A wise Christian once said that “Mission is to the church as burning is to fire.” Gregory takes such a view of the importance of such outreach very seriously.
For several years, our Session has designated a tenth of our income (a tithe) to be given away to ministries beyond the church. Recipients of this mission giving include the Boy Scouts, Prince George Food Bank, ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), disaster assistance, support of individual missionaries and many others. In addition, we support the special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which include One Great Hour of Sharing, the Peacemaking Offering and others.
Angel Tree
At Christmas and Thanksgiving, we give food and gifts for families that are recommended to us by the social welfare agencies. We also assist local families through our quarterly offering for emergency assistance to pay rent and utilities.
Community Day
But at Gregory, mission is more than just giving money; it is also a matter of time and talent. A committed corps of individuals serves our local food and clothing pantry. Another group regularly gathers to clean a local road in the “Adopt-a-Highway” program. Each fall Gregory offers a “Community Day” where we invite our neighbors onto our campus for health check-ups, good food, a yard sale and fellowship. At times, we’ve made it possible for soldiers from neighboring Ft. Lee to participate. Gregory also supports our active military by providing boxes of personal items that we gather and send to those stationed overseas several times a year. At Christmas, we invite participants and onlookers from the Prince George Christmas parade into our fellowship hall for warm drinks and cookies. Last year we served over 200.
Our Mission committee is constantly considering new ways of outreach. We are also encouraged by the involvement of church members in Scouts, the Fire Department EMT Squad, schools and civic organizations. At Gregory, the “church” isn’t a building; it’s wherever our members find themselves with an opportunity to help!