Local
John Knox Presbyterian Church supports several ministries of
the Greater Canton area through financial gifts, material donations,
and volunteer efforts by members of the congregation. A brief
summary of each organization and a link to their website are listed below:
Canton Calvary Mission is located in NE Canton, one of the poorest
areas in Stark County. Some of the folks have lived in generational
poverty, others are finding themselves in a new situation. The Mission
seeks to serve these folks in need through its programs. The programs
and services offered by Canton Calvary Mission include a Food Pantry,
Hot Meals twice a week, free haircuts, tutoring, a children's art
program and much more. John Knox members have prepared and served at one of
these Saturday evening meals each fall for the past four years. Other
members have been volunteer tutors, and members have participated in monthly
food donations for several years, plus with financial support. For more
information one can link to the website:
www.cantoncalvarymission.net
Domestic Violence Project, Inc. provides emergency and supportive services,
including drug and alcohol treatment, to victims of domestic violence and promotes
increased public awareness of domestic violence issues. John Knox supports DVPI
through financial support and the donation of used cell phones from the
congregation. For more information one can link to the website:
www.domesticviolenceproj.org
Habitat for Humanity International of Greater Stark and Carroll Counties
is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization. We are dedicated to
eliminating substandard housing and homelessness in our communities and to
making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Our
ministry was founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should
have a simple, decent place to live in dignity and safety. Members of John
Knox have financially supported and have supplied the manpower to assist
with building at least three area homes with other local church congregations.
Currently, we are financially supporting our local Habitat for Humanity and
collecting tools for their tool drive. Also, members can make donations to
the ReStore to benefit Habitat. For more information one can link to the website:
www.habitatstark.org
Pathway Caring for Children offers foster care and adoption services for
children of all ages. Pathway's services are treatment-oriented as the organization
specializes in caring for those who have suffered from abuse, neglect or
abandonment. Complimentary services that support healthy family development
include mental health services; respite care for foster families; and post-adoption
support. John Knox supports Pathway financially within the annual mission budget.
For more information one can link to the website: www.pathwaycfc.org
The Pregnancy Support Center of Stark County (PSC) is a medical, non-profit,
faith-based pregnancy center, designed to provide practical support and factual
information in a caring context to women and men who are involved in a crisis
pregnancy (an unplanned, untimely or unwanted pregnancy). John Knox provides
financial support within that annual mission budget and members contribute material
donations for babies to the center. For more information one can link to
the website: www.pscstark.com
Stark County Hunger Task Force: Since 1981, the Stark County Hunger Task Force
has taken a positive role in battling the hunger needs of the community of Stark
County. From what was founded as four food pantries feeding 3,000 people each month,
we have grown to over two-dozen pantries, three Senior Pantry program sites, four
Backpacks for Kids programs, and a Community Campus Pantry who, together, feed a total
of 15,000 people every month. All of our services are free to clients who qualify by The
Emergency Food Assistance Program income guidelines. John Knox supports the Stark County
Hunger Task Force with an annual offering and many members make food donations to it.
For more information one can link to the website:
www.starkhunger.org
The Total Living Center Ministries Inc. was formed to fulfill the challenge
of taking the message of healing to all the churches and interested individuals of
our land and to as many other nations as possible. The activities will include teaching,
seminars, preaching services, worship services, conferences, development of teaching
tools such as audio and audio-visual cassettes, books, pamphlets, workbooks, etc. to
help convey the message of healing. It also includes tangible expressions of healing
to as many as our resources of time, money, and talents permit through a Soup Kitchen,
distribution of groceries to the poor, financial assistance to the poor, FREE Dental Care,
FREE Chiropractic Services, FREE Medical Clinic, and other forms of ministry to the poor,
the needy, the homeless, the hungry, the ill, and any and all that are often society's
neglected ones. John Knox supports TLC financially through its mission budget and TLC is
the recipient of the annual White Gift Service offering and food donations. Also, the
youth group has participated in serving meals at TLC For more information one can link
to the website: www.totallivingcenter.org
Young Life of Stark County: Everyone is welcome in Young Life! Our programs are
custom made for kids throughout their adolescent years. Young Life is the name of our
organization and is also the term we use for our program with high school students. We
call our middle school program WyldLife. The initiative for college and university students
is called Young Life College.Young Life's multicultural ministry, focused on kids in diverse
cultural communities and those in economically-depressed areas, is arguably the largest
of its kind in the United States. We refer to our ministry to kids with disabilities
as Capernaum and to our work with teen moms as YoungLives. In a partnership with Military
Community Youth Ministries, Young Life reaches military teens through a program called
Club Beyond. The Small Towns initiative brings Young Life to communities of fewer than
25,000 people. John Knox supports the local chapter financially within its mission budget.
Members of the congregation have been active as adult volunteers with Young Life. For more
information one can link to the website: www.younglife.org
Other local ministries that John Knox has supported with mission offerings and some volunteer services are:
Refuge of Hope Ministries is an inner-city, faith-based organization to downtown Canton,
Ohio. Our mission is to provide spiritual hope, food and shelter to individuals in crisis in
the Greater Canton area. Refuge of Hope focuses on serving God by feeding the hungry, sheltering
the homeless and teaching His Word. We exist to fight the overwhelming and often unnoticed
onslaught of homelessness. Our goal is to help individuals return to societal living as assets
and contributing community members.
www.refugeofhope.com
Hammer & Nails, Inc. an ecumenical Christian outreach nonprofit organization
based in Canton, Ohio, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for disadvantaged
area homeowners through home and property improvements.
www.hammerandnails.org
National
Two of the ministries under Missions Local are Missions National as well. Those are Young Life and
Habitat for Humanity. John Knox Presbyterian Church supports mission workers who are engaged with
several different mission organizations on the national level. A brief summary of each organization
is listed below along with the website.
The Coalition for Christian Outreach is a campus ministry that partners with churches,
colleges and other organizations to develop men and women who live out their Christian faith
in every area of life . The ministry is distinct in three ways: The ministry is transformational.
We challenge the students we serve to submit every area of their lives to Jesus Christ. We partner
with churches, colleges and other organizations, placing our staff in strategic positions of
influence on campus. Some of our staff people serve as an arm of the local church on campus,
while others work as residence hall directors, coaches or student activities directors. We do
contextual ministry, meaning that our staff people adjust to the needs of the particular campus
at which they serve. No two CCO ministries look exactly alike. Kris Herman has been on staff at
Kent State University since 1999 as campus staff with the CCO. He enjoys
many aspects of serving Kent State students. His number one desire is to see students enter into
a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. John Knox has supported Kris financially for many years.
For more information one can link to the website: www.ccojubilee.org
Family Life of Campus Crusade for Christ: In 1976, Campus Crusade expanded its outreach
to young families with the creation of Family Ministry, which focused on providing pre-marriage
seminars to its staff members. Co-founders of the new organization included Dennis and Barbara
Rainey, Don and Sally Meredith, and Mick and Hellen Yoder. From this simple beginning, Family
Ministry grew and transformed. Married staff members saw the value in the work and asked for seminars
on marriage. In 1978, in response to demand from community leaders, pastors and couples throughout
the country, Family Ministry (now known as FamilyLife) opened its pre-marriage and marriage
conferences to the public. We have been offering these tools for change ever since. John Knox
supports financially John and Karen Winkelman, mission workers with Family Life located in Little
Rock Arkansas. For more information one can link to the website: www.familylife.com
Campus Crusade for Christ: Purpose: Helping to fulfill the Great Commission in the power
of the Holy Spirit by winning people to faith in Jesus Christ, building them in their faith and
sending them to win and build others; and helping the Body of Christ do evangelism and discipleship.
Year Established: 1951, by Bill and Vonette Bright on the UCLA campus. International Presence
Ministry: presence in 191 countries; Number of Staff Members Over 25,000; International
Headquarters: Orlando, Florida USA. John Knox supports financially Laurel Kehl who works with
CCC as Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. She has served with CCC in Moscow for many years and
regularly makes trips over to Europe to work and train with different CCC mission workers abroad.
John Knox also supports Dave and Susan Broadwell, CCC mission workers who were at Virginia Tech
for many years and are now relocated to Dallas, Texas with CCC. For more information one can
link to the website: www.ccci.org
International
John Knox Presbyterian Church supports mission on an international level through several different
organizations including the Presbyterian Church (USA) and its special offerings. Campus Crusade for
Christ is an international focused organization, but we are currently only supporting mission workers
based in the United States.
Presbyterian Church (USA): John Knox supports financially three different offerings during
the calendar year supported by the PC (USA). They are the One Great Hour of Sharing that is
collected during the Easter Season and benefits the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian
Hunger Program, and the Self Development of People. The Joy Offering is collected at Christmas Eve
and is focused toward financial assistance for retired church workers and the support of
racial/ethnic colleges/schools in the United States. The Thank Offering is under the umbrella of
Presbyterian Women and goes toward many projects for women and children both in the United States
and International. In addition, John Knox will be supporting Nancy Collins, one of the PC (USA)
mission co-workers who is serving as East Africa Regional Liaison. Nancy visited at John Knox in
October 2009. John Knox also supports mission projects of the Muskingum Valley Presbytery and
the Synod of the Covenant. For more information one can link to the website
at www.pcusa.org
TEAMS for Medical Missions: TEAMS for Medical Missions Exists
To Lead People to Obedient Faith in Jesus Christ
And to Equip Jamaican Churches for Effective Ministry
At Home and Beyond.
We link Jamaican churches with TEAMS missionaries in ministries of . .
Teaching
Evangelism
Aid and
Medical
Services
House Building and Repairs ~ Bible Training and Leadership Development ~ Hurricane Relief ~ Food Distribution and more
John Knox Presbyterian Church has supported the work of TEAMS for approximately a decade with several
members of the congregation going down there for a week at a time to serve as doctors, pharmacists,
nurses, teachers, and construction workers. The congregation supports the work of TEAMS financially
and with material donations of items requested. The mission budget of the church supports Ray and
Ruth Shive, Ray is the director of TEAMS, and Harold and Teri Nichols, resident mission workers in
Jamaica. For more information one can visit the website at: www.t4mm.org
Medical Benevolence Foundation: For over 40 years, The Medical Benevolence Foundation (MBF)
has worked to provide hope and healing to those most in need. Working with our international church
partners, MBF supports healing ministries in more than 100 hospitals and clinics throughout
the world. MBF works in partnership with the Presbyterian Church (USA). John Knox supports
financially the work of MBF within its mission budget. For more information one can link to the
website at www.mbfoundation.org
McGilvary Faculty of Theology at Payap University in Chaing Mai, Thailand: The Thailand
Theology Seminary was established by the Reverend Dr. Daniel McGilvary in 1889 in preparation of l
eaders for His church. In 1974, the Thailand Theological Seminary and the McCormick School of
Nursing combined to establish Payap University and the name of the Thailand Theological Seminary
was changed to The McGilvary Faculty of Theology. Former PC (USA) mission co-worker, Bill Yoder
who was from Canton, OH served at McGilvary Faculty until his retirement in 2008. Bill continues
to reside in Thailand. John Knox supports the student scholarship program at McGilvary Faculty of
Theology with its mission budget. For more information one can link to the website
at www.globalministries.org
World Missions Far Corners: As God leads and resources us, and for
his glory, WMFC will identify people, mobilize ministry and serve those trapped in spiritual darkness
and unmet desperate human suffering to the Far Corners of the earth. WMFC is a faith fellowship of
New Testament evangelists brought together by the Holy Spirit to present the claims of Jesus Christ,
care for the suffering, and establish churches according to the indigenous principles of the New
Testament (Acts 1:8)."Far Corners" is the name of the powerful outreach ministries of World Missions
Far Corners which are legally organized and recognized in third-world countries and are indigenous
to each country. John Knox financially supports the work of World Missions Far Corners. For more information one can visit the website
at: www.worldmissionsfarcorners.com
John Knox hosts an annual offering for The Gideons International an interdenominational
association of Christian business and professional men who are members of Protestant/evangelical
churches. Our members are dedicated to saving the lost through personal witnessing and the
distribution of God's Word in more than 180 countries around the world. www.gideons.org
I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brother of mine, you did for me.
-Matthew 25:40