Getting Involved - Mission
Bower Hill Community Church and our members currently support mission projects through our giving of money and time. The church supports missions locally and around the world. The Margaret McKee Scholarship Fund is available to assist members to perform mission work of their choosing.
These missions are supported directly by a team of members donating their time.
Matthew 25 Congregation
Bower Hill accepted the PCUSA’s invitation to become a Matthew 25 Congregation in the spring of 2023. In accepting this invitation, we acknowledge that we take seriously our commitment to God’s people, as described in Matthew 25: 31-46. This is the parable of the sheep and goats in which Jesus makes clear that what we do matters to God and how we treat others is important to God.
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We have decided to focus our endeavors on the movement to eradicate systemic poverty. Systemic poverty refers to the economic exploitation of people who are poor through laws, policies, practices, and systems that perpetuate their impoverished status. We live in a world where not all have equal access to education, transportation, fresh food, financial resources, clean air, water or healthy environments, employment with a living wage, healthcare, benefits, citizenship, and affordable housing. This lack of access creates generational cycles of poverty and a racial wealth gap that are systemic in nature. An individual cannot change their economic and social location easily by just “working harder.”
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The PCUSA has developed 7 Faith-Assertions that outline our corporate beliefs about poverty.
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Faith-Assertions.pdf (presbyterianmission.org)
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Using these assertions as a guide, we at Bower Hill will develop projects to get us involved in the movement to eradicate systemic poverty, especially in the United States, in addition to a more global outlook. A list of our projects can be found in the this link. Matthew 25 Projects
Eco Justice
A team of Bower Hill members works to promote more ecologically practices in the church and educated members on things they can do.
Hot Metal Bridge - The Table
Every two months, we will prepare dinner for 80 - 100 people to sit and enjoy dinner at Hot Metal Faith Community located at 2700 Jane St on the South Side. Your help is greatly appreciated. Help is needed to buy, prepare and serve the food. Please see the monthly newsletter for more details.
Haiti Water Project
Since the beginning in 2011, we have trained church members in the installation process of water systems, held numerous fund raisers, sent teams to Haiti and installed 6 systems.
Carnegie Free Fridge
St. John Lutheran Church in Carnegie is the host for a Free Fridge for the community. They welcome donations of food in individual or family-size portions, but no pork, please. We have taken leftovers from church events to the fridge, including breakfast casserole, cake, pizza, etc., and they have not been in the fridge very long before someone takes them. We are hoping to develop a schedule with Carnegie Presbyterian Church to ‘feed the fridge’ on an ongoing basis and will be looking for shoppers and monetary donations to do this mission work. If you are interested in checking out the fridge, it is on Route 50 in Carnegie near the Boys and Girls Club.
SHIM Garden
BHCC is once again participating in SHIM’s efforts to provide fresh, organic produce to the families who participate in its Food Pantry. Bower Hill’s garden specializes in growing various types of hot peppers which is greatly desired.
SHIM – Green Grocers
The Green Grocers (members of Bower Hill) deliver produce from the Village Square Giant Eagle in Bethel/ Upper St. Clair to SHIM after church. These folks go to the Giant Eagle loading dock and are given produce that can no longer be sold. This ministry has been ongoing for over 20 years, mostly under the radar because these drivers are so faithful. But the boxes are getting heavier (or the drivers are getting older) and we are looking for younger members to get involved. Please contact a member of this committee or Dave Hicks for more information.
These missions are supported by our members donating money to the organization
Giving Trees
Once a quarter, we have a giving tree for various missions.
At Christmas members are invited to purchase Christmas gifts for mission projects. The projects vary each year. Last year, Bower Hill responded to Giving Trees adorned with pictures and requests from Casa San Jose, Hekima Place and Veterans Leadership Program.
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Hekima Place
The statistics are overwhelming: just 65% of Kenyan girls enroll in elementary school. Only 30% in high school. A young Kenyan girl orphaned by HIV/AIDS has little hope for education. Without it, her future is likely to be out on the streets. But Hekima Place, a Kenyan boarding school founded in 2005, is a beacon of hope to these children. Orphaned by HIV/AIDS, Hekima Place provides a stable home for these girls while they learn. A place of safety, comfort and love. If you would like to help support the ministry of Kate Fletcher to these girls, please make your check payable to Hekima Place and mail to: Hekima Place, PO Box 645708, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-5255.
Presbyterian Coffee Project
Fellowship Time and church events through the Presbyterian Fair Trade Coffee Project. The Presbyterian Fair Trade Coffee Project, in cooperation with other denominations and the Equal Exchange Cooperative, supports small-scale farmers by eliminating the many layers that traditionally siphon off profits from the people who actually grow the cocoa, coffee and teas. In addition, profits are redirected back to the farmers’ communities where they have a say in how the lives of their communities can best be improved. Through this cooperative model communities have built schools and health centers. PCUSA’s Enough for Everyone Program has collaborated with Equal Exchange since 2001. Congregation members are also able to purchase this coffee, tea and cocoa.
Unity Food Pantry
On the second Sunday of the month donations are collected at the church and delivered to the Unity Presbyterian Food Pantry. Donations can be left at the church any time. Contact the office for more information.
Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank
One in three American moms struggles to provide clean diapers for her children. Food stamps and WIC do not cover disposable diapers. Most daycare centers refuse to accept children without a day’s supply of disposable diapers, so families are often forced to make tough decisions regarding day care and employment because they cannot afford diapers.
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Sizes 4, 5 and 6 are most in need for babies. XL diapers are needed for the geriatric population.
The collection container is the Pack’N Play which is located in the hallway directly outside of the Nursery.
Tax-deductible monetary donations can be made by a check payable to Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank and mailed to 2546 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Please note our church name on the Memo line of your check.
Bower Hill also serves the community by making our building available for non profit community groups. The following are the organizations that use our building on a regular basis.
Boy Scouts – Troup 28, Cub Scouts – Pack 28
Mayfair on Moffett
These missions are supported on a regular basis through donations from the mission fund of the church.