SHADYSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The International Partnerships Mission Action Community (MAC) builds relationships with sister churches and non-government organizations around the world. The MAC organizes international mission trips and seeks ways to promote justice and awareness in the global community.

Ministries which the International Partnerships MAC currently supports and some ways in which Shadyside Presbyterian Church members have connected with people and ministries around the world:

• Malawi
  Shadyside Presbyterian Church has partnered with Malawi for more than fifteen years.  Four of our most significant partnerships are briefly explained below.  Download a PDF containing more details about our involvement in Malawi.
  • Soche Presbyterian Church (Malawi)
    Soche Church, located in the Blantyre Synod, is a sister church of Shadyside.  These two churches have been in partnership for more than fifteen years.  Projects completed together include a new church construction, the completion of a church manse and a community kitchen which serves both congregation and community members.
  • Mulanje Mission Hospital (Malawi)
    Shadyside Presbyterian funded the Malawian vision of a hospital in Mulanje.  This hospital serves as multifunctional facility.  In addition to the hospital, Shadyside helped coordinate efforts to fund a nursing students’ dormitory called the “Emily House.”  This dormitory was erected in memory of Emily Dorrance, who visited this region on a short-term mission.
  • Blantyre Synod Orphan Care Project (Malawi)
    In Malawi, a child is considered an orphan if the breadwinner of the family has died.  Many of these Malawian orphans either live with their mothers or with extended family members.  The challenge for these single parent families is that the adult cannot leave the home for work because s/he must care for the child.  Under the leadership of the Blantyre Synod, Shadyside is constructing three Orphan Day Care centers so that children will have a safe and loving environment in which to stay while the adult caretaker is at work.
  • Domasi Mission (Malawi)
    In 1997, Shadyside was instrumental in building the H. Parker Sharp Health Center.  In addition to the center, Shadyside continues assisting with salaries of health care workers and has provided a generator for the mission.  Staff nurse houses were built in 2005 and a gift through Shadyside was given for the purchase of an ambulance. 
• Caring Hands (India): www.caringhandsindia.com
  Arun and Shobha Massey established this ministry in 1995.  The ministry vision is to reach out to men, women and children of the Devadasi (temple prostitution) community, to rescue girls from Devadasi system, to provide, care for and educate Devadasi children, to provide job oriented trainings and develop natural gifts and skills, to address the many needs of HIV+ Devadasies and their families.  Shadyside has been supporting this ministry since a visit by Arun Massey in 2008. 
• CaribbeanYouth Network (Bahamas): www.caribbeanyouthnetwork.org
  CYN exists to serve as an international mission organization fostering the planting, partnering, and networking of relational, Christ-centered youth ministry to the ends that youth can be introduced to the Gospel and grow into a mature relationship with Christ.  Shadyside has supported this ministry since founded by Dan and Kelly Weightman, who are native to Pittsburgh.  Members from Shadyside have partnered with this ministry through short-term mission trips.
• Servant Partners (Mexico): http://my.servantpartners.googlepages.com/mexicocity
  Founded in 2005, the Servant Partners team in Mexico City, lead by Jean-Luc Krieg, has planted its first house church, is training and accompanying local pastors in holistic ministry, leading evangelistic Bible studies, training emerging youth leaders and facilitating the growth of a new organization of residents who are organizing around community issues.  Members from Shadyside visited this ministry in 2009 and are currently exploring partnership opportunities.
• China History and Future: http://chinapartnershipteam.blogspot.com/
  In 1924, Shadyside built a hospital in the Shantung Province of China.  The hospital was part of a larger mission compound that, since, has become a very historical site.  This compound was used as an internment camp during World War II (Langdon Gilkey’s book, Shantung Compound, highlights his experience in this internment camp).  This hospital is now a historical site, surrounded by Shadyside Park.  Members of Shadyside visited this site and the surrounding churches, and are currently exploring partnership opportunities. Shadyside's China Partnership Team coordinates a team of volunteer Chinese translators through the blog; translated sermon texts are available in PDF format here. 
• Promised Land Ministries (Guatemala): www.plmmissions.org
  Promised Land Ministries is a multifaceted mission ministry based in Guatemala City.  Shadyside has partnered with their Spring of Hope mission, which provides educational services and a feeding program to some of the poorest children in the Lake Atitlan Region.  In addition, Shadyside helps to support the Genesareth Medical Clinic, based in San Lucas Toliman.  Members from Shadyside have traveled to this region conducting medical clinics in partnership with Genesareth M.C. and Vacation Bible Schools for the children of Spring of Hope.
• Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation: www.hcef.org
  Founded in 1999 by an ecumenical group of American Christians to inform American Christians of the plight of Palestinian Christians, HCEF is an organization which "seeks to replace despair with hope, fear with security, and humiliation with human dignity."  Shadyside members have participated in Pilgrimages to the Living Stones, in which pilgrims get to know the Holy Land Christians (the Living Stones) by sharing their daily lives, culture, obstacles, and faith.  Shadyside members have also attended the HCEF annual conferences, the latest of which featured Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes (Senior Pastor, Shadyside) as a speaker.