Tenth Year of Mission Teamwork - 2015

Team members from First Presbyterian Church of Washington, NJ. — Photos by Pauline Albrecht

A volunteer team from First Presbyterian Church of Washington, New Jersey, served with West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps (WVMAW) for their summer mission trip this year.  The team of 27, including 3 cooks and a photographer, stayed in lovely Colcord, W.V.

Mission Team Coordinator Pauline Albrecht shared about the congregation and its missions. 

Next year, 2015, will be the congregation’s tenth year of mission work in the field.  Teams have been sent out to serve since Hurricane Katrina, and outreach has expanded around the country as well as in their own community. More than 100 church members have served, in addition to more than 30 friends from other denominations (Baptist, Catholic, Methodists, non-denominational) and other Presbyterian congregations.

When a congregation sends a mission team into the field, it is often not only the team that is involved, but the whole church.  This is true of First Presbyterian Church of Washington, NJ. 

The team is sent with gifts such as health, cleanup, school, or painting supplies, and prayer shawls made by a member of the church.

The church supports fundraising, so that many youth and others can participate, including families.  Their newest fundraiser includes the promise of the pastor preaching in a chicken costume if the largest goal is met!

Pauline shared about mission work, whether it is serving for a few days or a week each year, "It makes a difference in someone's life...both the homeowner AND the team member...a lasting difference that really cannot be measured."