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Mission & Peacemaking

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40 

Children hear from an early age that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The Mission & Peacemaking (M&P ) committee at Moreland Presbyterian Church helps members put that teaching into practice in a variety of ways. 

We develop and encourage hands-on service to others— 

  • Our children, youth, and adults all participate in a project to collect non-perishable food items from our neighborhood for Mainspring, a Portland food bank. We fill Mainspring barrels with clothing and household necessities year-round.
  • Church groups and individuals cook and serve dinners monthly at our nearest homeless shelter, Willamette Center. We also provide lunches on a regular schedule, and facilitate art classes at the Center, and give individual Christ- mas bags to the residents.
  • We provide funding and support to send church members to El Transito in Nicaragua to engage with the community in education and clean water projects.
  • We house a distribution Center for Meals on Wheels, and are arranging to collaborate with them in 2020 in a summer food program for needy families through our local elementary school.
  • Our backpack program, in partnership with SE Rotary and Holy Family church, provides around 40 children with food on weekends during the school year.
  • We staff a Red Cross bloodmobile several times a year in our parking lot.
  • We have an annual coat drive.
  • We maintain a bulletin board with information about volunteer opportunities available both within and without the church.

In addition to the projects and organizations mentioned above, we are the administrators of the Paul and Sally McCracken Fund, soliciting and evaluating applications to the sizable fund for charitable purposes, and awarding grants pursuant to the McCrackens’ guidelines. In 2019, the fund awarded almost $24,000 in grants. 

Ten percent of the church budget is allocated for mission and peacemaking purposes, and managed by the M&P Committee. Our guidelines for distribution of funds are: 75% local, 10% city and statewide,10% international, and 5% discretionary. 

In addition to the other organizations mentioned above, we also provide financial support— 

  • Operation Nightwatch
  • Letting Owings House (Central City Concern)
  • Ecumenical Ministries programs
  • Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice
  • Transition Projects
  • Local Boy Scout and Girls Scout Troops