Limestone Presbyterian Church Missions

Supporting Limestone’s Mission Trip to the Gulf Coast
We have 15 Limestone Presbyterians going on June 24-30 to the Gulf Coast to help the rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Everyone’s prayers for this mission trip are needed and appreciated. Join us on Sunday, June 17th, when our 9:30 a.m. worship service will include a special commissioning prayer for the Mission Trip participants. Mission Trip participants are paying their own way, but they would welcome your financial support in paying for building materials. Some mission trip participants could use help with their airline tickets for this mission trip; please let us know if you have frequent flyer miles that you could donate a ticket. You can put your tax-deductible donation in the offering plate (note on the check memo line that it is for the “Gulf Coast Mission Trip” or mail it to the church office by June 22nd. Pastor Bruce Gillette is leading this mission trip; please contact him (phone: 994-5646 or home phone: 994-0220) or email us at bcgillette@comcast.net) if you have questions or would like to help support this mission trip.and Roberta Bell.

I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
"Then the good people will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?'
"Then the King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.' Matthew 25:35-40 (NCV)

Limestone and Habitat

In October 2007 Limestone Presbyterians will be helping with the construction of a Habitat home in the Greenbridge neighborhood of Wilmington (1300 North Heald St., Wilmington, DE 19802). Our work dates are October 4, 9, 18 & 23. Please contact the Limestone Presbyterian Church by email or by calling 302-994-5646, if you would like to participate in this construction. Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County needs many volunteers beyond those who do construction work (office volunteers and volunteers to assist on our Family Selection and After Care Committees); please contact them if you are interested in serving in this important ministry. Check out the Limestone & Habitat web page.

Local Community	Mission Trips	Special Offerings
Missionaries	Youth Groups	Church School
Vacation Bible School	Presbyterian Women	Men's Ministry

Local Community

Friendship House
Friendship House is a non-profit Christian Corporation committed to making a difference in the lives of the homeless and impoverished people in Wilmington. The agency has a continuum of services, a dedicated staff, and strong volunteer support. Friendship House offers hospitality, education, empowerment and a sense of community to those served. Friendship House provides day centers, residential, transitional housing programs, and an emergency shelter for both men and women at a total of seven different locations. Friendship House maintains the Clothing Bank of Delaware which provides free distribution of donated clothing to the poor. Limestone has traditionally contributed to this mission with our fall Clothing Bank drives and financial support through Alternative/Fair Trade Gift Market, and CROP Walk.

Habitat for Humanity
In the fall of 1999, through the direction of Roger Jolly and Barbara Slavin, a dinner and program was held at Limestone to see if the congregation was interested in sponsoring a house. At that meeting, Kevin Smith, Executive Director of HFHNCC, was present and explained the vision of Habitat in the area. Also present was a prospective homeowner who spoke to the group. The congregation was very excited about becoming a part of this program and so started our journey with Habitat. It is very unusual that a single church underwrites the entire cost of a house, but that is what Limestone did. The home we built is on the East Side of Wilmington in Phillips Park. It is a group of duplex townhouses and now front a booming area for Habitat, with dozens of homes being built in this area. Our homeowner, Avis Frasier and her daughter, attended Limestone many times and realized how much this church supported them. Members of Limestone are still involved in this program in several areas and know that God led this congregation to undertake this mission project.

Meals on Wheels
City Fare’s Meals On Wheels mission is to help homebound clients maintain their independence by delivering meals with the help of its dedicated volunteers.
Limestone Presbyterian Church has been active in this mission for over 20 years. We are just one of many churches and businesses that serve meals. The Meals on Wheels schedule is such that we deliver meals approximately every seventh week. Each pair of volunteers drive only once during that week and the delivery takes about 2 hours from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Urban Promise

The Urban Promise was founded in 1988 by Dr. Tony Campolo and Dr. Bruce Main in Camden, NJ. Now an independent ministry, it has grown to four locations in the US and Canada. Urban Promise, Wilmington was established in 1998. Today Urban Promise operates three summer camps for 200 at-risk youth, four after school programs in three parts of the city for 60 children, and Wilmington Forward Christian School for grades Pre-K through First Grade, a Street Leader job training program for 25 high school youth each year.

Urban Promise is a continuation of Limestone Presbyterian Church’s seven-year involvement with Hilltop Summer Camp Program. We support Urban Promise outreach to at-risk youth in Wilmington with our Pentecost Offering in May and with LPC Youth hosting the Urban Promise Camper’s Carnival.

Meeting Ground
Meeting Ground has been supported for many years by the Limestone congregation. It is a mission in Maryland that houses men, women and children that have basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Each year they provide over 18,000 bednights of emergency and transitional housing, serve over 35,000 meals, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for referrals and supportive services, and assist over 300 persons in the transition from being homeless. Meeting Ground established and supports the Cecil County Men’s Shelter, Friendship House, and Elkton Community Kitchen.

The Men’s Ministry supports Meeting Ground on an annual basis by participating with hands-on maintenance of the facility. Painting, digging, nailing, cleaning, and landscaping are just a few of the tasks our members have contributed.

Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, MD

The Center, owned and operated by the Church of the Brethren General Board, was founded on the site of Blue Ridge College in 1944 in New Windsor, Maryland. It hosts organizations that work in areas of relief and development, disaster response, social justice, peace education and hospitality. The Church of the Brethren works in conjunction with Church World Service in a mission to resettle refugees who come to the United States for a better life. They also provide training and volunteers to coordinate emergency response and disaster relief packages to meet national and international needs. The Limestone Men and Women Ministries together support a mission outreach trip to the Center. It is truly a wonderful experience for all of us to do the good work that is there to be done. The positive impact of this mission is felt all over the world. Limestone Men and Women’s group have agreed to make this outreach an annual event.

Seamen’s Center of Wilmington
The mission of the Seamen's Center of Wilmington is to meet the needs of the seafarers who visit the ports in the State of Delaware. The goal is to make their time in port a rewarding one by providing personal, practical and spiritual assistance. More than 500 ships dock at ports throughout Delaware. On those vessels come more than 10,000 seafarers each year. Most of the mariners visiting our state are internationals with low language skills and earning low wages. They serve contracts that are ten-months in length and live an isolated existence. Limestone has supported this center with contributions of books, drivers, Christmas gift boxes and a coat drive.

Crop Walk

The annual CROP WALK takes place each October. It is sponsored by Church World Service and hosted by Newark United Methodist Church on Main Street in Newark, Delaware.

One quarter of the funds raised are used in local food missions that are selected each fall, such as Hope Dining Room in Newark, Delaware Food Bank, Elkton Community Kitchen, and Friendship House in Wilmington. The rest of the money raised will be used by Church World Service to provide food and tools to help create food resources in communities throughout the world.

Alternative/Fair Trade Gift Market
This mission occurs during the month of December. Through this mission people are able to purchase gifts for Christmas. Donations to local mission oriented organizations can be made in the gift recipient’s name. The funds from the purchase of goods go to businesses which are either non profit in the United States or are markets in Third World countries. By purchasing gifts through this market you are able to expand the circle of goodwill to other people around the world as well as wish goodwill to whomever receives the gift.

Emmanuel Dining Room
The Emmanuel Dining Room (Ministry of Caring, Inc.) has three facilities in Wilmington, Delaware that provide nutritious meals daily to the hungry. Limestone members currently volunteer to serve the meal on the 24th of each month. In preparation, members bake cookies, bake turkeys, and prepare the meals.

Road to Recovery
Road to Recovery is an American Cancer Society program. It provides cancer patients with transportation to and from scheduled appointments. Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their personal vehicles to take patients to treatments and back home.

Holiday Food Baskets
Each year in November, Limestone members are invited to “pluck the turkey”. (“Feathers” list items to be brought in, such as frozen pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, etc.) The Youth groups assist with sorting out the items and packaging them into boxes to be given to needy families in the area.

Food Closet
The Board of Deacons at Limestone has overseen the responsibility for manning and maintaining the food closet for many years. Support comes from congregation in the form of food and cash donations. Food requests come to the office by way of a referral from a state agency or other authorized organization. Bags of food are prepared by the closet staff and given out in the office when people come in with referrals. Cash certificate are also distributed for the recipient to buy perishables.

Special discount arrangements have been made with Shoprite for purchasing on credit and in bulk. Zingo’s grocery store also helps out by giving us a percentage rebate for cash receipts we collect. If you turn in your Zingo’s receipt to the office, the money rebated will benefit the food closet. “Souper” Bowl Sunday is an annual drive for donations and canned goods that benefits the food closet each winter.

Mission Trips
In recent years, Limestone’s Youth Group have gone on work camp trips to Maryland, West Virginia, and New York. Fundraisers were held to defray the cost of each participants involvement. Caring and supportive adults also volunteer to go along with the youth. Both the adults and the youth find the mission a rewarding experience. Many houses were fixed up, gardens renewed, fences repaired, porches painted and lives were enriched as a result of these mission trips. A congregational mission trip to Kenya in 2006 is planned. This project will involve planting Moringa Trees to help revitalize the resources of the villages. In the past, the Confirmation Class has stayed a weekend at The Pilgrimage, an outreach ministry of Church of the Pilgrims (PCUSA). They volunteer in a shelter and dining facility in Washington, DC. The students are assigned tasks and take part in preparing, serving and cleaning up after the meals. They live in a dormitory on the campus of the shelter in the heart of the Capital, experiencing homelessness first-hand and taking part in making a difference.

Special Offerings
Christmas Joy Offering – This offering is taken in December. It supports eight racial ethnic schools and the PCUSA Board of Pensions assistance programs
Peacemaking Offering – This offering is taken in October. It supports peacemaking activities at the congregational, presbytery, and synod levels, as well as the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program of the General Assembly.
One Great Hour of Sharing – This offering is taken during Lent and/or Easter. It supports the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self-Development of People.
Pentecost Offering – This offering is taken each year in late May or early June. It is 40 days after Easter. This mission supports children at risk, youth and young adults through local and national ministry programs. The gifts support the development of a new generation of leadership in the denomination throughout the Presbyterian Youth Connection.

Missionaries

Former pastor Lyle Dykstra and his wife, Terry, are serving with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in Kenya. Since January of 2003, Lyle has lectured at the Pastoral Institute at Presbyterian College by teaching both theology and pastoral care to the local church leaders. Terry is providing administrative skills and helped establish a counseling program for young adults. A special donation basket is at our baptisms. The money collected is sent directly to the Rehabilitation Center for Children (the Wee School project) in Kenya.

Youth Groups
Middle School and High School Youth Groups at Limestone have a long standing tradition of incorporating mission projects into their regular meeting schedule each year.
Sorting food at the Delaware Food Bank, picking apples at an orchard for Emmanuel Dining Room, visiting nursing homes, Christmas caroling to our shut-ins, and raising money and awareness of hunger in Delaware by participating in the CROP Walk are just a few of the things our youth have done as part of their spiritual journey and mission experience. At the beginning of the year you can see them with big soup pots on “Souper” Bowl Sunday to help our food closet. By the end of the year they are gathering to help “Hang the Greens” to decorate the sanctuary to bring the worship services into the Advent Season.

Church School
Each year the church school children vote on where to spend a $200 mission gift. In 2005, for instance, we gave $100 to Lyle and Terry Dykstra's Missionary work and $100 for 5 shares of a Llama from Heifer International. The church school also gives $300 each year to Presbyterian Medical Services. We collect food for the Holiday Food Baskets and Souper Bowl Sunday. We also give the children the opportunity to collect donations for UNICEF at Halloween, One Great Hour of Sharing during Lent, and the liturgical year end Pentecost collection. The families of church school children are invited to participate in the CROP walk or sponsor the Church School director in the walk.

Vacation Bible School
Under the direction of our Church School Coordinator, Vacation Bible School invites children from the church family and the community around us to participate in a fun, educational experience. Over the course of a week children will follow the curriculum chosen for that summer and will learn to grow spiritually while having fun and meeting new friends. VBS is supported by the many volunteers within the congregation that lend their time and talents to these young ones and everyone comes out of the experience richer in their faith.

Presbyterian Women
The women of Limestone are a vital group who are dedicated to serving the Lord by giving their time, talent and money to help those that are in need.

Women’s Pledges
Each woman in the Presbyterian community is encouraged to make an annual pledge through the local church association. This pledge is used for Women’s mission support for the worldwide mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) . Also, it is the basic budget of PW at the congregation, presbytery, synod, and church wide levels.

Thank Offering
A traditional creative ministry of United Presbyterian Women. one third of this offering is used to support worldwide medical mission. The rest of this offering is allocated annually based on the direction of the board from consisting of women from the Global mission and Social Peacemaking committees at the General Assembly.

Birthday Offering
Every year, each woman is asked to contribute one penny for each year of her life as a "birthday gift". This giving originally started in 1922 when the Women's Auxiliary of the Presbyterian Church in the United States chose to celebrate its tenth anniversary by collecting and dedicating a special offering. The year of 2005 marks the 83rd anniversary of this tradition, known as the Birthday Offering. Presbyterian Women has given more than $28,505,445 in support of mission projects throughout the world. The Presbyterian Women at Limestone select a project each year in the spring that will benefit from this giving.

The Fellowship of the Least Coin
It was begun in 1956 by Shanti Solomon of India who considered that women anywhere could have a sense of being part of a worldwide family of faith as they prayed for peace and reconciliation and set aside the least coin of their country as a symbol of that prayer. As coins are gathered from around the world, they become a sign of our oneness in the common quest for peace, justice and reconciliation. Among other things, Least Coin uses the coins collected to build clinics for women and children, help women support themselves and their children and gives grants to help women receive an education.

Celebration of Christian Community
This giving pattern encourages women to support ecumenical and denominational programs. PW are encouraged to participate in the Fellowship of the Least Coin and to the financial support of Church Women United (CWU).

Per Capita
The per capita fund ($2.00 per member) is used for administrative costs of PW in New Castle Presbytery. This amount, multiplied by the number of members in your PW group, is sent to the Administrative Treasurer.

Celebration of Believers
Part of this giving pattern is PW Honorary Life Membership for $75.00. There are also Recognition Gifts and Memorial Gifts. The Celebration of Believers also includes the Special Fund for Leader Development of Women. These monies will be used for leader development of women, such as assisting in Enabler training costs.

Women’s Circle Missions

All of the circles keep very busy with their mission work. In the past year, they put together school kits; knit lap robes & baby blankets; several hospital gowns are also made and sent where they were needed; care packages were filled with snacks, devotionals and a lot of love and mailed to our college students.

Some of us participated in Quilts for Comfort project (quilts are taken to hospitals to bring comfort to children that are ill); some sold pecans while others had a clothing sale. We have donated money to Children's Choice, a local foster parent program that they have sponsored for many years. We have sold many Networking Mother's Day cards to support the women and children in Africa.

Judith Circle
For the past few years, Judith Circle has sold pecans from Georgia in November to raise funds to be used for mission. Beneficiaries vary from year to year and have included in the past, Adopt-A-Family, Children’s Choice, and private individuals in dire need. In addition, we support the College “Care Packages”, Sewing missions (lap robes, hospital gowns, etc.), Christmas at Sea (Seamen’s Center), Blanket Sunday and volunteer to help out with the annual Children’s Clothing Sale.

Esther Circle
The women of Esther Circle have supported "Children's Choice" an organization supporting foster children. Each year the women are invited to accompany the men to the Brethren Service Center where they help as volunteers in the distribution of the many kits that Church World Service puts together. Part of our budget goes to support the Limestone Food Closet each month. Our group used our helping hands to complete school kits for Church World Service.

Deborah Circle
Deborah Circle considers fundraiser for mission work a mission in itself. For over 20 years, Deborah Circle has held a consignment Children’s Clothing sale each October. This sale is a open to the community – to those wishing to sell or buy gently used children’s clothing or toys at very reasonable prices. The sellers price their items keeping in mind the circle will retain 25% of the purchase price while they will receive 75%. The consignment sale has been a successful and popular fundraiser for Deborah Circle and an event which benefits our larger community. The money raised goes toward various mission funding. Each year we send a donation to support Meeting Ground. We also purchase school kits that are sent to the Brethren Service Center for redistribution to places where they are needed by children each year.

Men’s Ministry

Limestone Men's Ministry is a Charter member of the National Council of Presbyterian Men whose purpose is to promote the kingdom of God worldwide by encouraging men to serve Jesus Christ in the work of the Church. In January 2001, Limestone Presbyterian “Men’s Fellowship” became the first Presbyterian Church in New Castle County Presbytery in Delaware to become a Chartered member of the National Council of Presbyterian Men. By becoming a Chartered member, we adopted the mission statement of the NCPM which in part is:

• To lead men into a vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
• To develop their understanding of the mission of the church and to assist congregations in nurturing men of the church to mature discipleship.
• To encourage men in the church through their commitment to Christ to fulfill the ministry to which men are called in their families, in their daily work and in their ministry to other people in the community and the world.
• To involve men of various racial/ethnic backgrounds and men of different ages.

By adopting the NCPM Mission statement it gave us a new focus on which direction the Limestone Men’s Fellowship should go. To that end we changed our name to Limestone Men’s Ministry and began to pursue an agenda of enhancing and enriching men’s spirituality through Jesus Christ.
We continue to be connected with national, regional and local Men’s Ministries. Our purpose in being connected to the larger whole is to bring the best program to the men of Limestone.

Meeting Ground
It has become an annual event for our group to spend time at Meeting Ground in Elkton, Maryland. We have had a hand in construction, landscaping, painting, repairing, and just about anything that needs to be done to keep this program on its path to helping the homeless find a safe and productive way to live.

Brethren Service Center
A trip that invites the Presbyterian Women to join the Men’s Ministry to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Maryland, is a rewarding, hands-on, time of service. We volunteer to sort, pack, unpack, or prepare the mailing of the many mission kits that Church World Service puts together to send around the globe.

Church Clean-up Days

We have been very active on the homefront in the same manner, showing a full force of helping hands for Levite Sundays and Church Clean up days. The Levites were the keepers of the temple in the Bible. These days we put on our “Levis” and join the congregation in taking care of our church and grounds with the extra care and attention that it sometimes needs.

Fundraising through Fellowship
The educational opportunities that we participate in as a group are all supported by our own fundraising activities that include the whole church and community. The Hobby Expo/Chili & Soup Cookoff has become a community event at Limestone, giving a place for local non-profit organizations, hobbyists, and church groups to educate and update people on their activities throughout the year. The Chili Cookoff has expanded to include Homemade Soups and it is a challenge to the cooks and a delight to the diners. Each fall brings a Fundraising Dinner with all the trimmings supplied by the men and professional entertainers to round out the evening. We have, in the past had a Pig Roast as a Fundraising Dinner, that was a big success.

Other Presbyterian national and world-wide missions:

http://www.pcusa.org/navigation/mission.htm

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Limestone Presbyterian Church 3201 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808-2198

Limestone Presbyterian Church
3201 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808-2198