Together In Mission

Middle School
The Middle School Mission Trip takes place again this year in Sapphire, North Carolina at the site of Camp Buc, a Presbyterian Camp owned by the Foothills Presbytery of South Carolina.  During their week at Camp Buc, the Sharon Presbyterian Church Middle School team will get the opportunity to serve by working with kids younger than themselves and being a witness to the love and caring of Jesus Christ.  The group will also be working on service projects to learn new skills and improve the facilities of the Camp.  Everyone will get to participate in group building trials, bible studies, worship services, and adventure activities to help them grow in their life and faith.

High School
Every year, our High School Youth Mission team travels the country to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to be hard working and loving ambassadors of Charlotte and Sharon Presbyterian Church.  Last year the high school team traveled to the mountains of Tennessee to do remodeling and maintenance for a family in need.  This year our group will be taking their hard work all the way to Harmons, Jamaica.  There, they will work with locals with healthcare, education, and continuing construction in the community.  All of this will take place while the youth interact with locals and grow closer to the true meaning of global missions.

College
For a second year, our College Mission Team will travel to Johns Island, South Carolina to work with the Sea Island Habitat for Humanity.  During their week in Charleston, our college team will have the opportunity to help build houses for those in need.  The group will work side by side with future habitat homeowners as they contribute "sweat equity" into their very own homes.  In the time that the mission team is not busy, exploring Charleston will be available.  We pray that the week will result in each participant growing closer to each other and their faith.

For more information or questions about the Middle school, High school or College Mission trips, please contact Martin Pruitt at martin@sharonpcusa.org.

Adult
The 2015 Sharon Presbyterian Church Adult Mission Trip to Huanta, Perú is set for July, 31 through August 10.  The trip promises to again be one of service and witness to Jesus Christ.  For the experience, past trip participants have found themselves closer to God, each other and their Peruivian brothers and sisters.  This trip is open to adults and a limited number of youth participants.  For more information, contact Randy Ross at randy.ross@wellsfargo.com.

Western North Carolina
The Western North Carolina Mission Trip is scheduled for April 30 through May 3.  In conjunction with Bryson City Presbyterian Church and the Collegiate Ministry for the Presbyterian denomination, our group will be helping renovate a Presbyterian Worship/Christian Outreach Center on the Western North Carolina University campus.  We will be meeting in March to finalize the details.  For more information, contact Phyllis Acton at (704) 553-2464.

At Home
Serving those who are homeless in Charlotte has been a focus of Sharon Church since the 1980's.

• Currently we prepare and serve the evening meal at the Statesville Avenue campus of the Men's Shelter of Charlotte the first Tuesday of every month.
• We are responsible for the evening meal the last Saturday of every month at the Salvation Army Center of Hope for women and the Tryon Street campus of the Men's Shelter.  These programs provide in excess of 4000 meals per year due to the involvement of over 300 members and friends of Sharon.
• Every Friday night, December through March, Sharon Church hosts up to twelve homeless neighbors as part of the Urban Ministry Center emergency shelter program, Room In The Inn.
• Sharon Church joins the Church World Service CROP Walk, each October.  Sharon Presbyterian Youth participates in the Souper Bowl every February.  Both help to alleviate hunger in the Charlotte area.

While many already take part, more volunteers are always needed to make these efforts happen,  I you would like to get involved, please call or email the church office for contract information.

Argentina Oil Company Leaves Perú Town After Protests

Results Of Oil Contamination Reported In Amazon Region

Resource:  BBC

Sent to us from Tom Skinner

An Argentine oil company says it will withdraw from an area of the Peruvian Amazon where it has been prospecting for gas deposits.

The company, Pluspetrol, was asked to leave by the government after the death of a demonstrator in Junin province, during four days of violent protests.

The demonstrators, mostly indigenous people, accused the company of contaminating local rivers and soil. Pluspetrol denied causing any environmental damage.

It said it had met all legal requirements for exploratory work, including getting consent from more than 2,000 farmers in the area. The company said it would remove its remaining equipment from the area, known as Block 108, near the municipality of Pichanaki in the coming days. A spokesman denied the company was being forced to leave, saying it was going because it had finished its work in the area. He said the company had met all legal, environmental and social requirements for exploratory work in the block, including securing consent from farmers and communities.

Pluspetrol started exploratory activities in Block 108 last year with the approval of the government.
Energy and Mines Minister Eleodoro Mayorga said he believed the company had complied with its contract but was asking it to leave the block so that the government could evaluate its activities.

On Tuesday, a crowd of protestors stormed a military base being used by Pluspetrol as a storage area. They were driven back by police firing tear gas but a 25 year-old man was killed and 20 injured, police say.

Reuters news agency says the interior ministry is investigating the illegal use of firearms by police during the demonstrations.

Pluspetrol is also struggling to end conflicts in the northern Amazon, where indigenous protestors have taken control of oil wells and stopped output in the country's biggest oil block. Protests and demonstrations have continued for a decade in Peru in many areas of the country where foreign oil companies are prospecting and mining for oil and minerals.

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Presbytery Leadership Conference Help Requested

Sharon Presbyterian is hosting this year's leadership conference on our campus on February, 28th. We need volunteers to help with set-up, lunch, and clean-up. 

Each shift has been set up into two hour intervals to minimize the commitment on the part of our volunteers.  In order to do this we do need a lot of participation. 

If you can spare any amount of time the weekend of the 27th and 28th it would be so, so appreciated.

Here is the link to sign up and thank you so much for your service!

Sincerely,

Dana Shawver

Projects Are Planned For The Western North Carolina Mission Trip

The Western North Carolina Mission Trip is scheduled for April 30 through May 3 in conjunction with Mark Hanna of the Bryson City Presbyterian Church and the Collegiate Ministry for the Presbyterian denomination.

Our mission group will be helping to renovate a Presbyterian Worship / Christian Outreach Center on the Western North Carolina University campus.  We will be asked to paint, pressure wash, renovate, etc., all tasks most anyone can do.

We will have a meeting on March 23, at 7:00 PM in the Heritage Room at Sharon Presbyterian Church to finalize the details. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Phyllis Acton at 704-553-2464.