Act
Our mission to serve the world: The Bible calls us to heal, reconcile, and bind up wounds; minister to the needs of the poor, sick, lonely, and powerless; and engage in the struggle to free people from oppression, hunger, and injustice.
Mission and Social Justice Committee
The Mission and Social Justice Committee is involved in local, national, and international projects addressing our community's injustice and needs.
This committee seeks to raise awareness in the congregation and the greater community about hunger, homelessness, the climate crisis, racism, poverty, immigration policy, and other issues that are priorities of the congregation. It sponsors films, lectures, and discussions of national and international issues.
Food donations for Marin Food Bank
We collect non-perishable food for the Marin Food Bank on the first Sunday of the month. The need is great, and all donations are appreciated. Protein-rich foods are particularly needed.
San Pedro Elementary After-School Enrichment
Our church provides volunteers for this enriching program through its Youth on the Move (YOTM) ministry. The program offers special activities and projects every Wednesday afternoon to second—to fifth-grade students enrolled in the daily after-school sessions.
The students, many of whom are foreign-born, come mainly from the Canal area of San Rafael. The four subject areas are gardening, art/science, cooking/nutrition, and movement/dance. Volunteers are needed to serve as teacher's aides in the four subjects, which are offered at 2:00 or 3:30 PM. Classes average ten students, and volunteering can be as easy as a couple of hours on one or two Wednesday afternoons a month. The students enjoy the opportunity to plant and harvest vegetables, prepare a snack or meal, create some art, engage with a science project, or learn easy dance steps or Yoga positions.
If you are interested, please get in touch with Leslie Purdy for a date to visit and learn about the easy steps required to be a regular volunteer.
The Street Chaplaincy
The Street Chaplaincy’s primary mission is to bring compassionate spiritual care to unsheltered and temporarily sheltered persons in Marin County and to build community between between the housed and those living on the street, faith communities, and other organizations.
Our church is the home of the Tuesday night dinners called the Wellness Gathering. There is a licensed chef who oversees the meals. Volunteers help prepare and serve the meal each week. A few times a year a team of volunteers from our congregation hosts the meal, including purchasing the food, cooking, serving and eating with the guests.
To volunteer in the kitchen on Tuesday, contact kitchen@streetchaplaincy.org.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Volunteer Teams
Since 2006, our congregation has sent a team of volunteers around the US to build homes after floods and fires through PDA. The team does everything from drywall, fencing, and siding to painting, spreading gravel, and more. At each site, a licensed contractor oversees the work and provides supplies. Starting in the spring of 2021, we sent teams of volunteers to Paradise, CA, each year to rebuild homes after the Camp Fire.
If you are interested in being part of a PDA team of volunteers, contact Ralph Purdy.
Thanksgiving bags for Ritter Center
The Mission Committee invites the congregation to donate food and make financial contributions to the annual collection of Thanksgiving food for Ritter Center.
The Mission Committee sets up a line of donated food two weeks before Thanksgiving. After the 10:00 worship service, all are invited to help prepare 60+ grocery bags and distribute Safeway grocery cards.
Alternative Gift Market
As people think about gift-giving for the holidays, the Mission Committee invites the congregation and community to shop at the Alternative Gift Market in December. These gifts make a difference in people’s lives, helping lift people out of poverty, providing educational resources in poor rural communities, and giving fair wages to workers and artists.
Shoppers can make donations and buy items from several service organizations, such as Heifer International, Homeward Bound, Opening the World, Presbyterian Hunger Agency, Boy Scout Troop 2000, Seeds of Learning, Youth on the Move, Roots of Peace, and Friends of the Marin Free Library.
Christmas Angel Tree - North Marin Community Services
In late November and early December, the Mission & Social Justice Committee, in partnership with a local agency, provides an angel tree
Holiday Share programs allow people to experience the joy of giving while bringing the joy of Christmas to families facing hardships. The congregation is invited to take a tag from the tree with the age, gender, and gift request of a child or teenager. Medium-sized new stuffed animals may also be donated.
For more information, contact Gilda Selchau.
The Green Team - Earth Care Congregation
The church’s Green Team received a renewed Earth Care Certificate from the Presbyterian Church (USA). Activities included frequent informative announcements in the E-news concerning environmental actions and local programs and assistance in planning the Sunday service for Earth Sunday at the end of April.
The church continues to help lead Marin Interfaith Climate Action and is an active member of California Interfaith Power and Light. In 2024, we installed two heat pumps in Canoles Hall and several high-efficiency heaters in rooms in the church building. We have a new dishwasher to minimize paper product trash when we have all church meals.
For more information, contact Ralph Purdy.
Pedal for Protein
In September, the Presbytery of the Redwoods sponsors a bike ride called Pedal for Protein to raise money for food banks and meal programs based in Presbyterian churches throughout Northern California.
Members of our church have ridden every year since 2004 and have raised over $50,000 in the last ten years. The ride is a multi-day event in some years and a one-day event in others.
For more information, contact Dan Crawford.
More Light Congregation - Welcoming The LGBTQ+ Community
We are proud to be a member of More Light Presbyterians. More Light is a national network of churches that believe in the full inclusion of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community in the life of the church, including ordination and marriage. Together, More Light churches work for a world that reflects God's heart and all-inclusive love.
Other Community Partners
