Mission Information Guide
Missions Committee Vision:
As disciples, we seek to empower and equip our congregation to witness and serve people in a world that needs God in both spiritual and physical ways. We strive to strengthen the congregation’s enthusiasm and involvement in missions support throughout every aspect of church life.
Missions Committee Mission:
We are believers, guiding our congregation to embrace missions as a joyous privilege to participate in the coming of the kingdom of God. We endeavor to build increased engagement in mission support through prayer, personal involvement, and financial support.
Because we’ve been called to be a witnessing people, we grant priority to those missions and concerns
- in which our church can be most involved
- which will have the largest conversion-effect on seekers in the world and in our
community
- which will have the largest disciple-making effect on our congregation
Birchwood Short-Term Missions:
Food for the Hungry: Guatemala -- Food for the Hungry and Birchwood joined hands in partnership in 2003 by adopting the very small village of Kanaquil, consisting of about 100 families, located in the highlands of Guatemala. Our adoption agreement means that we are committed to sending a team from Birchwood each year for five years to provide practical help in the form of sponsorships for children, short-term building projects connected with the local school, and Bible school for children. In addition, we are in frequent communication with them, praying and encouraging them in their efforts to improve their lives and grow as Christians. Birchwood families currently sponsor over 35 children from Kanaquil and a neighboring village through Food for the Hungry.
Food for the Hungry’s goal is to train leaders, families and churches through their vision of community. Birchwood’s Guatemala teams consist of 12-14 people, with each team made up of equal numbers of repeaters and new members.
Missions Network International: Baja California, Mexico -- A group of Birchwood youth traveled to the Ensenada area during the summer of 2003 to collaborate with a local church there to provide a Vacation Bible School for children within the church’s neighborhood. In 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, multi-generational teams spent a week constructing a small medical clinic, several small houses and working on the Mount of Olives Children's Village. During these years the groups have also conducted Vacation Bible School for local children and a variety of outreach programs. We partner with Missions Network International and its director, Darrell Graham, who runs the facility where our group of 50 stays. He has extended an invitation to Birchwood to work with the Mission as unofficial “partners in ministry” to the people of this poor area.
As this relationship with MNI and the people of Uruapan grows, it is our hope to provide opportunities for young people and adults to participate actively in the task of sharing Christ cross-culturally.
Local Missions:
The Inn:
Purpose: An outreach mission to college students, both believers and seekers. The ministry conducts Tuesday night worship and relationship-building programs with 300-350 students attending; sponsors mission trips, outdoor recreation trips, and local Christian service experiences.
Volunteer Opportunities: Help prepare dinner for 20-25 student worship leaders and staff on Tuesday evenings (monthly or occasionally); lead Bible studies or special interest groups; step up for other individual “behind the scenes” work opportunities such as office work or grant-writing.
Director/Contact: Jim Schmotzer, 733-7704 www.theinnministries.org
Lighthouse Mission:
Purpose: A free crisis shelter for men, women, and children which also offers hot meals open to the public three times a day. The Mission provides clients with personal needs items, clothing, and furniture; weekly medical clinic access; medications; travel vouchers; a long-term rehabilitation program; transitional housing; and food boxes.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Regular volunteers: Serve hot meal(s) monthly; volunteer as a chapel service leader; donate to and serve in the clothing room and/or food pantry; provide GED tutoring, housekeeping services, Bible study; help with children’s activities, maintenance, reception, mailings, teaching (parenting, budgeting, anger control, health) and evangelism.
Special Events/On Call volunteers: Holiday food baskets; painting rooms, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, etc.
At Home volunteers: birthday cake and cookie baking, sewing repairs
Contact: Pat Buchinski, 733-5120 www.thelighthousemission.org
Love, Inc:
Purpose: A ministry to coordinate with churches to help the poor. Activities include family budget counseling; helping families move; doing housekeeping for elderly with short-term disabilities; and repairing vehicles for those who have no other means of getting to work.
Volunteer Opportunities: Be a budget counselor (training is provided); a child care provider for families in counseling; a fund raiser, phone volunteer, or board member.
Director/Contact: Don Galloway, 671-6201
North Puget Sound Presbytery:
The mission function of the presbytery is to help and assist its member congregations grow for the sake of Jesus Christ. The contributions of our church help support mission activity in our area including the Inn, Tall Timber Ranch, Neah Bay and Acme Churches, Synod Resource Center subscriptions for all presbytery congregations, Eagle Wings Ministries to the handicapped in Marysville, Skagit Hispanic Ministries, and others.
www.teamtapestry.net/quickplace/npugetsound
Address: 1010 East Casino Road; Everett, WA 98203-6537
Toll-free: (866) 355-0922
Tall Timber Ranch:
Purpose: Offers Christ-centered camping programs in connection with local churches. In unique outdoor settings, Tall Timber demonstrates Christ’s presence in daily life, prepares participants for local and worldwide service, provides solid Biblical teaching, and builds relationships that cut across barriers. Most of all, the camp provides Christian role models through its camp staff, spiritual leaders, and counselors.
Volunteer Opportunities: Take up your tools for construction, maintenance and repair work parties, especially over the Memorial Day weekend. Spaces for tents and RV parking are available; ample food will be provided. The fee is a free will offering for accommodations and meals. Tasks include cutting brush, washing windows and mattresses, painting, cutting fire wood, etc.
Contact: Judy Marcum, 380-4333 www.talltimber.org
University Christian Ministries – Derrick Scheid, Geoff Mumley, Jonathan Lytle
Derrick is a former BPC staff member now with University Christian Ministries at Western Washington University.
UCM Purpose: To assist students in their desire to know and understand Jesus Christ and apply his teachings to their lives. Activities include a Friday night gathering for worship, instruction, and encouragement; small Bible study/support groups; and active service on campus. UCM strives to reach, mentor, and send students at Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College each year. They want to reach both Christian and non-Christian students, draw them into our community for training and mentoring, then as they graduate send them into the world to be missionaries in their chosen career fields.
Contact: derrick@ucm-chialpha.com www.ucm-chialpha.com
Whatcom County Pregnancy Center:
Purpose: An organization which provides support for women, teens, and families facing unplanned pregnancies. Their “Relate” program educates and equips teens towards a healthier lifestyle of waiting for sex until marriage forms a significant part of its ministry. WCPC offerings confidential pregnancy tests and limited diagnostic ultrasound screening for young women.
Volunteer Opportunities: You can serve as office assistant, newsletter support, pregnancy counselor and mentor (training required), curriculum organizer, support with solicitation and collection of donations, “Relate” speaker (training provided)
Contact: Sherrie Turner at 671-9057 www.whatcomclinic.com
Young Life:
Purpose: A non-denominational outreach ministry to high school and middle school students, introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them to grow in their faith. The "lost sheep" (Luke 15: 1-7) among this age group are the focus of the ministry. Young Life provides healthy, creative fun in weekly clubs, seasonal camping experiences, and daily outings with leaders. The goal is to get the youth involved with a local church congregation, and ultimately to commit their lives to Christ.
Volunteer Opportunities: Host and invite guests to a table at the annual banquet; be a member of a life support team to provide snacks, clean-up, and resources; participate in area-wide Young Life events (BBQ, banquet etc.); be on the Young Life Committee to help plan events and daily operations; make pies for the annual BBQ; participate in an adult camp; assist in the office.
Web sites: www.younglife.org www.hillcrestchapel.com/missions/schultz
World and National Missions:
Ambassadors in Sports (AIS) -- Kelli Reasoner
Kelli is a former BPC staff member called to ministry with AIS. AIS strategy is to communicate the Gospel effectively, using soccer as the platform, through camps, clinics, teams, international tours, youth leagues, school programs and prison ministries. Staff missionaries, like Kelli, are skilled and experienced soccer players and can take advantage of the worldwide enthusiasm for the sport to build cross-cultural bridges and introduce people to Jesus Christ. AIS now has offices in the UK, USA, Spain, South Africa and the Czech Republic.
Contact: kzlateff@hotmail.com Tel. 440-519-0488 Web site: www.aisint.org
Christian International Scholarship Foundation (CISF) – The purpose of CISF is to help fund doctoral-level theological education for Christian leaders from the emerging world who otherwise would be unable to afford the education. These individuals then return to their home countries to provide Christian leadership as teachers and ministers to their people. Birchwood Presbyterian Church established a scholarship in 2005 in the name of BPC’s former pastor, Tim Lann. BPC’s monthly contributions are designated for the Lann Scholarship Fund.
Web site: http://www.belairpres.org
Address: PMB-136, 825 S. Waukegan Road A8, Lake Forest, IL 60045-2665.
Far East Broadcasting Company – FEBC broadcasts the gospel of Jesus Christ in 154 languages to reach areas where two-thirds of the world’s people live. FEBC's mission is to develop radio programming and deliver it to listeners in Asia in such a way that they move toward Jesus Christ and into His Kingdom; that they know Him as Saviour, Lord, and King; follow His teaching; and live in obedience to Him as His servants and as members of a local body of believers.
Web site: http://www.febc.org
Address: PO Box 1, La Mirada, CA 90637-0001; toll free: (800) 523-3480.
Mission to Unreached Peoples – Pam and Sunil Sardar - This broadly interdenominational agency focuses on unreached people groups. Their mission is to obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ by investing lives, gifts, resources, and vocational skills in God's work throughout Asia and Europe. The Sardars work in India among the lower caste "untouchables," using Sunil’s gift of evangelism and aiming for 2 million converts.
Web site: http://www.mup.org
Pakistan Bible Correspondence School – This school provides Biblical courses, literature, complementary books, New and Old Testaments for Christians and seekers, and follow-up rallies, camps and personal visits. Believing the Bible is the transforming Word of God, which works in peoples’ lives and changes individuals and societies, they desire to make available in Pakistan the saving message of the Gospel to those who don’t know it. Many Muslims take their courses and find Christ.
Web site: http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa/wmd/ep/eco/seasia/863302.htm
Address: Post Box 117, David Villa, Opp. G.T.S. Bus Depot, Faisalabad 38050, Pakistan.
Pakistan Christian Recording Ministry (PCRM) – PCRM is an interdenominational ministry which reaches out to the peoples of Pakistan and neighboring countries through Bible-centered radio programs and cassettes. In a 97% Muslim country with estimated literacy rate of only 25%, radio and cassettes are the only ways many of Pakistan's 140 millions can hear the Gospel. Its cassette ministry produces music cassettes of hymns, psalms and songs in the three main languages, Urdu, Punjabi and Saraiki. The aims are to enrich the worship of the Church in Pakistan and to make the Gospel message available through music. Cassettes of dramatized Bible stories, which include simple Bible teaching, are also produced and sold at low cost for use in evangelism and follow-up. Web site: http://pakistan.kcm.co.kr/pcrm
Whitworth University – Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Whitworth University in Spokane is a private, residential, liberal arts college. Whitworth has as its mission to provide its diverse student body an “education of the mind and heart,” equipping its graduates to honor God, follow Christ, and serve humanity. This mission is carried out by a community of Christian scholars committed to excellent teaching and the integration of faith and learning.
Web site: http://www.whitworth.edu
Address: 300 W. Hawthorne Road, Spokane, WA 99215
Wycliffe Bible Translators/Larry and Linda Snydal – They are presently located at the Wycliffe recording studio in North Carolina. Their task is matching audio and video portions of books of the New Testament in the heart languages of various groups in the Amazonas region of Brazil, where they formerly lived and worked. Part of their work involves dubbing Brazilian Indian languages for copies of the Jesus film, which are then returned to the villages. E-mail: linda_snydal@sil.org
Address for contributions: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862.