Missions at Sycamore

Sycamore Presbyterian Church has a tradition of active involvement in the field of Missions. This has been the case ever since Sycamore first met in Gordon Elementary School. Currently through our Missions Committee, Sycamore financially supports 32 mission programs or missionary couples locally and abroad. New missions initiatives are added periodically.

This financial support has grown over the years and is planned to increase yearly. At Sycamore there is also the desire to continue to raise up and send out our own members into the mission field both through short term mission trips and as career missionaries. Our most recent additions to the mission field from our Sycamore family are the Galages (below), serving in South Africa, and the Gelstons (right), who are in Germany.

In our missions effort, Sycamore desires to support our missionaries and organizations with significant prayer and financial support along with as much congregational involvement as possible. This involvement has taken many forms such as prayer for our missionaries, correspondence, sending summer lay mission teams to work with our missionaries, and encouraging our missionaries to visit our congregation as their schedules allow.

With the aim of increasing congregational involvement, Sycamore has designated four of our missionary organizations to be “Foundational Missions.” Foundational Missions are selected with following criteria.

They have a significant relationship-connection to SPC.
They have a long-term mission partnership with SPC.
They are an established and ongoing ministry.
They are a ministry which has breadth and substantial Kingdom impact in a variety of areas.
They are committed to discipleship and education.
They offer Sycamore members the opportunity to participate and be supportive in a variety of ways.
They offer the opportunity for regular congregational visits.

The current Foundational Missions are: Elijah House Academy in Richmond, Sycamore’s own English as a Second Language Program, Equipping Leaders International Programs with an emphasis in Uganda, and Ukraine Ministries.

If you would like additional information about missions at Sycamore don’t hesitate to contact Dennie Pritchard, Missions Committee Chairman, at 804-794-0238 or e-mail to slearned@sycamorepres.com.