Supporting Samaritan's Purse projects. Our first involvement was in November '00 as we put together a number of gift items for children in what is known as Operation Christmas Child. The items are packed in shoe boxes and distributed throughout many countries in the world. Over 4 million of these special gifts for children were distributed during Christmas 2000. The number greatly increased for Christmas 2001. At Greystone Presbyterian Church in Indiana PA which is the central collection point for the area where Gipsy Christian Church is located, there were 1,972 boxes collected in 2000 and 4,109 boxes collected in 2001! A few years ago we began taking our gifts to the Church of God located just north of Northern Cambria on Rt. 219. This has become a collection center for churches in the area.
For more on the ministry of Samaritan's Purse, which is headed up by Franklin Graham, click on the picture to go to their web site. Our plans call for being further involved in the ministry of Samaritan's Purse. We have attempted to increase the number of gifts each year. The young folks are now involved and certain items are now collected each month for the gifts which are put together in early November. Nearly 11 1/2 million gifts were distributed during Christmas season of 2016!
Other Involvements
- In addition to the Operation Christmas Child "shoe box" gifts given at Christmas time to Samaritan's Purse, direct financial support has also been given to Samaritan's Purse in its ministry of outreach throughout the world. They are involved in responding to natural disasters very quickly, here in the states and in other countries in the world.
- Support is given on a regular basis to Pastor Suresh Gumma of Hyderabad in India. Pastor Suresh had been a Hindu by religious identity and became a Christian by receiving Jesus Christ into his life as Savior and Lord -- later he felt God's call to the ministry and the preaching of the Gospel. His work involves a wide range of ministry and also working with pastors who are in ministry to those who are living in severe poverty. One of our projects involved paying for the cost of drilling a much needed well in one of the poverty areas.
- Support given monthly to local food bank at the Presbyterian Church in Arcadia PA
- Support given to families in bereavement, including serving of meals.
- Christmas Eve offering in December '00 was given to a family who had just lost their home because of fire just prior to Christmas.
- Christmas Eve offering in December '01 was divided between the Salvation Army and the Alice Paul House in Indiana PA which is a shelter for women and children suffering from domestic abuse and violence.
- Other support in addition to the Christmas Eve offering has also been given to the Alice Paul House and the Salvation Army.
- Future mission projects will be supported by a share taken out of the offerings received each month in the regular worship services. Some projects already mentioned have been supported on a regular basis.
- Support is given to the Gideons and their ministry of Scripture distribution around the world.
Past Projects Supported We supported Mission Utility Vehicles, Inc., builders of small economical machines for use in third world countries where other types of motorized transportation may not be affordable or available. These machines were built just north of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. This mission is no longer in operation.
- Support given to Paul & Ellie Madsen, missionaries in Spain at the time. They and children are now in eastern Europe.
- Support given to Mom's House in Northern Cambria PA -- this mission is now closed but a number of persons in need were helped during time it was open.
- Support has been given to Disciple Renewal in the efforts put forth by those folk to call the church back to a Bible centered faith and as well as rebuking the heresies that are creeping in!
