Medical Missions Live

A Unique Perspective on Global Missions

The guest this week is Doug Fountain, Executive Director of CCIH, Christian Connections for International Health, a Washington DC-based organization. CCIH works to connect a network of Christian agencies and individuals in the global health field to share ideas and best practices, pray together, join in fellowship and form a collective voice to speak up for those without a voice. 

This is a discussion you do not want to miss. Join on Tuesday night October 6, 2020, at 8 pm. More info here →

Find out about service opportunities for those experiencing homelessness

Interested in serving those in Charleston experiencing homelessness?

Please fill out the form below to be notified about donation and service opportunities.

“We are called by God to work together for the glory of His Kingdom, in small ways and in large ways. We must work together to promote justice and equity for all, to treat each other with respect and dignity, to lend a helpful hand to those in need, to live the life of service God calls us to. It has been a blessing to share in that mission with my Second Family for many years and I look forward to it for many years to come.”

-Cathy

Update from Missionary Co-Partner Leisa Wagstaff

26 May 2020

Friends, greetings in the name of Our Lord and Savior,

Yes, I am still in the USA. My scheduled return to South Sudan on April 12 was delayed due to travel restrictions by the PCUSA as well as the governments of South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. (I must travel through either Ethiopia, Kenya or Uganda.) In that this “monster” in our midst is still raging, it is unclear when a return may be possible.

South Sudan began registering its first COVID-19 cases about a month ago. So far, ten deaths have been attributed to the virus. I pray that the virus does not spread because our friends there are already so vulnerable due to hunger and lack of drinking water and handwashing facilities as well as medical care. Most of the country’s citizens are living in overcrowded internally displaced camps where it is even worse. I am hoping that there is already a bit of immunity in the bodies of the South Sudanese or a local remedy that will help them ward off this attacker.

So, I am here, and I am well. Like others, I am wearing the mask, cooking huge meals for aged family members (a father of 97 years, an 86 year-old uncle and a cousin who spent a “lifetime” as a military man and is now suffering with PTSD, cancer, divorce and alcoholism), tutoring my grandson, and delivering meals to out-of-school children whose parents are still working. On a few occasions (as a reserve driver), I get the opportunity to spend a moment or two in conversation on doorsteps with Meal on Wheels recipients.

Life is different and can often be described as “upside-down.” My heart goes out to everyone because I know that few have ever experienced shortages, confinement,  and a feeling of not being in control. After having spent decades in some of the most impoverished countries where everything is in short supply – especially medicines and good health – I know that life is challenging. We can, however, come through this; hopefully, stronger in faith and more aware of our global neighbors.

I stay in touch with my South Sudanese worshipping community, friends, colleagues and neighbors. They have had much concern for all of us here and are following the news very closely. More importantly, they are praying for everyone. Let us continue to pray for each other and those beyond our borders. 

Stay well and may peace and grace be with you. Thank you for your support.

In Continued Fellowship,

Leisa Wagstaff

PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker – South Sudan

c/o PO Box 85, Leasburg, NC 27291

Hospitality and Missions without Tea Room 2020

This time of year we are all usually busy hosting our Seconds Please Tea Room in conjunction with the Spoleto Arts & Crafts Fair. While we miss coming together to host the community, we still wanted to extend a bit of the Tea Room hospitality as best we could. We hope you enjoy the Pastor's (Daughter's) Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe. 

Our annual Tea Room is a fundraising event to benefit our Missions program. Last year the Tea Room proceeds were given in support of: Water Mission, our Mission Co-Worker Leisa Wagstaff in South Sudan, Medical Benevolence Foundation, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, Hands of Christ, Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation, Water Wellness Mission, Shaw Center, and Star Gospel Mission.

Since Spoleto and our Tea Room had to be canceled this year, we will have to be creative to support these and other missions this year. Please give generously in support of Missions.

2020 Missions Report

April 21, 2020

Second Presbyterian Church is a Matthew 25 Church. "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Matt. 25:35-36. The mission team strives to lead the church in carrying out this vision.

Second Presbyterian is also a connected church, partnering with other churches in the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.) in world-wide mission. Of all the ways we come together, the Special Offerings represent the single, largest collective effort of Presbyterians to create positive impact and share God's grace and love. There are four denomination-wide special offerings. The One Great Hour of Sharing, given at Easter, goes to relieve hunger, disaster, and poverty.  The Pentecost offering, given last year on June 9th, supports young people by nurturing their faith, ideas, and unique gifts which they then share with the church and the world. 40% of the offering remained with our congregation to use for children and youth programs. The Peace and Global Witness offering supports ministries of reconciliation and peace. It was given on October 6th, World Communion Sunday.  25% was retained by the congregation to invest in the Tywanza Sanders Legacy Foundation. The Christmas Joy offering, given on December 22nd, celebrated the gift of church leaders, past, present, and future. Half of the offering goes to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions, giving critical financial assistance for current and retired Presbyterian ministers, missionaries, and other church workers in their time of need. The other half goes to leadership development programs in Presbyterian-related schools and colleges. More information at presbyterianmission.org 

Second partners with other Presbyterian churches in the state for two other special offerings. On Mothers' Day, May 12th, we remembered Presbyterian Communities residents in need. More information at prescommunities.org. What used to be called Thornwell Home for Children, which took in orphans and other children whose families were unable to care for them, is now a major provider in state-wide service to families in crisis, offering counseling and parenting training, as well as their residential and foster programs. Our offering to support their work was given on November 25th. More information at thornwell.org

The week-end of May 24th-26th was when the "Seconds, Please" Tea Room was held. With a lot of hard work, good fellowship, and delicious food, we cleared $4,500 for missions. Here are the recipients last year.

•    Water Mission, providing safe drinking water in many countries

       Our 2nd to None team, ready to "walk for water" again this year, had to walk virtually.

•    Mission Co-Worker, Leisa Wagstaff in South Sudan

•    Medical Benevolence Foundation, medical missions in Haiti, Congo, etc.

•    Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, trained volunteers work around the country and world

•    Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, providing chaplain care in local emergencies

•    Hands of Christ, offering school uniforms to local elementary students

      We hope that Second will again be a distribution center. Watch for news and sign-ups!

•    Sea Islands Hunger Awareness, offering food and some new wells on Johns and Wadmalaw

•    Shaw Center, after school events at this City of Charleston recreation center

      Several of Second's members offer "homework help" there after school.

•    Star Gospel Mission, providing transitional housing to men in Charleston 

Since Spoleto was canceled, so was our Tea Room for this next May. This means we will have to be creative in some other way and some other time to support these and other missions this year. You are invited to come join us in that planning!

Second Presbyterian Mission Team: Sarah and Marion Mitchell, Sarah Stevens, liaison with Session, David Savard, Patterson Smith, Cathy Hinson, and Kate Stanton 

Pentecost Offering

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

Rev. Dr. David Gambrell spends of plenty of time with young people. He is a father of two daughters, he volunteers to teach confirmation classes at Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky and he was one of the youth leaders who preached at the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. 

He says Triennium was quite an experience for him and shares: “Our kids need to know they are valued in this moment—their gifts, wisdom and experiences are important. They need to know that we take them seriously and honor them as members of Christ’s body, and that we want to learn from them even as they learn from us —right here, right now.” 

Pentecost Offering May 31st | Give online today

Being valued is something that Rev. Ashley Faul-Erwin can certainly affirm makes a big difference in embracing a life of faith and service. A native of Northern Ireland, Ashley was looking for ways to express herself and serve in a faith community. After some searching, she connected with a program at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville through the Young Adult Volunteer program. Her experience as a Young Adult Volunteer was so profound that Ashley decided to attend seminary and now serves as the community outreach pastor at Setauket Presbyterian Church on Long Island. 

God’s youngest family members need support for developing their full potential in both faith and life, and all of us have a role to play. From projects like the churchwide Educate a Child, Transform the World national initiative to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium to tutoring and mentoring children in our own community—this is a mission that unites us as Presbyterians. Susan Byrne, a volunteer tutor at Willow Brook Elementary who attends First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, says, “Our immediate support of children is critical. If a person can get a good education, they have a chance to succeed in life, no matter where they come from.” 

And isn’t that what we all want? For our young folks to succeed in life? Our gifts to the Pentecost Offering support many programs for both children at risk and youth and young adults and are a testament to our commitment. And as a shared offering, our gifts also support countless programs in communities and congregations like ours. Here at Second Presbyterian, we hope to use our share of the offering when we are able to have our Vacation Bible School. David says,“We tend to say something like ‘we’re investing in the future because the youth are the future of our church.’ But our youth already have gifts to give and important ways to serve and lead in the church.” 

Together, we are building a life of faith and building the household of God with our children, youth and young adults. And every building needs a strong foundation — a foundation in faith that begins right here, right now and is strong enough to last a lifetime. 

---

Pentecost Offering May 31st

Nurturing the faith of those who are the church to come

A gift to the Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also address the needs of at-risk children. 40% of the Pentecost offering can be retained by our congregation to make an impact in the lives of young people within our own community. The remaining 60% is used to support children-at-risk, youth, and young adults through ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Invitation: Medical Missions Live

Toxic Charity and Medical Missions: An Interview with Author Bob Lupton

Dear Ministry Partner,

The bestselling book Toxic Charity was first published in 2011. In the book, veteran urban activist Bob Lupton exposed the shockingly toxic effects that modern charity has upon the very people meant to benefit from it. While charity makes donors feel better, he argued, it often hurts those it seeks to help. Toxic Charity and its follow-up Charity Detox provide proven new models for churches and other charitable groups who want to help—not sabotage—those whom they desire to serve.
 
Dr. Robert Lupton is the founder of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies) in Atlanta, the voice of the Urban Perspectives newsletter, and the author of Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life, Toxic Charity and Charity Detox. He has been at the forefront of a strategic rethinking of how we serve for over 40 years.
 
Join us on Tuesday night, May 19, 2020, at 8 pm eastern / 7 pm central for an exciting conversation with Mr. Lupton and his insights on how we can improve our approach to missions. We will talk about international medical missions as well as what we can do right here in our own local programs.

Please have your questions ready for us. We look forward to joining you live online via Zoom or on Facebook Live on Tuesday night at 5 pm PDT/7 pm CDT/8 pm EDT. If you choose to view with Zoom you will need to pay attention to both the login and the password included for you below.

Blessings,  

E. Andrew Mayo 
President and CEO 

---

When: Tuesday, May 19, 2020-7 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic:  Toxic Charity and Medical Missions
Please click the link to join the webinar Tuesday night:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89662761741pwd=aURRSFdRVU0vWG9pa1d4L3ZUNXE0QT9
Password: 234358

Or Telephone:
    Dial:
        US: +1 346 248 7799  
    Webinar ID: 288 607 687
    International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aeHcfPoEoD

---

The purpose of the Second Presbyterian Missions Committee is to provide support beyond the walls of the Church, meeting local, national and global organizations at their point of need and inviting them into a dynamic relationship with Christ. Our goal is to reach people at all ages and stages in their journey with Christ, both in the Church and with the organizations we support. We are a Medical Benevolence Foundation partner. Find out more about our missions organizations and activities here. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get updates about the work of our church and partners here.

Help pregnant women and new moms

MUSC's Psychiatric Unit has reached out offering ways to help under served pregnant women and new moms right here in Charleston. They are collecting donations for the women in our community to help with mental health care, child care and provide support for young child education.

Mental Health: For many women their health insurance will lapse 30-90 days postpartum or their health insurance does not include mental health benefits at all. We would like to offer ‘treatment grants’ to women for $1,000 to pay directly to support mental health treatment. A donation of any size will help with this goal!
 
Childcare: Women we serve have always had issues with needing childcare so that they can attend mental health appointments, and, as part of their overall care, needing childcare so that they can get a break and take care of themselves even for just a few hours to take a nap, shower, go for a walk, go to the grocery store, replete themselves so they are not irritable and frustrated with their kids/partners etc. These breaks are really important for their overall well-being and their ability to parent effectively. In the midst of the COVID-10 crisis, these issues are paramount as women are with their kids 24/7 and have no breaks and families are stressed in general and financially. Additionally there are women that are trying to work from home while having kids at home – which is incredibly stressful -  or would return to work but are unable because they can’t pay for childcare unless they are working. If they could start working, they could then afford childcare. We would like to offer ‘childcare grants’ to support women in recovery from peripartum mental health problems as well as those that can return to work but need some additional help in doing so. 
          
        Funds for childcare

1. To attend mental health appointments (4 hours per week, at $15 per hour X 10 weeks =$600)

2. To replete themselves so they are better parents (8 hours per week, at $15 per hour X 10 weeks= $1,200)

3. Return to work part-time (20 hours per week, at $15 per hour X 10 weeks= $3,000)

Tutoring: A third area that would be really helpful during COVID-19 is to pay for virtual tutoring for kids. Kids are struggling academically and parents are having a hard time teaching. Having even a few sessions per week with a reading or math tutor could be really beneficial during this time. We would like to offer ‘tutoring grants’ to support the children of women in recovery from peripartum mental health problems.
 
             Funds for tutors

1. 3-5, 1 hour sessions per week for math tutoring (5 hours per week, at $20 per hour, for 8 weeks [rest of school year] = $1,200)

2. 3-5, 1 hours sessions per week for reading tutoring (5 hours per week, at $20 per hour, for 8 weeks [rest of school year] = $1,200)

Donate diapers and other supplies via the unit’s Amazon registry here.

To support: call 843.792.0175 or email psych-events@musc.edu.

Homeless to Hope Benefit Telethon

A benefit telethon with iconic local and national artists on May 8 will raise funds for Homeless to Hope Fund to impact lowcountry area homeless.

The Homeless to Hope Fund was founded in 2016 to assist homeless individuals and families in their transition to permanent housing through a network of service providers in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and North Charleston. The fund helps cover certain financial expenses that could be obstacles to securing housing. Additional funding supports the Navigation Center, Charleston’s only day resource center to provide support and resources for people currently living unsheltered.

The Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing established the Homeless to Hope Benefit Concert to provide annual community support for the Homeless to Hope Fund. Because this year’s concert is not possible due to coronavirus containment efforts, the event will be held as a multi-media virtual telethon to raise funds and awareness to enable more people to transition into housing during this critical time.

To donate to the Homeless to Hope Fund, please contribute online at homelesstohopefund.org/donate or text H2HOPE to 44-321. MORE INFO: Visit the Homeless to Hope Fund website at homelesstohopefund.org and spread the news socially by visiting our Facebook page at facebook.com/HomelessToHopeFund or the Facebook Event Page: facebook.com/events/2084835638329262.

Help MUSC Psychiatric patients feel less isolated

MUSC's Psychiatry Unit has reached out offering ways to help patients feel less isolated.

Because of all of the extra measures to ensure that patients stay safe with this pandemic, many of them are not able to receive any visitors at all and now they feel more isolated than ever.

Would you be willing to send something to a patient? Something small like a word puzzle book, cards, coloring book, or even a teddy bear can go a long way to just simply let them know someone out there is thinking about them.

Simply send something via their Amazon Registry.
If you would prefer to send us something directly, please send to:
MUSC Institute of Psychiatry, Jessica Carter 
67 President St MSC 861
Charleston, SC 29425

Dee Norton Volunteer Opportunities

The Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center relies on volunteers to help achieve their mission to prevent abuse, protect children and heal families. Volunteers are key to providing a child-friendly and welcoming environment for children and families who come to the Center. There are many ways for individuals to become involved through their volunteer opportunities. Find out more here.

PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS OFFERING

Special Offering

The Peace & Global Witness Offering encourages the church to cast off anxiety and fear, discord and division, and embrace our reconciling God's mission to those around the corner and around the world.

Please give generously toward this special offering on Sunday or online (include description: Peace). This special offering will be taken up in the service on Sunday, October 6, 2019.

25% of the offering stays in this congregation to use in a local reconciliation program, this year to the Tywanza Sanders Legacy Foundation for college scholarships. These are awarded in part by the applicant's commitment to use his or her education "in improving race relations and dissolving racial barriers".

25% is used in our presbytery. For example, in January a group will travel to Allendale for a day of service in a Headstart program.

50% supports the work for peace and reconciliation being done by Presbyterians across the globe. Mission Co-workers, like our own Leisa Wagstaff, are working with peacemakers in countries torn by war. Her recent newsletter told of the work with rehabilitating former child soldiers.

Each year, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations facilitates PC(USA) involvement in the UN Commission on the Status of Women, helping shape global standards on the empowerment of women, working to prevent gender-based violence.

Please give generously to the offering. "When we all give a little, it adds up to a lot."

PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS OFFERING

A Special Invitation

Most of us don’t get any mail except for what? Bills and junk. But once in a while, now and then, a pretty envelope, perhaps hand-addressed and with something nice inside, is nestled among the coupons and ads and utility bills.

An invitation.

It’s something different and it feels good. It feels good to be invited.

Sometimes the church talks about the work we do as an obligation or a duty. We start thinking about the sign-up sheets and the time requirement, the money and ... But try to remember ‘invitation’ instead. Every time we are asked to give of ourselves, our time, our talent and our treasure, it helps to think of it as an invitation to imagine and be a part of God’s reign on earth. And on World Communion Sunday, We can think of no more appropriate word than ‘invitation.’ Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, invites us to the table. And not just us, but Christ invites, and we open doors to believers from all over the world, and we even profess that believers from every time and place join us. At this table we proclaim that Christ joins us into one body despite our differences. Christ invites and our doors open to the broken, the hurting and the survivors of violence—those who suffer, as he suffered, to be nourished by his compassion. Christ invites, and our doors open to all those who work for reconciliation and advocate for God’s justice, which makes for peace.

Christ invites, and we also offer ourselves to the pursuit to end violence and bring about reconciliation through the Peace and Global Witness Offering. Through our gifts, we offer a healing hand to women experiencing abuse, here in this country and in places like Guatemala, even as we seek to remedy the structures that create their vulnerability.

Our giving offers a word of peace to those incarcerated here and those crushed by civil war in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our offering draws together those who were once at war, creating opportunities for veterans from this land to return to Iraq and build relationships that offer a start to healing and understanding. Leisa Wagstaff, the mission co-worker we support in South Sudan, is working to facilitate reconciliation there. And this offering will be shared with a local foundation for reconciliation with the 25% that we retain in our congregation.

It is one of the ways we RSVP ‘yes’ to Christ’s invitation and offer, as the words in 2nd Thessalonians say, ‘peace, at all times, in all ways.’ At Christ’s table, and in these gifts, we are invited to believe those words. But for peace to truly be offered ‘at all times, in all ways’ we will start at THIS time and in THESE ways. If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.

Habitat for Humanity 2019-2020

There are volunteer opportunities to join the Habitat build in North Charleston beginning August 15th. The “Faith Build” is an opportunity to put your faith and love into action to assure that a decent, affordable home is ready for a Habitat family. We’re blessed to have Charleston Habitat for Humanity working right here in our community helping low-income families achieve their dream of homeownership.

Habitat homes are built primarily with volunteer labor. No experience is necessary to build! The build continues Wednesdays through Saturdays through October. If you can’t volunteer all day you can choose either the morning or afternoon shift.

Check the Volunteer Calendar for available dates. All volunteers must complete an online Volunteer Application and Volunteer Waiver of Liability prior to volunteering.

For more information please contact Sarah Mitchell or Sarah (Morton) Stevens.

Hands of Christ 2019

This will be our fifth year serving as the Downtown Charleston Distribution Center on August 12th and 13th. Please sign up to help as a volunteer on one of those days. There are lots of opportunities to help as you are able any time between 2:30 and 7:30pm.

A special Hands of Christ offering was collected June 30, 2019. You can still contribute toward that donation to Hands of Christ online or by marking your offering for "Hands of Christ" before putting it in the offering plate.

The mission of Hands of Christ is to bring PC(USA) congregations together to meet the basic needs of children by showing them Christ’s love, helping them start the school year with uniforms and basic school supplies. Started in 2002 by Zion-Olivet and Westminster Churches, the organization has supported over 50,000 school children in Charleston, Berkley, Dorchester, Colleton, Williamsburg and Orangeburg counties and at Thornwell.

Students 3K through 8th grade are invited to receive 2 free school uniforms and grade-related school supplies. Each child may attend ONLY ONE SITE each year! To be served: Your child must be present and accompanied by an adult with a DRIVERS LICENSE or OFFICIAL ID from any government.

**This page will be updated. Please check back for more information.**