MICAH MINISTRY

Micah Ministry is an outreach of Independence Boulevard Christian Church (IBCC) in the Historic Northeast and one of our Northeast PartNErship ministries. Every Monday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., nourishing suppers are served to their neighbors in need, mostly the working poor. Unlike some meal programs, the guests are served at tables, with tablecloths, rather than having them stand in a line to be fed. Every Monday it takes 70 volunteers to serve dinner, staff the children’s ministries, clean up, and manage the clothing room.

CROP WALK

CROP (Christian Rural Overseas Program) Hunger Walks are community-based walk events held in cities and towns across the United States, raising funds to support the global mission oF Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. Twenty five percent of the funds raised are returned to the host community to support local hunger fighting efforts.

FRIENDS OF PEB (PRESBYTERIAN EDUCATION BOARD)

For several years, the Mission and Outreach committee has sent funds raised at our "Sloppy Joe Cafe" to Friends of PEB, a US- based group of Presbyterians that channels money and other support to Presbyterian education in Pakistan.  Our donations have helped build and furnish both a boarding school for girls and a day school for boys in Sargodha, Pakistan.  Mrs. Veda Gill, director of Presbyterian education in Pakistan, has visited with BRPC twice and preached in our pulpit.  

NOROC - NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ROMANIAN ORPHANED CHILDREN

In 2003, we began to support NOROC-New Oportunities for Romanian Orphaned Children.  At that time, Rev. Mary Ferris, was the missionary in Romania and worked with orphaned and abandoned children at two facilities.  NOROC means "God Bless" in Romanian. The following year, Mary visited our church and we were able to hear first hand about the work being done there.

Conditions in Romania were spotty, at best, and the government was hard to work with, but many innovative programs were started.  First was Big-hearted Grannies who give individual attention to the little ones, and benefit from a small salary to supplement their pensions.  Later, Big-hearted Grampas was added.  Big hearted Friends was formed to help the older youth integrate into society, find jobs and housing. There are regular Bible study groups, cooking classes, outings.  A Horse Program was stated to especially help youth who had a hard time relating to people.   At the moment, there is not a missionary assigned to NOROC, but Carolyn White and her husband, who were involved in other ways, spend months at a time visiting Romania and helping with the children.   There is a monthly newsletter.  

For more information go to:  www.noroc.org/romania.html