission eNewsletter

If you would like to receive our monthly Mission eNewsletter please let us know by sending your email address to Wendy Jones, and indicate "Mission eNewsletter" in the subject line.

Issues of Faith

The issues of faith for which we are a catalyst include justice, peace, hunger – and, of course, learning to be like Jesus.   We recognize that how we address these issues within the context of our church community is carefully watched by our children and youth.  It is our responsibility as followers of Jesus to talk with them and with one another about how to give voice to being Christian and living out faith in day-to-day life in an increasingly complex world.

Communication

We would like State College Presbyterian Church to be known as a “mission church” both within our own church and in the community that extends beyond our walls out into the world.  This requires finding better ways to 1) communicate our church’s interest in mission, 2) extend the invitation to members to become more involved,  and 3) to seek means for improving communications on a consistent and on-going basis.

Mission Projects

When imagining the possibilities for new, improved, or expanded mission projects, the sky is the limit for the State College Presbyterian Church!   We are committed to “big” projects such as sponsoring & building a Habitat House and international mission relationships with communities in Togo, Haiti, Thailand and elsewhere.  It is also important that we continue our commitment to all current mission projects and trips and turn our focus on improving how the stories of those significant mission experiences are shared with the rest of the congregation.  We must be sure that our church community continues to make regular connections to our ongoing and established activities as “mission projects” (e.g., the angel tree and Christmas in July).

Mission Staff

How our church is staffed reflects our priorities. Last year Session voted to add a part time Associate in Ministry for Mission to the church staff for a period of two to three years.  The Mission MInistry has written:  "Approval of this position is a recognition of the increased mission activity and interest within our church family AND our desire to meet the increasing needs of the wider community given the new economic climate.  We are fortunate to have existing funds in a Trust intended to support program and staff initiatives such as this one enabling us to hire now without impacting our operating budget.  After two years, the position will be evaluated under a process approved by Session to consider the impact of the position on the church's outreach and our financial capacity to maintain it in our budget then."

Budget

The way we spend money reflects what is most important to our lives together as a church community.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see 15% or more(!) of the church budget designated for mission giving and ministries?