Stow Presbyterian Church

Formerly Project ABLE, Project LEARN (ESOL) helps people learn English as a second language.  We host classes at the church, and our volunteeers serve as conversation partners for the students.

Akron Food Pantry, Barberton Food Pantry and Haven of Rest Ministries — Local missions we support who assis those who are in need of help.

American Red Cross Blood Drive — We host regularly scheduled blood drives to provide an ongoing supply of much needed blood products to help sick and injured patients in our many local hospitals. Last year the Red Cross collected 230 pints of blood at our site.

Briarwood Nursing Home — Our Pastor for Care, Wally Kukuk leads worship every Sunday afternoon for residents and staff. Our volunteers also visit with residents.

Faithful Servants Care Center — Located in Tallmadge, it provides urgent care services with a Christ-like compassion for those without insurance and the ecomomic means to acccess traditional health care, and to assist in identifying continuity of care.

Great Commission Ministries — We are developing joint ministry options with Matt McClure, campus outreach coordinator at Kent State University. This nondenominational ministry mobilizes and resources church-based ministries on campus.

Habitat for Humanity  — We participate in Habitat home construction projects in Summit County.

Kilts for Missions   — We coordinate a blanket drive in conjunction with the Scottish Heritage Association of Northeast Ohio during their annual Kirkin' of the Tartan service. Blankets benefit The GriefCare Place (below). The Kirkin' service was held at our church in 2005 and 2008.

The GriefCare Place — This local center provides support to adults, teens and children in need of healing after the death of a loved one. Our church members assist with financial support and donations of cookies and comfort blankets.

---

Summer Mission Trips

South Dakota - Since 2006 we have sent mission teams to the Yankton Sioux Reservation to minister to the community, lead Bible studies, and coordinate a summer vacation Bible school for local children. We partner with Cedar Presbyterian Church on the reservation, and are actively involved in helping the church repair and renovate its facilities. In 2011 we hosted nine members of the Dakota Presbytery to share their faith stories and to visit Native American historical sites in our area.

Unemployment, poverty, and depression are oppressive factors in this community. Our goal is to support the local church in bringing comfort and hope to the people through an understanding of God's love. The trust some of our team members have built with members of the community over the years is a testament to the Holy Spirit at work in this community. This summer our team returns to the reservation to continue to build relationships, serve others, and help people know Christ.

Read about one of our home-grown, South Dakota missionaries: Gayle Schrack.

 Alaska - Since 2007, we have sent teams to the southeastern spur of Alaska to work with the Salvation Army to minister to the local community and to coordinate a vacation Bible school program for children.  In 2011 two members of the Salvation Army in Juneau visited our church to share their work and its impact on the community they serve.

West Virginia - Our youth and their leaders have completed numerous mission trips to the area to help with service projects. The work is coordinated by a local organization.

This really is an eye-opening experience for a lot of our teens, some of whom have never been outside Northeast Ohio except for family vacations. It gives them the opportunity to see severe poverty right here in our own country, and how much their help--fixing a roof or building a deck--is appreciated by the families they meet.

The teens also have one day in the middle of the week to enjoy some of the local recreational offerings. White water rafting, zip-lining, and swimming are some of the favorites.

Bread 4 Haiti—A Stow business is working with the Haitians in creating a self sufficient bakery after listening to God.

Companeros en Mision Nogales—A cross border mission between the United States and Mexico in order to strengthen the faith in the communities on both sides of the border. 

Gospel for Asia—Gospel for Asia's mission is to share the Good News of Jesus with those who have never heard His name.

Kontaktmission, Berlin—We have supported a missionary named Flor for many years.  She is with the Kurdish and Persian population in and around Berlin, and shares the love and hope of Jesus.

Summit Missions Interantional—A Summit County based mission that serves the post Soviet areas in church planting and provides services to the area's orphans.

Transport for Christ in Russia—This ministry provides mobile chapels to reach truck drivers with the Gospel, offer a place to worship, and talk about God and life.  Chapels are located throughout Russia, Canada and the United States.

Wycliffe Bible Translators—The church has been supporting a translation team who have worked in Papua New Guinea by bringing the Bible to people who have no written language.