As Christians, Immanuel responds to God’s love by reaching out to others in need. Christ calls us to reach out, to give more than money, to give our time and our love to create a better world. We support several mission programs that serve the immediate Tucson community, and we reach out and give of ourselves beyond Tucson. There are lots of ways you can be involved in mission and we have projects for all ages.
Mission Outreach at Immanuel
LOCAL MISSION
Christ compels us to go beyond our church walls to share and show God’s love in our city and region.
Totes for Kids
Totes For Kids provides a weekend “backpack” of food to low income students in the Tucson area. Totes is a hunger outreach program of Haven Totes Inc, based at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church. Volunteers from Immanuel pack Totes for 49 kids at a local K-8 school every week. Immanuel also helps to staff the Haven Totes Food Bank one day a month.
Compañeros en Misión
Compañeros en Misión is one of five ministry sites of the Presbyterian Border Region Outreach (PBRO). Its mission is to build up worshipping communities in Sonora, Mexico. It also addresses the physical and emotional needs of people along the border. Immanuel participates in short-term mission trips to build faith, create understanding, and establish relationships.
Frontera de Cristo, Just Coffee, and CRREDA (a Sonoran rehabilitation center) together founded Café Justo y Mas, a coffee house that also serves as a drug-free and alcohol-free meeting place for the young people of Agua Prieta. Members of Immanuel support events at Café Justo y Mas.
Montlure Camp Council
Montlure Camp Council runs Montlure Presbyterian Church Camp, a summer camping program for Presbyterian young people in grades 4-12. Camp Colton is located in the White Mountains near Greer, Arizona.
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The curriculum combines Bible study and devotions with fun outdoor activities to foster growth in faith and leadership among our youth. Montlure’s primary objective is to provide a safe and memorable Christian camping experience led by a strong Christian staff drawn from Presbyterian Churches across Arizona. Immanuel offers assistance with fees and provides a member representative to serve on the Montlure Camp Council.
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Presbyterian Campus Ministry
Presbyterian Campus Ministry (PCM) is a community of students learning what it means to be embraced by God, follow the Way of Jesus Christ, and trust the power of the Holy Spirit. Located at the University of Arizona Campus Christian Center, PCM serves young people beginning new lives as college students. An ordained pastor works with both University of Arizona and Pima College students offering Bible studies, prayer, midweek dinner, and worship.
Middle Eastern Presbyterian Fellowship (MEPF)
Middle Eastern Presbyterian Fellowship (MEPF) in Tucson, Arizona is an Arabic-speaking fellowship that introduces the Christian Reformed faith to Arabic-speaking and Middle Eastern communities. The MEPF receives encouragement and financial support from Presbytery de Cristo, the Synod of the Southwest, the General Assembly, and various congregations and individuals. Learn more about them at mepftucson.weebly.com.
Matthew 25 Offering
Immanuel contributes to Presbytery de Cristo’s summer Matthew 25 Offering by preparing emergency food packs for migrant ministry centers near the border.
Interfaith Community Services
Interfaith Community Services serves Pima County seniors, people with disabilities, and people in financial crisis. Immanuel supports ICS with periodic food drives for the Eastside Food Bank which partners with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to distribute over 1,700 emergency food boxes each month to low-income seniors, individuals, and families in need. Read more about them at www.icstucson.org.
Papago United Presbyterian Church
Papago United Presbyterian Church in Sells, AZ is a participating member of Presbytery de Cristo serving the Tohono O’odham community with four chapels across the Tohono O’odham Nation including Santa Rosa, Topawa, San Miguel, and Sells.
Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Iskashitaa Refugee Network is a Tucson-based grass-roots organization that helps refugees rebuild their lives through partnerships with volunteers and local organizations. Immanuel supports their Harvesting Project—an intergenerational group of refugees from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who partner with local volunteers to harvest approximately 100,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables each year from backyards and local farms. These foods are then given to refugee families and other Tucson organizations that assist food-insecure families.
DEACONS MISSION
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen
Every month, the Deacons of Immanuel coordinate the making and collecting of 500-600 lunches for Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. Read more …
Youth On Their Own
Immanuel’s Deacons also support Youth On Their Own, an incredible organization that supports the high school graduation of homeless youth in Tucson who are in 6th–12th grade (up to age 21). Every year we host a drive to collect the items that YOTO most needs, along with our financial support.
WORLD MISSION
Presbyterian World Mission works in almost 70 countries around the globe supporting services such as the following.
Presbyterian Hunger Program
The Presbyterian Hunger Program works with congregations and partners around the globe to alleviate hunger and eliminate its root causes. In October 2019, Immanuel received a 3-year certification as a “Hunger Action Congregation” by the Presbyterian Hunger Program because of its commitment to hunger relief, education, and advocacy.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance sends emergency relief to thousands devastated by natural disasters worldwide. Immanuel members have supported disaster relief efforts through PDA following natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods.
Frontera de Cristo
Frontera de Cristo is another of the PBRO sites. Located in the sister cities of Agua Prieta, Sonora and Douglas, Arizona, Frontera de Cristo supports children’s education, ministry to people in recovery, a health ministry, a family ministry, mission education, the New Hope Community Center, a migrant resource center, and the Just Trade Center.
Frontera de Cristo was instrumental in starting the Just Coffee (Café Justo) cooperative which, by paying growers an appropriate price for their organically grown coffee beans, has made it possible for many Mexicans coffee farmers to remain home rather than migrate northward. Just Coffee is available for purchase on Immanuel’s patio every Sunday. Learn more about the cooperative at justcoffee.org.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Presbyterian Hunger Program
On October 16, 2019 (World Food Day), Immanuel was recognized as a Certified Hunger Action Congregation by the Presbyterian Hunger Program, PC(USA), celebrating the faithful work of Presbyterians responding to the biblical call to alleviate hunger and end its causes.
Out of nearly 10,000 congregations in 172 presbyteries in the PC(USA), 164 churches in 69 presbyteries have become Hunger Action Congregations. Of those, 78 congregations are “certified.”
“Because your congregation is active in all six areas of hunger response, we are honored to bestow on you the special designation of Certified Hunger Action Congregation. We celebrate your ministry! And we will more formally recognize your congregation, along with the growing number of Hunger Action Congregations around the country, on World Food Day (October 16) during the Churches’ Week of Action on Food.”
Immanuel was recognized as a “covenanting” Hunger Action Congregation last year. But by this fall, we had become active in all six of these areas:
1) Hunger Alleviation
2) Development assistance
3) Hunger Education
4) Lifestyle Integrity
5) Corporate and Public Policy Witness
6) Worship
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