Ministries

Providence has always had a heart for missions. We give time, talent, and financial resources to our partners both here in the Charleston area and around the world. 

Locally, we provide canned food and non-perishables for our elderly neighbors across the street at the Seven Farms Apartments. We partner with HALOS (Helping and Lending Outreach Support) in Charleston to provide a summer camp experience and birthday and Christmas gifts for children. We are also involved with Metanoia in the Cherokee/Chicora area of North Charleston with their community garden, their afterschool programs, and offering our church as a "home" for short-term mission groups. Additionally, each spring we serve many different agencies in the Charleston area for a one-day mission blitz we call Providence Cares.

Our Refugee Ministry partners the entire congregation with a local refugee family who we assist in meeting a host of basic needs including transportation, educational, ESL, and cultural assimilation support all in an effort to better equip them to live well in their new country.

On the state-level we work closely with the South Carolina Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its churches to bring hope and comfort to our neighbors. We have sent mission teams to Allendale and host mission teams working in the Charleston area.

On the national and international level, we work with Rise Against Hunger and host an annual Meal Packing Party to provide food to our neighbors around the world. We also work with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship which sends mission personnel throughout the world. We have been blessed to send some of our members to work and minister beside the field personnel and also to host them in Charleston for times of rest and recovery. 

Our mission work includes everything from providing financial resources for ministry around the world to meeting the physical needs of people hurting around us – all in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The Fellowship Committee serves to provide relationship-building, family, and fun-centered activities. These activities intentionally include intergenerational and age-related activities, plus recreation opportunities within the church and within the community. Annual church-wide events coordinated by the Committee are:

  • Salt Shakers (quarterly dinner fellowships)

  • Fall Festival variety show

  • Thanksgiving and Palm Sunday meals

  • Easter Egg Hunt

  • Church Picnic

  • Trunk or Treat

  • Game Night

Past events include Christmas Caroling and Hot Chocolate Fellowship, Soup Supper and Bake Off, as well as a Baked Potato Bar.

Spending time in fellowship and fun keeps us connected (and well-fed) as a congregation.

Our music ministry plays an integral role in worship. Accompanied by piano or organ, our adult choir delivers inspiring anthems each week while soloists, instrumentalists and ensembles frequently add variety through special selections.

To the delight of our congregation our handbell choir, the Providence Ringers, regularly contributes to the rich musical fabric of worship. They welcome members and subs who share a love of music and have a basic understanding of rhythm and notes. To learn more about our handbell choir, contact Susie Hyman. 

While hymns and classical choral pieces are the norm, it’s not uncommon for the choir and congregation to sing a range of selections from contemporary pieces to African-American spirituals. 

If you have questions about our music ministry or joining our adult choir, or if you play an instrument and have the desire to use your musical gifts in worship, contact David Richardson. 

Children already have a relationship with God although they may not have the language to express it. We seek to nurture that growing relationship through an intergenerational community where children learn the stories of our faith, build relationships with each other and with their church family, and learn to serve others. 

We know that family schedules are hectic, and often it is a real challenge to get everyone up and to Providence each week in time for the traditional Sunday School hour. So we are experimenting to find the right kinds of programs to meet families where they are and to lean more into being intentionally intergenerational.

While there is not weekly programming for elementary-aged children, our children help lead us in worship each week in various ways. In addition to our Children’s Moment during worship each week, we provide worship bags full of activities and a dedicated Prayspace in our sanctuary to help children worship and engage in their own way.

Each Sunday, worship care is provided for infants-4K from 10:30am through the end of worship. Our volunteers ensure each child is loved and cared for while they are with us.

Every summer, we host a fun-filled Vacation Bible School and an opportunity for our older children to go to children’s camp. Throughout the year, we find ways to participate with various missions activities alongside our church family.

A copy of our Child Protection Policy is available here.

For more information about our children’s ministry and what programming is currently offered, contact Allison Benfield. 

Youth are looking for a place where they can belong and be themselves as they wrestle with big questions about life and faith. As youth seek to figure out what they believe, Providence provides a safe and nurturing space where teens can be authentic and real with each other and with their church family on this part of their faith journey.

The Youth Group is made up of 6th-12th graders from a variety of schools. We experience God through fun, fellowship, caring, and serving others.

We know that family schedules are hectic, and often it is a real challenge to get everyone up and to Providence each week in time for the traditional Sunday School hour. So we are experimenting to find the right kinds of programs to meet families where they are and to lean more into being intentionally intergenerational. You can contact Allison Benfield for more specific information about what programs we are currently offering.

While there is no weekly programming for youth, our youth are involved in worship leadership and actively involved in meaningful missions projects alongside our church family throughout the city. Each summer, we make time for fun events and travel together to youth camp.

For more information about our youth ministry and what programming is currently offered, contact Allison Benfield.

The Adult Ministry at Providence seeks to engage adults on their faith journey and encourage them to grow a deeper relationship with God and one another. Adults have opportunities during Sunday School and other special times throughout the year to spend time in Bible Study, faith formation, and topical life studies. 

Sunday School is the backbone of the Adult Education ministry. Our classes are intergenerational and use both conventional and topical literature for their curriculum. Smyth & Helwys, the Upper Room, and Abingdon Press are a few of the publishers adult classes use to spark conversations for learning. 

Opportunities to engage and grow adult faith exist throughout the year in various formats. For example, a monthly book club meets to discuss the theology found in contemporary literature. Special Seminars and Bible studies are offered periodically to enhance Providence’s weekly adult ministry. 

Providence offers opportunities to develop deeper relationships in a small group format. 

Providence Book Club meets monthly to discuss theological themes and implications of contemporary literature. For more information about the book club, contact Kate Andersen.

The Current Issues Group serves as a forum for Providence members to discuss current issues (local, social, political, etc.) in an open and mutually supportive atmosphere as they relate to our faith. The group may choose to discuss action and participation in events, lectures, etc., and will make these opportunities known to church members, who are free to participate or not. However, the group will not advocate for any particular political party or movement. For more information about the Current Issues Group, contact Deb Malone. 

The Faith Connections Team disseminates information to Providence members about Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) activities (offerings, home building for the disadvantaged, CBF informational sessions, etc.) In addition, this committee promotes partnerships in the community that support Providence’s goals and supports various advocacy topics. For more information about the Faith Connections Team, contact Paula Egelson.

The Providence Prayer Circle meets weekly to hold in prayer those who have requested it or made known specific challenges or celebrations. To learn more about the Prayer Circle, please contact Antoinette Battista. 

The Retired Men’s Breakfast is a monthly gathering for men who have retired to meet, enjoy a home-cooked breakfast and spend time together in fellowship, study, and prayer. To learn more about the Retired Men’s Breakfast, contact Harry Devenney.

Care Groups are formed geographically and strive to meet the needs of the church’s members. The Care Groups address, but are not limited to, the following needs: bereavement, family care, helping in times of medical issues and concerns, new baby care, etc.

The facilities at Providence Church serve many functions. From worship on Sundays to Preschool during the week to special events and community meetings, the buildings bearing Providence’s name are part of the church’s ministry to its community. 

The sanctuary space where we worship is often transformed into a dining space where we gather around tables to share meals. It’s where we learn and play and break bread. 

The Education space houses the church offices and nursery and preschool classrooms. This space comes alive during the week with children from all over the world who now call the Charleston area home. 

Providence serves as host to several community clubs and neighborhood Bible studies in addition to the weekly functions and activities sponsored by Providence Church. For more information on facility usage, please contact office administrator, René Sisson. 

Prayer plays a vital role in the mission and ministry of Providence. The staff begins its weekly meeting updating and praying through the prayer list as well as through sections of the church directory. Connecting to the congregation through prayer enhances each staff member’s ministry and their ability to effectively fulfill their call to serve.

Additionally, the Providence Prayer Circle meets weekly to hold in prayer those who have requested it or made known specific challenges or celebrations. To learn more about the Prayer Circle, please contact Antoinette Battista. 

To submit a request for prayer, please complete the form below.