Central College Church

	MISSION

Mission
"Mission" is the expression of the love of God to those outside the body of Christ at Central College.

Using the geographical model for mission found in the book of Acts, our mission begins where we are in Westerville, Ohio, but then extends to the larger metropolitan area, then to this region of the United States, and then finally into the international community.

Central College mission engages disciples of all ages in reaching out to others.

Facility-based and Local Mission
Adopt-A-Child For Christmas	This Mission program of Central College Church is organized by the Deacons. In 2006 we adopted just over 750 children. It did not stop there though. Our congregation kept donating gifts via the secret Santa box and the Baby Jesus program put on by the preschool donated 8 full bags of new toys. Most of these were given to West 2nd to help with their needs. We also had several large sponsors this year. Enterprise Car Rental adopted 150 children, BCD Travel adopted 44 children and Starbucks and the Polaris Grille adopted a total of 40 children. For more information contact the church office at 882-2347. Click to see photos. Pic 1 - Pic2 - Pic3
Al-Anon	Provides support for family members or friends of an alcoholic.
AA	A self-help group serving alcohol dependent people and those in recovery
Red Cross	Providing space and volunteer help to collect blood donations
Boy Scouts	Sponsor of Boy Scout Troop #192
Central College Christian Academy	Central College Christian Academy is a school that promotes high academic and moral standards, where creativity is valued and Christian values are nurtured. More
Central College Preschool	Founded in 1971 with one class of twenty students, enrollment is now four hundred students each year. Central College Preschool is one of the Westerville area's premiere Preschool Learning environments. More
Central College Counseling	Provides quality counseling services to members of our congregation and community. MORE
Food Baskets	Our Deacons and volunteers provided roughly 27 tons of food for 1200 families at Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2005. Providing a lift to these families during these two seasons. We will do the same in 2006. If you can make a contribution to help purchase the 27 tons of food, please contact the church office at 614-882-2347.
Food Pantry	Over fifty (50) Central College Church volunteers worked all year in 2005 to gather, store, organize and distribute over 60 tons of food to over 5600 people. Those in need work through FIRSTLINK FOODLINK, (614)341-2282. Available M, W, F 7a-4p and T, TH 7a-8p. Referral Specialists connect people to food pantries and soup kitchens to meet emergency food needs. Food is always needed. If you can donate non-perishable items, bring them to the church at anytime and place them in the food drop-boxes.
Habitat For Humanity	Volunteers from Central College Church and many other Central Ohio churches work to create housing for those in need in the Central Ohio area. MORE
Parish Nursing	Central College Church provides a group of Volunteer Nurses led by staffer Amy Taylor who checks blood pressure and glucose screenings twice a month. An annual Health Fair and monthly health and medical related updates are also provided. *MORE* (Top of page)
Stephen Ministry	Stephen Ministry is a program of our congregation that equips lay persons to provide distinctively Christian one-to-one care to those who are experiencing all kinds of life needs and circumstances, both in our congregation and community. "Bear one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ". - Galatians 6:2 Are you being called by God to help others in this way? Cllick HERE to find out more.
	Click HERE to view a Video outlining many of the Central College Missions.

Jesus said,

"...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

ACTS 1:8

Regional Mission
Buckhorn Children's Center - Ohio and Kentucky	Buckhorn Children's Services provides at-risk youth with residential care and counseling services. Central College Church provides monetary resources for this organization as well as office space for Buckhorn OHIO.
Campus Ministry	Provides a ministry of evangelism and discipleship on college campuses. Central College Church currently supports the efforts of Jason Sorge through Campus Crusade for Christ and Michelle Robinson through the Great Commission Ministries.
Echoing Hills Summer Camp Program (Click here to link to web site)	Camp Echoing Hills is a Christian camping ministry for adults and children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities in Warsaw, Ohio near Coshocton. On average, the summer camping program hosts about 550 individuals in a period of nine, five-day sessions. Campers range in age (7 years to adult) and vary in abilities. Central College Church sent a Mission Team on a Day-Mission trip to help at this camp. Click *HERE* for event photos.
Geneva Hills	The Geneva Hills Center just south of Lancaster, Ohio is several hundred acres of wooded land in the rollig Hocking Hills. This property is currently being made available to all churches in the Presbytery of Scioto Valley through the efforts of three churches, including Central College Church, within that Presbytery. Click HERE for a brochure and details about this jewel in God's great cathedral of the outdoors. *MORE*
West 2nd Avenue Presbyterian Church	Central College Church is in a "yoked" relationship with West 2nd providing pastoral leadership and support for College and inner city youth.
Summer Camping Program	This program provides an outdoor camping and learning experience for children of incarcerated parents. This is a unique program in the United States done in partnership with the Ohio Department of Corrections. Click HERE to see photos from summer Camp 2005. (Top of Page)

International Mission
Montana de Luz	Begun in 2000, Central College Presbyterian Church was the primary organization responsible for the restoration of an abandoned orphanage with 7 buildings 60 miles outside of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Arrangements were made with Sister Maria Rosa who owns the property to convert it to a hospice for orphaned children with AIDS. Currently there are 23 infants and children being cared for. Those who are old enough are in school. With the availability of anti-retroviral drugs the facility may now be considered an orphanage as the children are expected to reach well into adulthood. A very capable staff including a director and multiple house mothers provide the care necessary. Other churches, organizations and individuals have become interested in this ministry and continue to provide financial aid as well as making multiple on-site visits to help with maintenance and additional construction.
Hospital Loma de Luz	A non-demonical Christian organization called Cornerstone began to build this hospital in 1991 and with short term medical missionaries provided medical care to a population estimated to be 20,000 for an area on the North coast of Honduras which had no medical care available. Dr. Jeff McKenney has been providing the leadership as the funds arrive to complete the building and obtain the equipment necessary. Four years ago a medical team from Central College Church made their first visit there to help meet some of the medical needs. Soon the hospital was open 5 days a week. Rev. Ellsworth recognizing that a hospital must be a 24/7 operation asked what was need to make that happen. Along with team member Bob Sheldon $50,000 was provided which made possible the hiring of additional Honduran physicians and nurses so that the hospital now provides round the clock care. Rev. then determined from Dr. McKenney that their greatest need was living facilities for parents of children in the hospital and for individuals who had surgery and could not yet return home. They are much like Ronald McDonald houses in the US but are referred to as Sanctuary houses there. Rev. then sold stock to build these houses to members and friends of Central College Church. $40,000 was raised and was used to build three houses all of which are occupied.
Medical and Dental Short-term Mission Teams	Since 2001 Central College Church has been sponsoring Medical and Dental teams to the poorest parts of Honduras most of which have been on the North Coast. 12 one week trips have been made. All medicine and supplies are obtained prior to departure. We can expect to see about 100 medical patients a day. In addition to infections there is much hypertension and some diabetes. All of the children receive vitamins and worm medicine. On a recent trip our dentists were met by 269 people hoping to see a dentist. There had never been one in the area. We will continue to make 2 trips a year to visit these very poor but kind people. A Mission Team consisting of several members from Central College Church returned in February from an amazing trip to Honduras. Click HERE to read Mission Team Coordinator Mike Carter's review of that time of service. Click HERE to view photos from this Mission Trip