Global Missions
The world is at once a big place and quite small. From our corner of Birmingham, Alabama, South Highland Presbyterian Church actively supports missionary efforts around the world. From financial support for denominational mission offerings to building homes in Mexico to personal visits with missionaries in central Africa, our church is taking the love of Christ and the message of His redemption to all corners of the globe.
Constructores Para Cristo (CPC) is a construction program that helps provide basic housing for poor, working-class Mexican families who often live in desperate conditions. Recipients of these simple, but adequate three room houses develop a greater pride of ownership as they work side-by-side with teams from the United States to help build their new home.
While it only takes a team of volunteers four and a half days to build a house, planning and preparation for building over 20 of these homes each summer requires months of advance planning by American and Mexican staff members, including site selection and preparation, material ordering, and the recruiting of volunteers.
CPC hosts as many as four teams at a time, and by the end of the building season over 800 volunteers will have committed a week of their lives to make a profound difference in the lives of these Mexican families. This ministry was founded to provide individuals with an opportunity to serve the Lord in a foreign country; to experience the profound joy of being a servant to the Lord and His people. Our mission team usually travels in June for 1 week. For more information, contact Cara Ross, rossC@vmcmail.com
Developments in Gardening (DIG) is an organization with a mission to improve the health and well-being of HIV-positive and other at-risk individuals in developing nations. We do this by teaching the skills and providing the infrastructure to create sustainable community gardens, thereby empowering people to improve both their nutrition and earning potential. South Highland helps support this effort through our mission contributions. Sarah Koch is the administrator and coordinator.
Liaison with Missionaries: Our program of correspondence with the missionary families who are specifically supported by SHPC allows us to educate our congregants about the church’s global mission fields, as well as to give the missionaries support in work they are doing in response to God's call.South Highlands contributes to the support of six missionary families/individuals.
- Lesotho, Africa: Dr. Frank and Nancy Dimmock and family, Nathan, Moses, Jessica, Katie, Andrew, Alifa, Isaac, and Jackson
- Madagascar, Africa: Dan and Elizabeth Turk and family, Robert and Frances
- Lithuania(Eastern Europe): Rev. Jane Holslag
- Cameroon, Africa: Jeff and Christi Boyd
- Northern Ireland: Moses Dimmock
- Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship: Cody Watson
One Great Hour of Sharing: SHPC participates in this offering. One-third goes to PCUSA Hunger Programs; one-third funds Self Development Of People programs and one-third goes for Presbyterian Disaster Relief. SHPC Contact: Greta Clark.
Peacemaking: SHPC participates in the Peacemaking Offering on World Communion Sunday. One-fourth of the offering goes to support efforts toward peace in our community, one-fourth to Presbytery programs, and one half goes to General Assembly program.
Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship (PFF) works to see that every ethnic group has its own church, reflecting its own cultural characteristics. They want every Presbyterian church to have a mission vision, in particular a vision to reach out to peoples who have no church. Dr.Cody Watson is an associate director of PFF and keeps us informed on activities throughout the world in areas where there is no exposure to the gospel.
Short Term Mission Trips: We encourage and support financially South Highlanders doing mission in other parts of the world. Past trips have included medical mission trips to Honduras, water treatment system installation in Mexico, and partnership meetings with presbyteries in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Water Purification Project: Living Waters for the world (LWW) developed a complete program for successfully creating partnerships with groups in need of water purification in such a way that the recipients can operate and maintain a fairly simple water system that will provide them with more than clean water. A higher standard of living is achieved through reduced cost for clean water and improved health from following the health practices taught along with installation of the mechanical equipment. For more information call Jim Price who coordinates the mission.
Witness Season: Each year a mission emphasis season showcases missionaries and speakers to educate South Highlanders in being Global Christians through personal participation. Your support-financial, prayers, and hands-on mission volunteer work-enables SHPC to participate in programs such as Constructores Para Cristo and to be connected to persons doing God's work in many parts of the world. Much of our mission activity is supported in part by the annual Witness Season Offering. SHPC Contact: Lee Cooper.
For more information on South Highland Missions, contact Debbie Perkins