Local Community Service

As a witness to the community we support our local volunteer organizations like Airville Volunteer Fire Company, New Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Company, and Brogue Ambulance.

The volunteers put their lives on the line and we appreciate that.  In addition to supporting our local heroes, Guinston also supports our nation’s military through prayer and giving to Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors Inc., and the York County Veterans Treatment Court.

“The Deacons” -Guinston’s ministry team helps to meet the needs of local members in our community. These committed servants pray for people, try to identify areas we can help with and then move forward with a coordinated plan with the families to meet these needs.

Servants, Inc. a local “Habitat for Humanity” like organization that helps elderly, disabled, and needy families with home repair projects.

Feeding the Hungry

In Matthew 25 Jesus makes it clear how important it is that we care for each other and help those in need.  Ultimately he says, any act of kindness shown to another person is something He considers an act of kindness to Himself (Matt 25:40).  It is for this reason that we make an effort to meet the physical needs of those in our community.  In addition to supporting a few local families with food, and financial support, we also support several local food ministries such as:  Life Path, Mason-Dixon Food Locker, Our Daily Bread, Salvation Army Pathway to Hope, and Red Lion Community Reach.

Health And Wellness

As Christians we know that our body is a temple to the Holy Spirit.  For this reason we also support ministries that care for the health and well being of individuals such as the American Cancer Society.

We also support the ministry of Human Life Services as they minister to women with crisis pregnancies.  We recognize that every life is precious to God…the life of an unborn child as well as the life and well being of the mother in tough circumstances.  Human Life Services works to preserve life and support women in need.

We support the Katallasso Family Health Center. Katallaso in Greek means reconciliation. At Katallasso Family Health Center (FHC) reconciliation is at the core of what we aspire to do. By building trust through aggressively sought out relationships, we will work to help people reconcile with God, family, Church, and their neighborhood using a biblical model. We believe that these four relationships fully functioning together allow people to live a fulfilled life stretching a person beyond what they believe they currently are capable of doing. This will all be done through the vehicle of health care and wellness programs.

Children and Youth Ministries

The church sponsors children from Gospel for Asia and Compassion International.

Intervarsity:  The Intervarsity ministry at York College helps to reach out to college students and help them draw closer to Christ during their college years rather than the more typical wandering from Christ.

New Life for Girls and New Life Center for Mothers and Children:  New Life for Mother and Children and New Life for Girls, together form a Christian discipleship program. It is committed to meeting the emotional, physical, spiritual, and academic needs of women with life controlling problems such as drugs and alcohol. The Mothers and Children come directly from New life for Girls once they have successfully completed the required instruction to continue the program. This is a gospel based ministry that incorporates the whole being of those enrolled in the program. This includes mind, body, emotions, and spirit.

Guinston supports House of Hope in Glen Rock, who ministers to young ladies coming out of abusive situations. It provides residential living, as well as non-residential counseling for teens and families.

International Ministries

Through The Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) Jesus makes it clear that our responsibility is more than just our local neighbors when He says, “go and make disciples of all nations.” In Acts 1:8 Jesus describes the mission of His followers…not only what we are, but how we are to do it…with the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We see Christ’s command to witness in our hometown (Jerusalem), in our state and country (Judea and Samaria), and internationally (to the ends of the earth).  For this reason Guinston joyfully engages in international mission work on every continent.

South & Central America

Bolivia – The Ramsey family founded LATCOM in Bolivia nearly half a century ago and they continue to work with the indigeonous peoples to spread the Good News through many different venues: building homes in the jungle, running a retreat center, and leadership development courses for government agencies using the Bible as the core curriculum for ethics.

Haiti – James Israel, a native Haitian, has founded and runs “Justice and Integrity Agriculture,” which teaches local farmers practical farming methods, provides seeds, and support in other ways.  All the while James is sharing the love of Christ with those he meets, and covers his own expenses by working full time as a school teacher.

Haiti – Louis Destine worked for many years in Haiti, but is currently located in the U.S. due to political unrest and gang violence.  Here he serves as a translator and missions promoter.

Haiti – Lucien & Maude Saül wanted to go where no one else would go. God sent them to Bassin, a small village near Gonaives, with no electricity, no church, no school, no market – nothing. At first, Lucien, single at the time, had to have a cat to keep the rats from chewing his feet while he slept! Bassin had been a stronghold of Satan, with voodoo being practiced by the majority of the people. Now a vibrant local Baptist church in Bassin stands as a testimony to the faithfulness of God in blessing the preaching and teaching of His Word. Lucien Saül’s ministry has met an incredible need for training national pastors and missionaries that was not being met by anyone else; established a school for children; and established a medical clinic for the needy.

Haiti – A second generation of Saüls, Royden & his wife Danielle, have moved alongside Lucien and Maude to help carry this ministry into the future.

Haiti – Rev. Paul & Frances Harrigan serve in the Port-au-Prince area of Haiti, where Paul (another son of Lucien and Maude serving the Lord) pastors a church with a large school.

Argentina – Miguel and Myriam Garroni have been serving with BMW (Biblical Ministries Worldwide) since 1976. In 1979, they arrived in the city of Corrientes, Argentina. Through the years the Garronis developed Corrientes Bible Church, a Bible Institute to train nationals, and a Christian School up to High School level. In 2001, they left the work in Corrientes in the hands of nationals and moved to Uruguay where they developed a church ministry for 18 years. In 2019, they moved to Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, Argentina close to their children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren, and are developing a new church (Villa Carlos Paz Bible Church) in the downtown area.

Argentina – Dr. Tito & Adriana Ramirez and their daughter Annie serve in the Punilla Valley of Argentina as church planters with BMW.

Guatemala – EPC Missionaries Paul & Elizabeth  Paul and Elizabeth serve under WO ITEN. Paul is the General Secretary of the Latin American Association of Evangelical Theological Education, and professor at SETECA (the Central American Theological Seminary). Elizabeth leads a ministry to at-risk children.

Central and South America – As Spanish speakers, Dan & Iara Pinckney are part of the team that equips leaders in various places in Central and South America. They work with Equipping Leaders International.

Latin America – Chris & Melody Istrati work to help train nationals in their place to prepare them for leading churches and ministries in their regions.

Africa

Ethiopia – The Ethiopian Outreach Ministry, based in York, PA, broadcasts radio over all of Africa, most of the Middle East, and Europe declaring messages to Ethiopeans around the world. They also have a prolific publication arm that sends tracks, pamphlets, and other written material to Ethiopian enclaves abroad. Their training center in Addis Ababa equips hundreds of locals in ministry skills.

Ethiopia – John and Gwen have worked for decades in the rural southwest region of Ethiopia.  Their long and faithful service has created powerful inroads into the area.

Ethiopia – The daughter of John and Gwen, Heather and her husband Habtom Kebede founded Outstretched Hands.  They share the Good News of Jesus Christ through building relationships and addressing the needs of communities and individuals in Southwestern Ethiopia!

Ethiopia – Jesse and Haley Millar, working through Light of the Nations, are called to spark a Missional Movement from Ethiopia to Africa and the rest of the world.  They fulfill this call by serving at Beza International Ministries to see a Missional Discipleship movement take root.  They are working to develop an African Discipleship small group program currently being piloted in over 60 small groups across the city of Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia – Fikadu Asseff is the director of True Light Children’s Project which sponsors children providing tutoring, food assistance, counseling and guidance, and microbusiness loans for families in the program.  This is all done in conjunction with presenting the love of Christ.

Cameroon – Nathan and Laurel Conrad of World Team work among the Baku people in rural Cameroon, evangelizing, church planting, agricultural training, and worship/Bible study training and equipping.

Uganda – Winnie Uteme of Uganda has partnered with Robin Lathroum of Dallastown to form Glory Bound, a ministry seeking to assist women in their desire to help financially support their families by teaching them marketable skills as they share the love of Christ.

Europe

Netherlands – Rob and Lisa MacEwen are professors at Tyndale Theological Seminary. Tyndale is an interdenominational, evangelical seminary that prepares students for ministries as pastors, teachers, missionaries, church planters and denominational leaders around the world. Tyndale is unique in that the school was not only founded by missionaries, but continues to be run by missionary faculty and staff. All residential faculty–from the newest assistant professor to the president–are missionaries supported by individuals, families and churches through various mission agencies.

Russia – Guinston supports the Ministry Network with over a dozen different mission workers serving to reach out to the people in the Northern Caucus region of Southern Russia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This is our Presbytery’s joint mission endeavor.  There are various ways these folks are reaching out to some of the most unreached people in that region. Due to security reasons their identity and specifics of their work are not posted here.

Ukraine – Andrea & Paval are two workers who moved to Kharkiv in the shadow of war to provide humanitarian relief and Gospel hope to those in the war-torn region.  Out of that has come two church plants, one of which is supported exclusively by Guinston, both of which are thriving.  Praise God!

Ukraine – Madeline Eichler, a young adult from our area has felt God’s call on her life to serve in a mission capacity and spent last year in Ukraine exploring the possibility of making that a long-term commitment.

North Macedonia – Gretchen is a newly commissioned EPC worker preparing to serve an unreached Muslim people group in Southeastern Europe.

Greece – The Pomak people are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims who live in among other places, Northern Greece.  Our contact person in Greece is Stavros Delagiangas, a Greek national.

Middle East

Iraq – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X are missionaries working with Kurds in this Muslim nation.

Afghanistan – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X work in this closed nation.  Mr. X grew up as the son of missionaries here and has felt God’s calling to return and continue the work of his parents.

Jordan – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X serve in Amman, as YWAM ministers, evangelizing and discipling others.

Lebanon/Egypt – Raymond Abou-Mekhael working through International Partner Ministries (IPM) to evangelize the lost, disciple new believers, train pastors, and plant churches in Lebanon and Egypt and is looking to expand into other Mid-Eastern countries.

Cypress – Brad and Margie Matheson have worked with refugees for the last few years at first in Samos, Greece, and now in Cypress.  Their ministry includes feeding, evangelism, and discipleship.

Israel – TBD

Asia

Thailand – Mike and Kay Killar and their family with Woman at Risk Internationa work in Bangkok to help prostitutes escape enslavement in the sex industry and to find true love in Jesus Christ. The Killars teach those in the program marketable skills necessary to survive so they won’t have to sell their bodies.

Kasakhstan – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X are missionaries in this sensitive area working with Uyghur people, an oppressed people group in China. Their primary work includes Bible translation.

Indonesia – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X are engaged in various kinds of ministry including friendship evangelism, internet outreach, radio broadcasting, church planting, and Bible studies in this cultural that is antagonistic to Christianity.

Japan – D and H are recent appointees with World Outreach. In cooperation with RTJA, they will serve on a church planting team in the unreached, rural areas.

East Asia region – (Names other details withheld for security reasons) Mr. and Mrs. X work in an international counseling center. D provides family, couples, and individual counseling for cross-cultural workers. W is a spiritual director and helps cross-cultural workers grow in their intimacy with God. They both conduct men’s and women’s retreats, marriage retreats, rest and renewal retreats, and conflic resolution training for nationals and expats. They serve under a co-op agreement with Pioneers.

Philippians – Steve Warehime is the director of Macedonian Ministries and is based in the Philippians but serves in other countries as the Lord enables. Steve helps teach and preach in Philippines and focuses his ministry on evangelism and discipleship.

Indian Sub-Continent

India – Dr. Peter Thiumai heads a theological institute to train missionaries, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.  Through this Peter has developed an extensive network of church planters, teachers and schools, and evangelists all over northeast India, as well as Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet, and China.  Guinston has helped or entirely financed the construction of over half a dozen churches in this region.

India – Elijah and Mercy Thiumai (Part of Dr. Peter’s Network) run the Elim Academy in Tripura, India providing for Muslim and Hindu children a good education and sharing the love of Jesus with them and their families.

India – Tanthui and Ruth Thiumai pastor two churches in Darjeeling, India and minister to the locals according to their needs.

India – The Eden Institute, India, is assisted by paying the salary of one teacher each year. Christian teachers train children in needed skills and topics for adulthood and providing for themselves and their families when they are grown.  While they teach this, the Christian teachers also make sure to expose the children to the love of Jesus and offer the hope that can be found therein.

India – Guinston supports a Compassion International child in India.

North America & Beyond

Head Quartered in Florida, Converge Deaf Ministry serves both nationally and internationally one of the least reached people groups in all the world: The Deaf.  Less than 2% of deaf worldwide have a saving knowledge of Jesus and participate in any kind of Christian ministry.

Gideons International began in 1908 as an Association of Christian businessmen placing Bibles in hotel rooms. It has evolved into an expanding mission to provide Scriptures to all people in nearly every facet of life. Today, we have taken more than 2 billion Scriptures in more than 95 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe.

Intervarsity South Central PA – College is one of the times when young adults are making decisions that will direct the rest of their lives and I.V. is positioned to help these impressionable young adults choose Christ especially in the face of immense academic pressures against making those sorts of decisions.

I.T.E.M. – International Theological Education Ministries is an organization that sends Reformed Pastors all over the world to teach and train indigenous leaders to establish strong and biblical presence in several nations.

Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors is an independent statewide non-profit 501©(3) organization providing support to Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, Veterans in Crisis, and their families.

Connecticut – EPC Church Plant in coordination with Covenant Presbyterian Church (AKA: The Barn) in the New England area.  EPC Pastor, Nathan Cotton is heading this church plant and working with EPC Pastor, Matt Blazer of Covenant.

Boston – Route One Ministry headed by EPC Pastor Bonnie Gatchell works to free women trapped as slaves to the sex industry primarily in New England’s urban centers (Boston and beyond).

Special Recognition

Veteran’s Recognition Service – The Sunday before or after November 11 (Veteran’s Day) Guinston takes time to recognize and thank the veterans of the congregation for their military service. The vets lead the worship service and collect a special offering to give to a military ministry of their choosing.

Souper Bowl Sunday – The first Sunday in February a special offering is taken during a soup luncheon and designated for a ministry focused on hunger.

Guinston Gutters Volunteers

Like most of the country, Guinston was shocked and saddened in 2005 with the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.  So, Guinston decided to send a mission team to provide direct aid to the disaster victims.  Guinston calls this mission team the Guinston Gutters Volunteers.  The teams consist of ordinary people giving a week of their time to travel to impacted areas and to do the challenging work of debris clearance, house gutting, and rebuilding. Through this work, Guinston has been able to reach out and help one family at a time with restoring their homes and in turn their lives.

Over the years since  2005, we have responded to other storm and flood disaster sites from the New Jersey shore to Goodlettsville, TN.  We have also  sent teams to aid the residents and churches on the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Sioux reservations in South Dakota.

When not engaged in distant disaster missions the Gutters have turned their attention closer to home; there are many local families and ministries in need of repairs and renovations.

Chronicles of our major mission trips beginning in 2005 may be viewed HERE.