Community Outreach
Mission Work & Outreach
At Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, we deeply value our mission work.
The church community carries out the missions and often works in partnership with other organizations to deepen the impact of our actions and foster connections. Our Mission Committee is a team of people who help select, organize, and implement missions for the congregation. As part of Elmhurst Presbyterian Church’s commitment to mission work, we became a Matthew 25 Church in January 2023
Matthew 25:31–46
Calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities. PCUSA Matthew 25 calls us to act boldly and compassionately to see our neighbors through Jesus’ eyes and serve those who are marginalized or in need — people who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, strangers, poor or oppressed in other ways and in need of welcoming.
We seek to actively participate in God’s work here at our church, in our community, and throughout the world.
We monitor needs in our community and discuss global needs we would like to have an impact on, but listen for the Spirit’s guidance when selecting which missions to share with the congregation. Our committee communicates with the congregation through e-notes, the Focus on Mission portion of worship services, social media, and the Sunday bulletins. We keep the congregation up-to-date on our mission projects, special needs in disaster areas, special offerings, and the current needs of local mission partners.
We also strive to:
- Continue our local partnerships and our traditional annual missions
- Strengthen & maintain our relationships with all our mission partners
- Maintain a balance of mission work in regard to who we serve (local, PCUSA, and global) and how we serve (donation of goods or money, spending time or labor)
- Inform the congregation about mission opportunities and involve them in the work
Mission Partners
Children Up is an Elmhurst organization started by a former York High School teacher committed to strengthening the spirit of the people of northern Uganda, partnering with schools and organizations with the same mission in mind. EPC sponsors 2 students through this organization. You can donate additional money through Simple Give or by using the Mission envelopes in the pews. Link to Children Up site https://www.childrenup.org/
The Food Pantry does charitable distribution of food for the relief of hunger to our neighbors in need residing in the communities surrounding us, including Elmhurst, Addison, Bensenville, Berkeley, Hillside, Lombard, Oak Brook and Villa Park. We make a monthly donation to the food pantry of whatever essential products not covered by WIC they are running short on. You can also donate non-perishable foods, paper products, and toiletries by placing them in the donation cabinet tucked away in the Nelson White Room. You can also volunteer at the food pantry and donate money. Link to Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry site https://www.eyfp.org/
We partner with the Elmhurst Pride Collective to make possible our annual Elmhurst Family Pridefest, which we host in June. The Pride Collective does numerous events year-round to foster LGBTQ+ pride in Elmhurst. We show our proud support by housing their operation in our church building. If you wish to learn more about how we work with the Elmhurst Pride Collective, please consider joining our Pride Committee to find out! If you wish to learn more about their events throughout the year outside of Pride, check out their website. Link to Elmhurst Pride Collective site https://www.elmhurstpridecollective.com/
EWAN is designed to offer emergency assistance to clients who find themselves in a difficult situation. We make annual financial donations to this mission partner. The financial assistance the provide includes rental/mortgage assistance; utility bill assistance; access to Immaculate Conception Food Pantry as well as information on other local food pantries and clothing closets; some clothing and food vouchers; one-time only car repair; gas vouchers for assistance getting to work, a job interview, or a doctor’s appointment; and prescription help. Assistance goes directly to the service provider. No cash is kept on the premises. Link to Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network site https://www.elmhurstwalkin.org/
Erie House is a not-for-profit organization that reaches 5,000 people annually, empowering them to build better lives while strengthening their communities. Erie House offers Chicago’s Latino and diverse low-income residents a range of community-based education programs. They have 4 locations in Chicago neighborhoods and 2 satellite locations in the suburbs. During Advent, we donate gifts to the children served by Erie House. Link to Erie Neighborhood House site https://eriehouse.org/
The Presbyterian Church in Guines, Cuba is our sister church. We have a relationship with the church, the pastor, and the Havana Presbytery. Several members of Elmhurst Presbyterian have visited the church in the past to share fellowship and educational & medical supplies. We also support them with financial donations that allow them to have a running well and many of the basic necessities of living. If
you are interested in learning more about our sister church or more about the “governing body” that guides our partnership with that particular congregation in Guines, click below! Link to Pastor Abel Padilla’s FB site https://www.facebook.com/abel.mirabal.1 Link to PCUSA’s Havana-Chicago site https://chicagopresbytery.org/cuba-havana-partnership/
ICDI is a nonprofit organization who reunites families separated by the U.S. immigration system and helps them integrate into our communities. They provide essential goods to newly arriving asylum-seekers, connect them with housing, and provide numerous wraparound services and resources to help them establish self-sufficiency. ICDI rents space in the basement of our church building to manage the sorting of their donated essential goods. If you would like to volunteer to help with the sorting operation, reach out to our church office to obtain the direct phone number for Pat Motto, the local volunteer in charge of sorting. If you would like to make a donation, reach out to the church office for the direct phone number of Sarah Ankunda, Director of ICDI Essentials. Link to ICDI’s site https://icdichicago.org/
McCormick is one of 10 schools related to the PCUSA and it is located in Hyde Park among a cluster of theological schools. As a leader in the reformed tradition, McCormick seeks to provide an education that expands prophetic imagination grounded in real world practice, inspires passionate advocates who accompany those on the margins, and empowers generations of leaders to serve the church and society with integrity, love, and hope. We donate to the seminary yearly. To learn more or donate directly to them, check out their website. Link to McCormick’s site https://www.mccormick.edu/
New Deliverance is a PCUSA church in Chicago with whom we have a growing relationship over the past several years. We have participated in their worship service, and they have participated in ours. We have helped each other in the process of growing our churches and shared resources to do so. We support the amazing work of their Diaper Ministry by donating a large load of diapers at least once a year. We hope to continue this relationship for years to come. Link to New Deliverance’s site https://newdchurch.com/
Queering the Binary is a foundation that collects donations of clothing, accessories, and beauty products for transgender/nonbinary/gender nonconforming individuals from ages 8-80+. We are a drop-off location to collect donations for the organization. They host pop-up closets throughout the suburbs and the city of Chicago for transgender/nonbinary/gender nonconforming individuals to shop for free. Link to Queering the Binary Foundation site.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. It is mostly funded through One Great Hour of Sharing, but at times, we take a special collection to help with a particular crisis or
catastrophic event. At other times, we recommend to the congregation that if they are moved to respond individually to a catastrophic event, that they donate to this organization. PDA focuses on the long-term recovery of the disaster-impacted communities. After most other humanitarian aid is pulled in a disaster area, PDA will still have Presbyterian people on the ground helping those who were impacted the most. You can donate to PDA directly on their website at any time. Link to Presbyterian’s Disaster Assistance site https://pda.pcusa.org/
PADS of DuPage, Project Cure, Whitefield Partners, Days for Girls, Tzu Chi, Church World Services, We Pop Up, and Moms Demand Action
Meetings
Step meetings do take place weekly in our building, but they are not managed or sponsored by Elmhurst Presbyterian.
If you are looking for a meeting, please check your trusted sources for the timing of open and closed meetings at our building. Otherwise, call our office administrator, who will put you in touch with our church’s liaison to the step groups.
Wanna get involved in community outreach with us?
