Serve God’s World
In Lexington, Hunter is known as a community that is very active in many projects for social justice. We invite ideas about new mission efforts and welcome participation in our ongoing programs…
EarthCare
Hunter is an Earth Care Congregation. Earth Care Congregations (ECC) are congregations that have committed to the “Earth Care Pledge” and accomplished a specific number of actions toward caring for God’s Earth. ECC is a program of PC(USA) Environmental Ministries. Hunter Presbyterian Church successfully became certified by the work of the children!
To learn more about what we have to do to be re-certified in 2018, please go to this page on the national PC(USA) Environmental Ministries page and download the annual checklist.
Here is an inspiring article about how it was the children of Hunter who led us to become a certified Earth Care congregation!
Unity Garden
In the summer of 2016, Hunter began the Unity Garden as part of its commitment to care for God’s creation and to build caring community. It is a place where neighbors and church members are coming together and creating an eco-spiritual area to garden and eventually use a labyrinth and walk in a native pollinating landscape area. If you would like to be involved, please contact Ann Freytag.
BUILD
Photo credit to Dana Rogers – Photography — atHeritage Hall.
Hunter Presbyterian Church is an active participant in BUILD (Building a United Interfaith Lexington through Direct Action), an ecumenical organization of 27 congregations in Fayette County. BUILD identifies crucial justice issues and uses the united power of the churches to influence city government to take action while deepening the relationship among diverse segments of the community. If you would like to be involved, please contact Ann Freytag.
Global Mission
Hunter unites with other organizations to do mission and and we raise funds to support the Presbytery, the Synod, and the national Presbyterian Church (USA) in carrying out their missions. Hunter members support a number of outreach efforts through special offerings promoted by Minute for Mission, the Horn newsletter, and at Wednesday evening suppers. One of the principal mission fund raising activities is the rental of parking spaces for home football games and the management of the parking.
If you would like to support this work, please contact, Suzi Kifer, chair of the Outreach Committee.
PC(USA) special offerings
The national PC(USA) has four special offerings throughout the year that are designed to address diverse needs in local, national, and global mission work. (For more information, see http://specialofferings.pcusa.org/.) Every year, Hunter Presbyterian is strongly committed to gather donations for each of these big offerings.
Church World Service
Hunter Presbyterian gathers a special offering every year for the Blanket Fund https://cwsblankets.org/ of the Church World Service. We join more than 8,000 congregations and groups to enable Church World Service to respond to disasters and assist communities by providing the necessary tools needed to build sustainable lives after the horrific displacement and trauma caused by war, drought, floods, and other collective trauma.
Alternative Gifts
At Christmas time, Alternative Gifts raises funds for a variety of charitable organizations such as Heifer International, the Back Pack Program, and the Well by enabling contributions in the name of family and friends in place of other Christmas gifts. Some years, Lucia’s World Emporium also comes on one Sunday near Christmas to offer shopping opportunities in support of artisans in countries with limited resources.
CROP Walk
Hunter participates in CROP Walk, raising funds for Church World Service. Hunter volunteers solicit financial support from non-walkers and walk in this ecumenical event with members of more than 25 other churches, mosques, and synagogues. Educational displays along the three-mile walk raise consciousness about world hunger. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised go to God’s Pantry in Lexington.
On Palm Sunday, April 9, many members of Hunter honored the heroic work of volunteers for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance by sporting the distinctive t-shirts that PDA teams wear when providing humanitarian aid. We gathered donations for PDA as part of the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering of the PC(USA)…
Local Mission
Blessings in a Back Pack
During the school year, Hunter provides food for the weekend for fifty children at a local elementary school. The recipients have been identified by their school as needing supplemental food when school food is not available. Hunter donates funds to buy food and volunteers shops for the food, packs a bag for each student and deliver them to the school every week.
Breakfast at the Hope Center
Contact: Kelly Tellech
Buckhorn Children and Family Service & Uspiritus
Offerings collected on Fifth Sundays are contributed to the work of these two Kentucky organizations with Presbyterian roots that provide support for young people with a variety of needs. For more information contact Suzi Kifer.
ESL (English as a Second Language)
Hunter members teach English as a Second Language two nights a week in the Village Library Branch. Welcoming people from many different countries and encouraging the development of English proficiency, this long running program fills a much needed service to the immigrant community. More instructors are always needed and can learn “on the job.” For more information contact Cathy Reilender.
God’s Food Pantry
Hunter members join Beaumont Presbyterians to staff the God’s Pantry Food Distribution Center on Cambridge Drive on Tuesday evenings. Lexingtonians eligible for food assistance can receive supplemental food made available by the donations to God’s Pantry from many people and businesses as well as government commodities. For more information contact Suzi Kifer.
Hunger Offering
Hunter’s young people collect this offering on the third Sunday of the month. The offering received is used to support the Presbytery hunger program as well as the hunger program of PC(USA). The Presbytery awards a number of grants that support back pack programs, food pantries and other food providing programs organized by Presbyterian churches throughout the Presbytery, For more information about this offering and the grants, contact Suzi Kifer.
Jackson Store
Toys are collected for the PC(USA) Christian Service Ministry store in Breathitt County and delivered by Hunter members at Christmas. For more information, contact Kevin Eddy.
Prison Ministry
Hunter supports the prison projects sponsored by the Community Relations Board at the Federal prison and prison camp here in Lexington. Church members participate in making donations of materials used by inmates to create needed items which are distributed, by the board, through over 20 local charitable agencies. Thousands of needy people benefit from this partnership of generosity.
For further information call Sally Leukefeld at 263-8707 or email sallyleukefeld@yahoo.com
Social Services
Hunter supports local social services through Maxwell Presbyterian Church Social Services office with a budgeted annual amount of $1200. This contribution supports a part time social worker who can make connections with the appropriate social services for those in need who come seeking support. This program also can meet some limited needs by providing personal hygiene items, bus fare and laundry products. For more information, contact Suzi Kifer.
The Well
The Well of Lexington is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization committed to helping women live free from sexual exploitation, addiction and homelessness. We provide a two-year residential program of recovery and renewal for women who have survived sex trafficking or prostitution, and most often also suffer from substance abuse, and want a safe and healing environment in which to rest, recover, and create new and healthier lives for themselves. For more, go to www.thewelllexington.com/. If you would like to be involved in Hunter’s work for The Well, contact Anne Chesnut.
Westminster Village
Westminster Village is home to 130 families that include more than 90 children. Forty-five of the families are refugees. Hunter is represented on the Christian Service Ministry that provides many services including after school snacks, programs for seniors, social events and Christmas baskets for the holidays. Hunter members also serve a supper for children in a vacation Bible school and encourage Hunter donations of school supplies and used clothing. Hunter youth shop for a family so they receive Christmas gifts from their wish list. For more information contact Suzi Kifer.
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