Ministries

TPPC takes part in many shared ministries in Takoma Park, the larger Silver Spring community, and in Central America. We welcome you to join us. 

EDUCATION MINISTRY    

Christian Education at TPPC seeks to provide the tools, support, and opportunities for  children, youth, and adults to learn and grow in faith, living out the teachings of Jesus Christ to be of service to others.

Sunday School | Youth Ministry | Adult Education

We welcome all children and youth to Sunday School. Our fall program for Sunday School begins Sunday, October 3, at 11 am. (Masks are required.)

For more information, contact christed@takomaparkpc.org

Our curriculum, Shine, co-published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia, provides interactive lessons that help us to grow towards God’s light and to shine that light to others.

Please know your friends or neighbors with children who would like to come to Sunday School are always welcome. Back-up or substitute teachers are always needed: if this interests you contact christed@takomaparkpc.org. There is a curriculum to follow - no need to create a lesson on your own.

According to our Child Protection Policy (PDF), all our staff and regular volunteer teachers are required to pass a background check but more importantly are trained in processes to assure your child’s well-being whether in the classroom, on outings, service projects, or anywhere in the church setting.

The Cooperative Youth Ministry is a partnership between Takoma Park Presbyterian Church (TPPC) and Christ Congregational Church (CCC) in Silver Spring. It provides a structure for children in grades 6-12 to have fellowship and fun with their peers in a supportive, inclusive environment. Our Cooperative Youth Ministry leader, Rev. John Ahn who has a passion for teaching and sharing the word in a down-to-earth, fun, and understandable manner. John's been part of youth and young adult ministry since 1994 and is currently on faculty at Howard University School of Divinity.

Adult Education classes combine Bible study, theology, and spiritual formation with current events and policy discussions. They are where you can bring your questions, insights, doubts, and concerns in a supportive learning community. This past year we studied Howard Thurman’s Meditations of the Heart, Martin Luther King’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, the Barmen Confession, a series examining “Who Is Our Neighbor?”, and the book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.  Recently we held a special online forum on Climate Change, COVID, and Vulnerable Communities with Interfaith Power and Light For more information contact adulted@takomaparkpc.org.

FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES

The Women’s Bible Study meets the second Saturday of every month from September through June at 10:30 AM in the Church parlor (or on Zoom during the pandemic) when we gather as a group of women of all ages to engage deeply in Bible study using Presbyterian Women’s Horizon’s Bible Study.

On Saturday, September 11th there will be a discussion on respectful and inclusive language, including the use of pronouns. You may have heard individuals identify themselves using personal pronouns (she/her, they/them/ze, he, his) or you may be doing so yourself. Respect for this practice affirms others' identity.

Because this is such a relevant topic for today, we are inviting those who would like to learn more about this topic to join us.

SERVICE MINISTRIES

Community Kitchen | Shepherd’s Table | Gleaning | AIM I Jiñocuao | Environmental Ministry

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church partners with the Crossroads Community Food Network (CCFN) to support the Takoma Park Silver Spring Community Kitchen. The Kitchen is located on the church’s premises, and is managed by CCFN. The kitchen is fully licensed and operates as a shared-use community kitchen whose mission is to serve as a resource within the community to alleviate hunger and economic inequality by providing a space for local food production and food recovery programs benefiting low-income individuals. The facility also serves as a hub for nutrition and education classes.   

Shepherd’s Table began as a soup kitchen in a small Cape Cod bungalow behind First Baptist Church of Silver Spring in 1983. This was made possible through the joint effort of 15 local religious congregations. TPPC was one of the founding churches. Currently, Shepard’s Table is located in Progress Place next to the Silver Spring Fire Station. We have traditionally had the first Sunday of the month dinner as our time to serve meals to many in the community who experience chronic homelessness. It is a great opportunity for high school students to receive SSL hours, families to share the value of serving others, and older adults to participate with our church and local community.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have paused our feeding effort at Shepherd’s Table. Instead, we urge people to sign up as individual volunteers and go when it is convenient for you.  For information on volunteer opportunities, access:

https://www.shepherdstable.org/volunteer-opportunities/

Throughout the years TPPC children’s education classes have made sandwiches and cookies for distribution at Shepherd’s Table. TPPC also makes monetary donations through our Social Witness and Action committee. We are happy to support an organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger within Montgomery County’s homeless community. 

For more information about Shepherd's Table, access the Shepherd's Table website.

TPPC members glean extra produce from the Takoma Park Farmers Market on the second Sunday of every month. TPPC volunteers meet at the Takoma Park clock tower at 1:55 PM and ask the farmers if they have donations to make to Shepherd’s table. Please contact us at gleaning@takomaparkpc.org if you have questions or want to volunteer.

P.S. Attention middle and high school youth: You can get two hours of volunteer service each time you participate.

TPPC members and friends have been actively involved in improving the lives of our neighbors through our membership in Action in Montgomery (AIM) which is celebrating over 12 years. Member institutions represent more than 60,000 county residents, including churches, synagogues, Islamic Centers, housing nonprofits, parent-teacher associations, and schools. As an advocacy organization, AIM actively supports campaigns on housing, education, and immigration for people in Montgomery County. For additional information you can contact aim@takomaparkpc.org or go to AIM’s website:  actioninmontgomery.org

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church has had a sister parish relationship with the Nicaraguan community of Jiñocuao since 1992. Over the years, 47 members of the TPPC community have traveled to Nicaragua to spend time in Jiñocuao, either through one of the seven official delegations, while traveling independently, or with other groups. Fifteen people from Jiñocuao have come to Takoma Park as part of three official delegations. The last delegation visited Takoma Park in May 2019.

In this 2020 photo of worship at our sister parish in Nicaragua, the woman in black on the right, Manuela, is the same person that is featured as a child in the painting above the entrance to our church. Also seen in this photo are two women, Paula Carrasco and Daysi Martinez, who have visited Takoma Park as members of the four Jiñocuao delegations.

TPPC has received a letter from our sister parish in Jiñocuao with news that they survived Hurricane Eta but were facing a second hurricane named Iota. For additional information you can contact jinocuao@takomaparkpc.org.

To answer the call to care for God's creation, we were recently certified as an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church USA; we also are part of the Interfaith Power and Light regional network of congregations committed to saving energy, educating the community about the environment, and responding to climate change. 

We also advocate with Chesapeake Climate Action Network to fight global warming.  In 2020 and 2021, members of our congregation participated in the Potomac "Polar Bear Plunge" to raise money and call for stronger action against climate change. 

A “Green Team” has been formed at the church to guide efforts related to the environment in four areas: worship, education, facilities, and outreach. They are also spearheading an effort in coordination with other local faith communities to care for creation along Sligo Creek and to maintain native plant and pollinator gardens.