​The Body of Christ

As members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we believe we are a part of God's mission and work in the world wherever we are and whatever we do whether gathered or dispersed. The collective work and ministry of our individual members on a daily basis is perhaps the most important part of our community's mission in service to God.

Dorchester Serves Day

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Dorchester Serves Day is an annual congregation-wide service day to help support the larger community. Various sites are selected and work crews are sent out to do a variety of work. Sites include individual homes and our partners in ministry like the Village of Summerville, Habitat for Humanity, The Lowcountry Home of Hope, and My Sister's House.

Second Sunday Stewardship

On the second Sunday of each month, the congregation is invited during worship to bring as an offering requested items to support our communal ministries. The offering changes from month to month depending on the needs and rotation of the various ministries that are being supported. Items may include everything from canned goods to school supplies to personal care items.

The Lowcountry Home of Hope

The Home of Hope is a men's homeless shelter located in Summerville that is intent on helping men to find a permanent home and become self-sufficient. We provide financial support throughout the year as well as other needed items. In the past, members have helped to get the shelter started by painting, wiring, providing initial furnishings and the like. As a congregation we have built bike racks and a storage shed, purchased personal care items, served meals, and been in fellowship with the men at the home.

My Sister's House

My Sister's House supports women and children needing shelter from domestic violence in the tri-county area. A collection bin for clothes is located on our campus for any members of the community who would like to contribute. Larger items are collected in our church office and then later distributed. We also assist with maintenance and organizational projects when needed. Sunday school classes contribute to a weekly offering to the "Shoe Fund" which provides not only shoes but also needed clothing and school supplies for children staying at My Sister's House with their mothers. ​

Backpack Buddies

We collect nonperishable individualized snacks for students in our local school systems to help provide a healthy weekend snack/meal.

Habitat for Humanity

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Habitat for Humanity develops communities for and with people who need and deserve a home of their own. Dorchester Presbyterian is honored to have been part of the initial organizing committee in establishing the Dorchester County Habitat for Humanity! Volunteers from Dorchester, in partnership with Habitat, provide meals and work crews during construction of these houses, as well as work in the Habitat Store and serve on the Board. Aluminum cans are collected on our campus throughout the year and recycled to raise funds for Habitat. Many of the names for our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree are Habitat families. ​

HELP of Summerville

​HELP of Summerville is a volunteer organization that helps Dorchester County residents in emergency situations by providing food, clothing, funds for utilities, rent, and medicine. We work in unison with them helping to provide emergency funds to individuals, and by collecting non-persihable goods for the HELP food closet. ​

Expanding the Table

​Expanding the Table is a food truck and a ministry of the Ashley Ridge Church that serves the community at various places throughout the week. Our congregation was part of its start-up as well as offering continued financial and volunteer support.

Crafting

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The Presbyterian Women meet four times a month (the second and fourth Monday evenings at 7:00 pm and the second and fourth Thursday mornings at 10:00 am) to create a variety of crafts, such as quilts and rag rugs, which are donated to local charities. Quilts and other hand made items are also sold during the year to raise funds that are donated to local and foreign mission organizations.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Our committee gets a list of ten families who could use a little extra love and support at Christmas. The names and needs of each family member are placed as ornaments on our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree to be chosen by members of the congregation. We provide a gift for each family member, a basket of non-perishable foods, fruit, and a gift card for a ham or turkey, a hand-made quilt, and poinsettia. We host a reception the week before Christmas so we can give these families there gifts, as well as spend time getting to know them.

Hearts of Haiti and the St. Joseph's family

We partner in ministry with the Wings of Hope in Haiti. Wings of Hope is a home for children and young adults with varying disabilities. We provide financial support through special offerings and events, and by individual members sponsoring scholarships for children. We take mission trips to Wings and help to support the Haitian leaders of Wings when they travel to the U.S.

God's Gift Shop

God's Gift Shop is an alternative Christmas gift market. A catalog with lists of local and global mission projects is available with items priced to "buy" as a gift in honor of someone for Christmas. Gift cards are provided to send to the person for whom the gift was purchased. God's Gift Shop provides an opportunity to give a gift and aid mission efforts at the same time. ​​

Water Mission International

​Water Mission International is a local organization that helps to provide clean water systems for communities throughout the world. We support Water Mission financially, particpate in their annual Walk for Water, and house Vanderbilt University Students who work for W.M.I. on their alternative winter breaks. ​

Presbyterian Supported Ministries ​PCUSA and Charleston Atlantic Presbytery

As Presbyterians we do not stand alone as a congregation, but are part of the larger Church of Presbyterian congregations and ministries throughout the United States and the world. Our congregation contributes to those shared ministries through our annual budget and through special offerings. We have a particular interest in the work and ministry of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Hunger Program.

Presbyterian Homes of SC

The Presbyterian Homes of SC are homes located throughout the state for senior adults. Several of our members volunteer, work for, or live at one of the homes, the Village of Summerville. An offering is collected on Mother's Day to provide scholarships for residents of the homes in need. Thornwell Home for Children ​The Thornwell Home for Children is an orphanage located in Clinton, SC. Throughout the year, we collect Box Tops for Education and Campbell's Soup labels for the home to purchase needed items. We also collect school supplies and provide an annual budgeted donation to the Thornwell Home. ​The Journey ​The Journey is a worshipping community for college students in the Charleston Area. The congregation supports this vibrant ministry through its financial giving, prayers, and worship opportunities.