Community Thanksgiving

THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE - ALL ARE WELCOME

 “Meeting people at their point of need, Inviting all into a dynamic relationship with Christ”

PARTICIPATING CLERGY 

Rev. Dwight Hudson – New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church, Charleston

Rev. David Washington – Old Bethel Methodist Church, Charleston

Rev. Brian Henderson – St. James Presbyterian Church, James Island

Rev. Willie Hill – St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church, Charleston

Rev. Cress Darwin - Second Presbyterian Church, Charleston

Rev. Audrey Deas - Wallingford Presbyterian Church, Charleston

PARTICIPATING CHOIRS AND DIRECTORS 

Old Bethel Methodist – Rachel Dowling

St. James Presbyterian - Simplicia Smith

St. John’s Reformed Episcopal – Apostle Sonseeahray Nelson

Second Presbyterian – Lee Lingle

Zion-Olivet Presbyterian – Carmen McFadden

Watch Second Presbyterian videos on YouTube, like Second on Facebook, and stay connected by signing up for our emails which offer a snapshot of upcoming church and missions events and announcements.

Window Restoration Service Opportunity

Stuart Cochrane helped to restore a window on the education building in November. Other windows in need of restoration have since been claimed by individuals from the men's bible study. If you would be willing to help with the scraping, reglazing, and painting of a window or tackling another project at the church, please get in touch with Rob McCready, (203) 921-7804.

Find out about service opportunities for those experiencing homelessness

Interested in serving those in Charleston experiencing homelessness?

Please fill out the form below to be notified about donation and service opportunities.

“We are called by God to work together for the glory of His Kingdom, in small ways and in large ways. We must work together to promote justice and equity for all, to treat each other with respect and dignity, to lend a helpful hand to those in need, to live the life of service God calls us to. It has been a blessing to share in that mission with my Second Family for many years and I look forward to it for many years to come.”

-Cathy

a sense of purpose through service

The photo of Caleigh begins our adventure as she gets ready to go.

Hello Second Family,

How we miss you all and long for the day when we will be able to worship and serve together again.  There are many of you who are new members and you do not know me or my daughter, Meredith, but you will when this is over and we resume worship together.  I’ll be calling on you for service at Tea Room in the Spring. We are so happy that you have chosen to be a part of our Second Family and I look forward to meeting each of you.  

After a wonderful conversation with Cress, he asked that I share with you a mission opportunity that Meredith and I have been enjoying for several weeks.  Through Second’s weekly mailing, I discovered an invitation to serve those experiencing homelessness in the area who have been exposed to COVID-19.  My first concern was how does one serve without fear of exposure to self? So Meredith and I talked and decided to see if it fit our criteria for safety and for being of service. We discovered that it is the easiest and one of the safest ways to serve.  

The City of Charleston provides food delivery to the homeless population affected by the virus and they need volunteer drivers to deliver the food.  There is a central pickup location and 2 delivery locations.  This experience of simple joy takes about an hour of our time, such a small sacrifice.  Armed with masks and a cheerful attitude, we have found our way to be of service without worry.  We have been delivering food once a week for the the past month and have been so blessed by this simple act of service.  Meredith and I are so anxious to get going on Wednesday morning, loading Caleigh into the car, and heading into town, knowing that we will make a difference for someone in need. It helps us to make sense of what is going on around us.  Instead of feeling helpless and useless, we have a sense of purpose, small but mighty!  

We have discovered other ways to serve as well, as one of our delivery locations is the Navigation Center that helps to transition those currently experiencing homelessness to housing and jobs, or just to provide a place of security and basic needs.  They accept all donations of clothing and toiletry items, feminine hygiene products; all of these very small ways to help someone feel valued and not forgotten.

I would encourage any of you who want a safe way to serve to consider this opportunity.  You can get all the pertinent information here or from the church office or through the City of Charleston Department of Housing and Community Development.  If anyone would like to talk to me (Cathy) or to Meredith, please feel free to call.

We are called by God to work together for the glory of His Kingdom, in small ways and in large ways.  We must work together to promote justice and equity for all, to treat each other with respect and dignity, to lend a helpful hand to those in need, to live the life of service God calls us to.  It has been a blessing to share in that mission with my Second Family for many years and I look forward to it for many years to come.

Missing you all and praying for good health and safety for each of you!

Blessings,

Cathy and Meredith

Our first stop is for food pickup at One80Place where cheerful staff load our deliveries.

Then we are off to make our first delivery at the Navigation Center where we have discovered a more extensive mission.

So many people are served by the Navigation Center and this gentleman is one who graciously agreed to be photographed.

They are all so grateful for any help given. Our last stop is a local motel housing homeless COVID patients.

The Navigation Center serves to help transition those in Charleston experiencing homelessness into housing. That means starting a household from the ground up. They accept all donations: clothing, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, any household items, furniture, etc. Meredith and I dropped off our first donations today. We are so blessed to be able to help.

We were so excited to discover this opportunity in our Second Snapshot. Maybe some of you will consider donations to the Navigation Center or to volunteer with the City’s efforts to help those experiencing homelessness. When volunteering to deliver meals with the City, food is left at the door and no contact is required.  Meredith and I have, however, had brief introductions to some of our recipients, at a safe social distance.

Simple ways but BIG REWARDS. God gives us ways to serve that we never expected.  He just asks us to SERVE, to be His Light to the world.

-Cathy

We discovered that it is the easiest and one of the safest ways to serve.

It helps us to make sense of what is going on around us. Instead of feeling helpless and useless, we have a sense of purpose, small but mighty! 

Tuesday Treasure Thought with Dave

Greetings, Second Family!  Hope you are all having a wonderful fall.

In the last 6 years that I've been at Second Presbyterian, I've made many great memories serving the Lord with others.  Just a few months after Boeing moved me to Charleston, I started participating in Bible Studies, "Beautify the Yard" days, and since 2017, I've served as an Elder on the Second Presbyterian Session.  I have a busy life full of travel and work, but in all the places I've lived and all the places I've seen, I carry the memories of the people I've worked joyfully side by side with at church.  In between all my crazy travel for work (300+ days and counting), I get to build memories like these with this Church and this community.  They are my treasure.

While the fellowship around the coffeemaker or the potluck dinner is wonderful, I truly think there is something special about the more difficult work we do for the Kingdom.  My memories of "Beautify the Yard" and the challenges we've faced as a Session are special to me because of the work we've accomplished for the Church.  There's a joy in the aftermath of sore limbs after a day in the yard or the tired mind after a long meeting.  When we give more sacrificially we find more meaning and connection as a community.  The satisfaction is even greater when even more of us come together for a great task. I specifically cherish one of the more significant days in the yard with dozens of people, including children and families.  It was a special day.

For these greater challenges (and greater memories) we can only reach our goals if we act – and act together.  I would encourage all of you to think on what more you could do to support Second Presbyterian Church this Stewardship season.  You don't have to start big … but remember, the more you put in to this community, the more we can all grow in it. I encourage you to find your treasure.

If your treasure is also found in service, join us for the upcoming Beautify the Yard Day on October 26th from 9:30-noon. We’ll work together in fellowship cleaning the church yard.
There is also a graveside service this Friday. If you would like to come by and work in the yard for a few hours before that, please do. There are leaves to rake and weeds to pull, but please call the church office at (843)723-9237 if you have questions or need direction.

Join your Second Family as we commit our treasure in service to the Lord by pledging your 2020 gift this Stewardship season. When you enter into a partnership with the body of Christ, you are not only building up treasure for this generation but also for generations to come.