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 dinner for Sarah’s House, a local emergency and transitional housing program, on the second Sunday of the month during odd-numbered months. POP also donates clothing and personal items to the residents on an occasional basis.
Sarah's House
Crofton Christian Caring Council (CCCC)
In cooperation with eight other Crofton area churches, we provide financial assistance via CCCC to community residents who are facing utility shutoffs and eviction notices. We 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
During the month, we collect supplies to provide at least 70 bag 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.
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Since becoming an Earth Care Congregation, we have begun using EcoPalms for our Palm Sunday procession and have also replaced all bulbs within the church building with LEDs.
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 include used eyeglasses, used household batteries, used tennis balls, used pens, and used oral care products (toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes) 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, the annual Used Book and Media Sale.
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We occasionally offer special collection opportunities, such as our technology recycling event at the end of January 2023 and our Hard Drive Destruction/Paper Shredding Event in October 2023.
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We have been pleased to host Annapolis Compost's post-Halloween Pumpkin Composting event for two years. https://annapoliscompost.com/
Start The Adventure In Reading – STAIR
While the location we supported has closed, we still 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.
Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad
Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad (Presbyterian Community of the Trinidad) is a worshiping community serving the Hispanic community in Anne Arundel County. Led by Rev. Jose Lopez, this group seeks to serve, organize, and support Hispanic residents of Anne Arundel County. Members have been active in community gardening at Hollywood Farm in Annapolis.
Back-to-School Backpacks
Our 2023 collection supplied 25 Anne Arundel County Public School students with backpacks, binders, and headphones via the Department of Social Services. Thank you to the congregation for their support of this year’s program! Our annual collection begins in July and ends in mid-August.
Angel Tree Gifts
In 2024, we will provide gifts and gift cards for the same families and seniors who received our Thanksgiving Baskets, plus two families associated with Comunidad Presbiteriana la Trinidad. 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. Collection of books/media will begin on February 1.
Thank you to those who supported our 2024 sale and helped us raise over $7,000 to help with missions locally, regionally, and internationally. 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 2024 order form is available for download here.
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To pay online, click here, scroll down to Give Now, then fill in your information and put the Heifer amount in the "Special Giving Fund" line. Please also enter "Heifer" in the Notes field after typing in your payment information.
In 2022, we raised $3,320 for this mission! Our donations included support for an alpaca, a goat, rabbits, flocks of chickens, honeybees, a share of a water buffalo, fish, garden seeds, and sending a girl to school, as well as many gifts designated for the area of greatest need.
Mission Trips/Disaster Assistance
We support disaster 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. Our Little Free Library, Used Book & Media Sale, Angel Tree Gifts, and support of STAIR all promote literacy in our local community.
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.
So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.)/CARE
A portion of our monthly Two Cents a Meal offering goes to S.O.M.E., which serves poor and homeless residents of Washington, D.C., and CARE, which 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 (USA) 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. In 2022, we collected $2,255 for the OGHS offering and $1,655 for the Christmas Joy offering.