Mission and Social Justice

Local, National, and World Mission Efforts

Throughout the year we are involved in ongoing efforts to support the lives of those in need locally and around the world. Mission is at the heart of most everything we do. 

Locally we support Sister Jeans Kitchen, GLSEN of Southern New Jersey, PFLAG Egg Harbor Township, The Leadership Studio of Atlantic City, The Food Bank of South Jersey. We also have one of the highest producing Equal Exchange Fair Trade Product ministries in the nation designed to support small farmers around the world. These are a few of the mission efforts we are involved with. 

Nationally and Internationally we support More Light Presbyterians, The Mustard Seed Academy/Uganda and the national missions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) 

Weeds for Wildlife with Pat Sutton

April 16, 2021, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sponsor: Citizens United for the Maurice River
Be dazzled by plants you previously considered weeds in this virtual presentation by Pat Sutton. Sometimes gardeners regard anything they did not plant themselves to be a weed.  In reality, a weed is simply an "out of place" plant.  Learn to appreciate and be dazzled by a wealth of plants you'd previously only thought of as weeds.  Pat Sutton will share the numerous ways these weeds, many of which are native, are life giving to butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Registration is required.
Registration Link: https://www.cumauriceriver.org/event/weeds-for-wildlife-with-pat-sutton/

Rain Gardens: Can You Dig It?

April 19, 2021 07:00 PM

Sponsor: Native Plant Society of NJ, Southeast Chapter
This Zoom webinar will cover back yard landscaping techniques you can use to make you yard more water and wildlife friendly. Learn how to install and maintain a rain garden, as well as other practices designed to increase pollinator habitat, reduce stormwater runoff, and promote groundwater recharge. Q&A will follow. Presented by Lucia Ruggerio, Delaware Bayshore Program Director, American Littoral Society
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MQPsE-JeSv-cbaQ4e2Z4lg

2021 Taking Nature Black Conference - Archived Video Highlights
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society, Maryland
The Taking Nature Black Conference celebrates and seeks to expand the role that African Americans have played in protecting the environment.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nik3Y9CmppU


Film Screening “I Am Greta”

 

April 22, 4pm and 7pm
Sponsor: Citizens Climate Lobby
Join the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Higher Education team for a film showing of “I am Greta” on Earth
Day! The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen
footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta - a shy
schoolgirl with Asperger’s – in her rise to prominence, and her galvanizing global impact as she sparks
school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her astonishing wind-powered voyage across
the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. The film showing will be
accompanied by an introduction to CCL and the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, CCL’s
preferred climate solution, and guided exercises to help you take action on climate change!
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-am-greta-online-film-screening-tickets-146480732815


African American Experience on the Delaware Estuary

Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Sponsor: Citizens United (CU) for the Maurice River
Catch up on CU News and hear a special presentation on the African American Environmental Experience on the Delaware Estuary by Dr. Michael Chiarrappa, Historian in Residence at the Bayshore Center at Bivalve and professor at Quinnipiac University.

Registration Link: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ehi7xj515da30a35&oseq=&c=&ch=

Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church is Certified as a PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation

 

To become an Earth Care Congregation, this congregation affirmed an Earth Care Pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into their worship, education, facilities, and outreach.

The Earth Care Congregation certification is designed to recognize churches that make the commitment to take seriously God’s charge to “till and keep” the garden.

Started in 2010 by the PC(USA), the goal of this program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all aspects of their church life.  The Earth Care Congregation certification honors churches that make that commitment and encourages others to follow their example.

 “It is exciting that Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church is one of the 276 churches that chose to dedicate themselves to intentional care of God’s earth this year. Particularly in a time of much uncertainty and worry about the future, this congregation’s activities and commitment even in the midst of navigating limitations brought about by COVID-19 brings hope to their community. We believe that Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church will inspire others to respond intentionally to God’s call to care for the earth,” says Jessica Maudlin, Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).


For more information about Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church’s earth care program contact Sharon Cresse at gdcsgc@verizon.net  or (609) 641-5004.

For more information on the Earth Care Congregations program visit www.pcusa.org/earthcarecongregations.

Earth Care Preliminary Plan for 2021


To qualify as a Earth Care Congregation, we earned points in four areas: Education, Facilities, Outreach, and Worship.
To maintain our new status as an Earth Care congregation, the Earth Care Task Force proposes the following activities:

Education:
Arrange a speaker on a topic related to environmental justice as an Adult Education offering
Arrange for art displays on environmental topics
Continue to identify and share Green Learning opportunities via E-News and OHPC website
Continue to share issue spotlights via email on a quarterly basis
Partner with Citizen’s Climate Lobby on a movie night during summer or fall, hybrid and/or in person
Continue to update OHPC website on Earth Care issues and opportunities


Facilities:
Explore possibility of establishing a rain garden (arrange a site evaluation with the PFW program)
Explore possibility of establishing a certified wildlife habitat (arrange a site evaluation with the PFW program)
Plant milkweed to attract and help Monarch butterflies
Plant plants that will attract pollinators
Develop a community garden (arrange a site evaluation with the PFW program)

Outreach:
Write letters/sign petitions related to environmental justice and other environmental issues
Organize a trash or stream clean-up

Worship:
Do a Minute for Mission on Earth Care on a Sunday near Earth Day (April 22)
Explore possibility of putting up an Earth Care banner (in the church and/or at the roadside)
Incorporate Earth Care into a worship service
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