Stewardship 

Generosity – In a word, that’s what we aim to cultivate.  God is greatly generous and we want to exhibit that quality, too.

Have you ever gone to a funeral where they talked about how much the dead person owned?  Probably they talked about how much that person shared.  We all recognize sharing as a better measure of worth.

At GPC, we share with neighbors around the community and also around the world.  Every week, we give hands-on opportunities to practice living more like Jesus.

We offer practical and Biblical teaching on such matters as:

  • Managing personal finance God’s way
  • Getting out of debt
  • Saving and investing
  • Health care costs in retirement
  • Wills, bequests, and estate planning
  • Tax-advantaged giving
  • Talking with family members about money
  • Separating needs from wants
It’s impossible to follow Jesus and not be generous!  We’re not perfect, but we’re committed to growing.
 
 
 

 
 
2022 Annual Stewardship Operating Budget Campaign
 
 
 
 
 
When we returned to church in person in May we made a special offering as a way of giving thanks to God for our return to church in person.  The aim of this offering was to benefit programs for children and youth.  With this offering, GPC keeps 40% of the money, and sends 60% to the PC(USA) Pentecost Offering.  

Thank you to those who gave gifts to this special offering!

$2,105
 
You can read more from the PC(USA) about how they use their part here.
 
 
 

Feeding the 5,000 – Covid Style

GPC’s 2021 Lenten Mission Project was a Smashing Success!

Our goal was to raise $5,000 to support three local charities. But you gave $42,520!

 
We supported the following nine organizations: the Upcounty Consolidation Hub, Gaithersburg HELP, Manna Food Bank, Gaithersburg Cares Hub, Upper Montgomery Assistance Network, Epworth UMC Food Distribution Program, Frederick Food Bank, KindWorks, and the PC(USA)’s One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
 

Beyond These Walls

 

In 2010, GPC launched a capital campaign named “Within These Walls.” With the money raised, we were able to make many needed repairs to the church property. Part of GPC’s plan was to give a portion of the funds collected to local and international missions and nonprofits—to share this generosity on behalf of our donors. We referred to these mission tithes as our “Beyond These Walls” gifts. The “Within These Walls” campaign concluded in 2019.
 
 

In June 2019, GPC presented a check for $10,000 to Rev. Derek Longbrake, Donor Relations Manager for Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless.
 
This check was used to help our neighbors find permanent, supportive housing. We were honored to hear the testimony of a former client, who spoke about his experience of homelessness and the positive impact that permanent housing has afforded him.
 

 

 
 
 

In February 2019, GPC gave $10,000 to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. This PC(USA) program provides humanitarian relief to communities in the United States and around the world who have been traumatized by catastrophe.

GPC became directly involved with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) in April of 2006, when we went on our first mission trip to New Orleans to help with the post-Katrina recovery. That was 14 years and several disasters ago! Since then, over 100 people have joined us on one or more of these semi-annual mission trips. However, three people stand out for special recognition, and GPC made this gift to PDA in their honor.

Fletcher Tukes (center of photo) is our Construction Manager and he remains the only person to have gone on all 27 trips. Bob and Mary Wasik (on the right) have served as administrative leaders and have also personally recruited dozens of the volunteers who have joined us. They are mission-evangelists!

 

In December 2018, GPC reached across the ocean to give the last WTW mission tithe of the year. This gift went to The Outreach Foundation and was designated for the Justo Mwale Theological College in Lusaka, Zambia.

GPC’s former pastor and his wife, Rev. Ted and Mrs. Sue Wright, lived on the campus of Justo Mwale when they served as PC(USA) Regional Liaisons for four years. They got to know the faculty and the student body very well and enjoyed visits to some of the home congregations. They also know the need the students have for scholarships to study. We are pleased to make this gift to The Outreach Foundation in honor of Rev. and Mrs. Wright.
 
 

In September 2018, GPC gave $10,000 to Housing Unlimited, Inc. Abe Schuchman, CEO, accepted the check on behalf of the more than 300 people who are on a waiting list.

Housing Unlimited, Inc. (HUI) has provided affordable and permanent housing to people with psychiatric disabilities since 1995. Residents are proud to live independently. They pay rent, have their own rooms, and schedule their own social and recreational activities. Some residents have part-time jobs and others engage in educational or other supportive services.

View the 2018 Welcome Home Celebration highlight video of tenants sharing their journeys of mental health recovery from homelessness to independence. Our gift will be used to help purchase the next house for our neighbors in need.
 
 

In July 2018, GPC gave $10,000 to PC(USA) World Missions, designated for God’s work in Togo.

Part of being a Presbyterian means that we are connected to congregations throughout the United States and across the world. Presbyterians in the United States have a long history (over two centuries) of sending missionaries to foreign lands and building churches, schools, and hospitals in the name of Jesus Christ. In the second half of the 20th century, the mission focus changed a bit. Instead of sending missionaries to tell foreigners how to evangelize, teach, and heal, we now listen to our mission partners as they tell us how God is calling them to serve. PC(USA) World Missions then tries to find the human, financial, and materiel resources to help mission partners fulfill God’s call.

Presbyterian Church leaders in Togo will discern the best use of our gift. Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, the funds will be in place so God’s work can proceed!

 
 

In November 2017, GPC gave $10,000 to Interfaith Works to support its newly renovated Women’s Center in Rockville, Maryland.
 
Rev. Mary Beth Lawrence presents Shane Rock, CEO of Interfaith Works, with a $10,000 check from GPC’s “Within These Walls” capital campaign. The Women’s Center provides emergency shelter, meals, and case management to more than 250 women annually through a 70-bed facility.

 

 
 

In October 2016, GPC gave $10,000 to the Warrior Canine Connection to support recovering combat veterans and their families.

In 13 years of war, an estimated 446,000 Warriors have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that uses its Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to support recovering combat veterans and their families. They provide Warriors with a regained sense of purpose through the opportunity to engage in a critical military support mission while simultaneously receiving treatment for their own PTS and TBI symptoms. Based on the time-honored tradition of Warriors helping Warriors, their mission is to train highly skilled service dogs that provide years of mobility and social support to veterans with disabilities.

This Washington Post article describes what a difference these service dogs are making in the lives of veterans and their families.
 
 

In May 2016, GPC gave $10,000 to The Outreach Foundation for relief efforts in Syria.
 
The news coverage of the largely Middle Eastern refugee crisis, which continues to unfold in Europe, has brought shocking images into our homes. The unsettling reality of this situation is that most of the refugees have not made it out of the Middle East and have, instead, become the humanitarian burden of nearby countries.
 
When you compound the crisis with 3.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq and 7.6 million IDPs in Syria, you will appreciate why The Outreach Foundation has chosen to focus its efforts on finding resources for our church partners in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan as they care for neighbors—Christian, Muslim, and Yazidis—who have had to flee to a safer area in their own country or have found a safe haven across a nearby border. In all these places and through all these efforts, Christ is glorified and his name made known. The church in these places is a bright light in the darkness and a word of hope in the swirl of despair. Note: The Outreach Foundation is Charity Navigator’s highest-rated charity in its Religious Activities group, with a four-star rating.
 

In April 2016, GPC gave $10,000 to Nourish Now, a food recovery nonprofit organization headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
 
Nourish Now works to alleviate food insecurity in Montgomery County, Maryland, and beyond by reducing the amount of unused fresh food that would otherwise be wasted. It strives to meet this goal by collecting surplus fresh food from dedicated food donor partners throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Food is then redistributed directly to families in need and to over 60 other Montgomery County nonprofit organizations that provide food assistance to those in need.
 
 
 
 

SERVING

Remember, giving doesn’t always need to involve money. 
Any gift to GPC is an eternal investment in our local and global communities!