St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

The Presbytery of Mackinac

Michigan, Wisconsin

The churches in the Presbytery of Mackinac have been encouraged to consider ministries that would provide new vitality to their congregations and their neighborhoods. For the past three years the budget for the presbytery has included monies to support identified mission initiatives that congregations could apply for. These one-time grants of up to $2,000 may be used as start-up funds for new ministries.

The Church of the Straits, a congregation in Mackinaw City, has been serving an aging population that is challenged by the hazards of winter. With technological help, the church developed a Web site that allows those who cannot attend a morning service to hear the sermon online. The worship committee purchased a CD copier so a deacon can take copies of the worship service to the nearby assisted living center. To provide for more effective communication with members, a phone tree system informs members of pastoral and program concerns. The pastor, the Rev. Dave Wallis, is grateful for the grant support that enhanced the ability to reach out to church members, especially the elderly and homebound.

A pastor at St. Andrews Presbyterian in Beulah, Michigan, was aware of young families in a neighboring community who had limited access to resources. Without reliable transportation they used a county bus system to reach agencies that offered assistance. Many of the families, however, could not afford the bus tokens. The Rev. Shelaine Bird asked the presbytery for funds to provide free tokens, which church volunteers now distribute each week at the bus stop at the church parking lot.

As the news of new ministries is shared, other congregations begin to discover new mission possibilities in their own communities. These grants are a reservoir from which flow streams of water that bring life to the many who thirst for the good news.

Mackinac is home to 6,820 members in 41 congregations and Presbytery Point Camp.