Mission
At Prince of Peace we believe that we have been called to serve Christ by helping those in need in the world, both locally and abroad. If you are looking for a way to make a difference, join us! (You don’t have to be a member before you can participate with us.) These are a few of the ways we share God’s love:
We provide and serve dinner for Sarah’s House, a local emergency and transitional housing program, on the second Sunday of the month during odd-numbered months. Congregation members provide home-cooked main courses, sides, and desserts, and serve them with a smile.
Sarah's House
Crofton Christian Caring Council (CCCC)
CCCC is a coalition of Crofton-area churches which provides financial assistance to community residents facing utility shutoffs, eviction notices, and difficulty affording prescription medication. Prince of Peace representatives are available on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon to assist in-person or by phone. Other churches are available other days. See the CCCC Facebook page for hours. ​
CCCC also operates a Food Pantry and a Baby Pantry. Food pantry donations may be brought to Prince of Peace or taken directly to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church during their Food Pantry hours (Mon., Wed., and Fri. from 10 am to 12:30 pm).
The Baby Pantry can be reached by calling Community United Methodist Church at 410-721-9129. For the Baby Pantry, acceptable donations include diapers, wipes, baby wash, shampoo, and baby food. All items should be new and unexpired.
CCCC Food Pantry
We collect non-perishable food items on an ongoing basis for the Food Pantry housed at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Crofton. The Food Pantry is part of the ministry of the Crofton Christian Caring Council. Check the bulletin announcement or the list posted near the collection bin to find out what our current "Food of the Month" is.
The Light House Shelter
Each month, we collect supplies to provide 75 lunches for the Light House Shelter, which provides services to homeless and at-risk-of homelessness residents of Annapolis.
On the last Sunday of the month, we gather in Fellowship Hall before the service to prepare sandwiches as part of their UNbagged Lunches program.
Earth Care
We are committed to being responsible stewards of God’s creation and try to be aware of our environmental impact in our church activities. ​
Our ten-year mission focus on Water is beginning its third year: read about our work so far and our future plans here.
Since becoming an Earth Care Congregation in 2018, we have used EcoPalms for our
Palm Sunday procession and replaced all bulbs within the church building with LEDs.
For the past two years, we have offered a native plant option as part of our
Easter and Christmas flower orders.
In Fall 2023, we received a grant from Unity Gardens to plant native plants, shrubs, and trees around our church grounds. Members of the congregation worked together with community members to plant Arrowwood, Inkberry, Beautyberry, Northern Bayberry, American Holly, Gro-Low Sumac, and other native plants around our parking lot and between the main building and Fellowship Hall. We are excited to see them flourish in the years to come!
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Our ongoing collections of used items include eyeglasses, household batteries, tennis balls, pens, and oral care products (toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and floss containers) for reuse (eyeglasses) and recycling (batteries, tennis balls, pens, and oral care products). Additionally, we are a drop-off point for collections of the Crofton Christian Caring Council. We also collect books for our Little Free Library and, from February through April, our annual Used Book and Media Sale, which raises money for our mission projects.
Start The Adventure In Reading – STAIR
We encourage our members to volunteer with STAIR-Annapolis, which works with second-graders in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools to help them improve their literacy skills and develop a love of reading. Additionally, we fund snacks and end-of-semester parties for the STAIR program at Van Bokkelen Elementary using proceeds from our annual Used Book and Media Sale.
We were honored to be recognized as a Volunteer of the Month in spring 2016 by the AACPS school system for our work with STAIR at Nantucket Elementary in Crofton.
Back-to-School Backpacks
This year's collection supplied 25 Anne Arundel County Public School students with backpacks, binders, water bottles, and headphones via the Department of Social Services. Thank you to the congregation for their continued support of this mission!
Our annual collection begins in late July and ends in mid-August.
Thanksgiving Baskets
We provide the makings of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey and pie, to families and seniors referred to us through Anne Arundel County's Department of Social Services. Congregation members purchase the supplies and organize them in reusable bags for delivery to recipients.
Angel Tree Gifts
We provide gifts and gift cards for the same families and seniors who received our Thanksgiving Baskets. Congregation members choose tags from a Christmas tree in our narthext and purchase gifts as requested by the families. As part of our commitment to literacy and a love of reading, all children in the program also receive a book.
Used Book & Media Sale
Our annual book sale, which raises funds to support our mission activities throughout the year is held on the last two Saturdays of April. You may leave your donations along the church's front covered walkway starting on February 1.
Thank you to those who supported our 2025 sale and helped us raise over $9,500 for our local, regional, and international missions. We greatly appreciate the community’s donations and purchases!
Heifer International
Each year at Christmastime, POP members support families around the world via contributions to Heifer International. It’s a great way to give a gift to someone you love without adding more “things” to his/her/their life. Who wouldn’t appreciate knowing that their gift from you was to help a family lift themselves out of poverty?
Our 2025 order form will be available for download here in late November.
In 2024, our donations included support for a goat, a flock of chicks, and honeybees, as well as many gifts designated for the area of greatest need.
Mission Trips/Disaster Assistance
We support disaster relief teams worldwide through our annual One Great Hour of Sharing collection, part of which funds Presbyterian Disaster Assistance as it works around the world to help communities in crisis.
Past mission trips have included home reconstruction in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy through Jersey Shore United, repairing homes in rural West Virginia through the Cabell-Lincoln County Work Camp, and making five trips to D’Iberville Mississippi for relief work following Hurricane Katrina.
Little Free Library
Our Little Free Library allows passersby on Crofton Parkway to
“Take A Book * Share A Book”. Part of an international movement to promote literacy, Little Free Libraries are available in more than 70 countries around the world. Stop by and check out our ever-changing book options!
Hilos de Plata
Through Crofton Community Missions, we support one abuela (“grandmother”) who is served by the Hilos de Plata mission in Panajachel, Guatemala. Our financial contribution provides nutritional food and other needed items to make her life more comfortable.
Two Cents A Meal
On the last Sunday of the month during the school year, the children of the church collect spare change from the congregation to as their mission project to help feed the hungry. This offering is divided equally between local, regional, and international hunger relief programs. The CCCC Food Pantry provides food to those in the Crofton area, S.O.M.E. serves poor and homeless residents of Washington, DC, and CARE serves poverty-stricken individuals and families worldwide.
Habitat for Humanity
When needed, we help build and refurbish homes for low-income residents through Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake.
PC(USA) Disaster Assistance
God’s people are called on to stand in the "GAP" — Give. Act. Pray.
To support emergency relief for those fleeing war or natural disasters, donate via the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) website, call PDA at (800) 872-3283, or mail a check made out to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
PC(USA) Special Offerings
Twice a year, we join with Presbyterians around the world in contributing to Special Offerings. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering, collected on Palm Sunday, supports the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger, and Self-Development of People programs. The Christmas Joy offering, collected on the last Sunday of Advent, supports retired clergy and future leaders from communities of color.
