Threshold Ministry of
Decatur Presbyterian Church
2015 Annual Report
“Am I my brother’s keeper? The answer to that question is no,
I’m my brother’s brother.”
-- Rev. William Sloane Coffin, via Rev. Ken Hughes
Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Threshold Ministry, DPC
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Welcome visitors to a safe and supportive place
Listen, attentively
Help with needs, as we are able; facilitate referrals
Offer empathy, prayer (Threshold Prayer Cards),
involvement in DPC activities
Allow the members of DPC to experience new
dimensions of God’s grace
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Percentage Males below Poverty Level
Decatur
Georgia
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Percentage Females below Poverty Level
Decatur
Georgia
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Development of Threshold Ministry
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Our location puts us in a unique position to
respond
Built on DPC Door Ministry
2012 - Rev. Dr. Ken Hughes: “The persistence of
poverty stands as a constant challenge to the
Christian Church. Unlike any other institution, the
Church is called by its foundational scripture and
theological convictions to be brother and sister to
those in need.”
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Operations of Threshold
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3 ¾ years in operation
Began with 3 mornings per week, now 2
Staffed by volunteers with help from congregation
and neighborhood
Ty, aged 7
Sunday School
Youth
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Quick 2015 Threshold Facts
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Most clients of Threshold Center are not residents of, or
homeless in, zip code 30030
Clients are as often female as male
The percentage of families with children needing
assistance have increased
Special skills are not needed to help Threshold Ministry—
just a love for the teachings of Jesus.
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Client Encounters to Date
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Year 1 ( partial 2012): 1025
Year 2 (2013): 1119
Year 3 (2014): 2176
Year 4 (2015): 2380
6700 client encounters to date
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
2015 Experience
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236 new clients; 617 unique clients in database
Equal numbers of males and females
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Threshold Requests, by Category, 2012-2015
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*Threshold closed 3 weeks, July 2015
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Registered Referral Site, Furniture Bank of
Atlanta
www.furniturebankatlanta.org
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Furniture Bank – New Procedures
All clients receive delivery (no warehouse pick-up)
 Priority clients include:
– Those moving from homelessness to housing
– Those living with HIV/AIDS
– Those fleeing domestic violence
– Those dealing with challenging situations or
changing life circumstance
In 2015, we helped 27 families furnish their homes
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Partner, Atlanta Community Food Bank
www.acfb.org
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Threshold and Hospitality Ministries
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Provide healthful sack lunches between 9 am and
noon each day the DPC Office is open
Lunches are provided by Sandwich Brigade and
Threshold, through an endowment grant in 2015
In 2015, we distributed over 7,000 lunches, an
average of 145 per week.
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Collaboration with Decatur Cooperative Ministry
We are an Assistance Station associated with DCM:
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Facilitates purchase of lower cost MARTA cards
Allows use of Pathways Database at no cost
Designated as temporary emergency shelter for
residents of Hagar’s House
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
We Love our Threshold Volunteers!
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Threshold Lunch ‘n Learn Sessions
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In 2015, Threshold hosted quarterly Lunch ‘n Learn Gatherings
for volunteers, their guests, other interested DPC members, First
Baptist Assistance Volunteers
Light lunch prepared by Zest Atlanta
Discussions:
– Pathways: Data management System
– Dealing with people in difficult circumstances
– Health care
– Prayer with Threshold Clients (Joan Gray, Vernon Gramling)
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
Threshold Database
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Pathways database
Funded by DCM grant from
County (HUD)
Allows more effective client
service
Provides data for accountability,
and for this report
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
What do we Need?
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Come visit (Mon, Thurs 9-11:45 am)
Join us: see sign-up form available from Threshold page of
DPC website
Organize a Break Bread Group, Sunday School Class, school
or neighborhood gathering to collect items for hygiene kits,
lunches, winter kits
Include children in discussion/activities about poverty
Pray for us, our clients, and particularly those people who never
make it over our threshold!
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed
And Remember…..
The Poor make the Church Faithful to its vocation….
The Poor are given to the Church so that the Church,
as the body of Christ, can be and remain a place of
mutual concern, love, and peace.
-- Henri Nouwen
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Decatur Presbyterian Church
Every Child of God Belonging, Engaging, and Being Transformed