Discovering who we are in service to the world…

At James Island Presbyterian, our vision is for every member to be involved in ministry. We have dozens of Mission Partners – local and international. Some we support mainly financially, but many that we support with our time and effort. Some involve volunteering once a month or weekly throughout the year. Others are more project-oriented and might involve a day or two at a particular time. None of them require specific skills beyond a desire to share the Love of Christ with the world. There really is something for everyone that will fit with each person’s time and gifts.

Ongoing JIPC Mission Teams:

Seasonal Mission Projects:

ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

Mission and Outreach Ministry Team

Volunteers meet in the church library on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. This is not a position you have to be elected or appointed to. Join us as we discern God’s direction for our service to the world.

How you can get involved:

  • Just show up at the committee meeting. We meet for an hour a month.
  • Become a Mission Partner Liaison. We have lots of mission partners. To stay connected, we like to have one member of the congregation to be a point of contact for that partner to keep up to date with their ministry and help the committee and the congregation stay connected.

James Island Outreach

JIO provides crisis relief and ongoing assistance with food, medicine and utility assistance for residents of James Island and Folly Beach. It is supported by nearly 30 churches on James Island.

How you can get involved:

  • We collect canned or dried pasta items for James Island Outreach on the Fourth Sunday of each month during the “Bring it Forward” offering. Forget that this is the Fourth Sunday? You can leave non-perishable food items in the church office anytime.
  • Volunteers are also needed to deliver the collected food to the JIO office or help sort food. There are many times available to fit most schedules.
  • Join our JIPC team that distributes food on the first Saturday of the month at the JIO site.

http://jioutreach.org/

Habitat for Humanity

Sea Island Habitat for Humanity is the 3rd oldest Habitat affiliate in the world. In the last 40 years, they have built over 350 homes on James, Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. Volunteers don’t need any construction skills, but you will almost certainly learn some.

How you can get involved:

  • Join our Carpenters Club on the First Friday of each month to work a half or whole day shift. All the tools and materials are provided. Contact Rev. Cameron Smith to be added to the crew.
  • Friday morning doesn’t work for you? Tell us what would.
  • JIPC sponsors a Habitat Home as our Spring Mission Project (on a rotating basis, every 2-3 years.) We fund and work on the home every Saturday for about 6 weeks.

https://www.seaislandhabitat.org/

Florence Crittenton Home

Florence Crittenton provides housing, medical care, education, and other services to pregnant, parenting, and at-risk young women, many of whom are in the foster care program. Without this program, most of these young women would not finish school, often resulting in poverty for them and their children. The community program helps young mothers with housing and mentoring into self-sufficiency.

How you can get involved:

  • Groups and individuals can prepare dinner for the girls on the First Thursday of each month.
  • Prepare a meal for the girls!

https://www.florencecrittentonsc.org/

Journey

Journey is the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery’s campus ministry serving The Citadel and College of Charleston. This is a vibrant and growing ministry. Do you know someone that stopped attending church while away at college? That’s just one reason this ministry is important.

How you can get involved:

  • Groups and individuals can prepare dinner for the Citadel cadets on the Fourth Monday of each month.
  • Serve dinner, share a meal with the Cadets, and participate in worship and Bible study with them.

https://www.charlestonjourney.org/

Meals on Wheels

Everyone knows that Meals on Wheels delivers meals to seniors. Often this is the difference between that senior living at home and having to move to some sort of assisted living or nursing home. In addition to a nutritious meal, the delivery allows for a short visit and safety check.

How you can get involved:

  • Deliveries are made at lunchtime, Monday – Friday. You can sign up for any frequency that works with your schedule or to be a substitute delivery driver as needed.

http://charlestonareaseniors.com/meals-on-wheels

Remember Niger Coalition

Remember Niger builds and operates schools in Niger, perhaps the poorest country in Africa. Niger is a Muslim majority country, and these schools, focused especially on girls and students with disabilities are a rare expression of Christ’s love in this country.

How you can get involved:

  • Sponsor a student. There are multiple sponsorship levels

https://www.rememberniger.org/

Light from Light

The Lespwa Timoun clinic in Haiti is supported by Light from Light. Haiti is by far the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The clinic serves 2,000 children and adults monthly by providing health care including vaccinations. They also provide nutrition services in a country facing severe malnutrition, especially among children.

How you can get involved:

  • Sponsor a student. Cost is just over $1 / day.

https://www.lightfromlight.me/

Water Mission

Water Mission provides safe water around the world, mainly in small rural communities. Did you know millions still walk miles every day to get water and carry it back to their homes? Most of the time this water is not safe to drink, resulting in disease and trapping them in poverty. Water Mission provides water filtration systems, education, and the message of Christ’s love to these communities.

How you can get involved:

  • Join the JIPC Faith Walkers for Water Missions annual fundraiser “Walk for Water.” The walk occurs one Saturday in the spring, but there is also some prep work to be done ahead of the walk.
  • The International HQ is in N. Charleston, and there are opportunities to volunteer.

https://watermission.org/

James Island Presbyterian Foundation

The James Island Presbyterian Foundation was formed as a separate non-profit organization to carry out operations for many important ministries of James Island Presbyterian Church such as the Child Care Center, After School Program, Summer Day Camp, Lowcountry Pastoral Counseling Centers (4 centers scattered over the Lowcountry, including one on the JIPC Campus) Seeds of Hope Farmers Market, and Mission House.

How you can get involved:

  • Tutor students and help with homework, for students from age 5-10 from 3 to 4 PM on school days.
  • Read or tell stories to pre-school children
  • Help with the Summer Day Camp program projects, field trips and activities. The program runs all summer vacation
  • Summer meal program, in conjunction with the Charleston schools, serving lunch for children age 5-18.

http://www.jamesislandpresbyterian.org/

GED Program at James Island Outreach

In partnership with Charleston County Schools and James Island Outreach, we offer GED classes to the community. Students are given the opportunity to qualify for a better job and financial opportunity. Students receive one-on-one tutoring, using a structured online curriculum. Sessions are held Tue and Thurs mornings during the school year, at JIO. If you finished high school, you are qualified and you can choose the subjects you want to tutor.

How you can get involved:

  • Volunteer to tutor one or two mornings a week. Class runs 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and you can volunteer in one hour increments.

Hands of Christ

Hand of Christ is a ministry supported mainly by churches in our local presbytery. It provides school clothes and supplies to children K4 – 8th grade. Distribution occurs at several different Presbyterian churches in August. JIPC always has a group working at the distribution at St. James Presbyterian Church, but you will find our members at some additional sites as well.

How you can get involved:

  • Volunteer to work at the distribution
  • Donate school supplies – we will collect these at church several weeks before the distribution
  • Get involved early to help organize

https://www.handsofchrist.net/

Christmas Season

We support three special Christmas ministries. The Giving Tree provides gifts for local families in need, including gifts for children and Christmas turkeys. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritans Purse, sending shoebox gifts to children around the world. Birthday Party for Jesus is an event held at the Citadel with food and gifts for children.

How you can get involved:

  • Take a name from the Giving Tree and buy a gift for a child or sponsor a turkey
  • All of these ministries require a lot of logistical work over a very brief time. Extra hands are always needed.

Drop-off Donations

We have a drop-off bin for donations of clothing and linens for My Sister’s House in the parking lot outside the sanctuary on Ft. Johnson Road. All donations will either be used for residents of My Sister’s House or sold so that the proceeds can be used for ministry by My Sister’s House. In addition, we have a new Lowcountry Blessing Box located along the sidewalk on Fort Johnson Road across from the sanctuary. Any donations of non-perishable foods are welcome. The mission of the anonymous Lowcountry Blessing Box project is “leave what you can; take what you need.”